The 2025 Pennsylvania municipal primary is over and as the unofficial tallies begin the process of certification, we take a look back at the results.

Pennsylvania Superior Court

Maria Battista defeated Ann Marie Wheatcraft, the endorsed candidate of the Pennsylvania GOP, to win the Republican nomination for the open Pennsylvania Superior Court seat. Battista, an attorney from Clarion County, received 54% of the vote, while Wheatcraft managed just 46 percent.

Battista previously served as assistant general counsel for the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and State under former Govs. Tom Corbett, a Republican, and Tom Wolf, a Democrat.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) did not recommend Battista because she did not participate in its rating process.

She will face Democrat Brandon Neuman in November. He currently serves as a judge on Washington County’s Court of Common Pleas.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court

Erie-based attorney Matthew Wolford defeated Joshua Prince of Berks County, 62-38%, to win the Republican nomination for the open seat on Commonwealth Court.

Wolford was endorsed by the state GOP and was also “highly recommended” by the PBA. Prince was not recommended by the state bar association because he did not participate in its review process.

Democrat Stella Tsai will be Wolford’s opponent in November. She has served on Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas since 2016.

Mayoral Primaries

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor defeated incumbent Ed Gainey for the Democratic nomination. O’Connor won by 3,300 out of more than 59,000 votes as an incumbent lost for the second straight time in the Steel City. O’Connor will face Tony Moreno, who won the GOP nod with a 1,600-vote margin over Thomas West.

Allentown

Incumbent Matt Tuerk moved a step closer to a second term in City Hall with a resounding win over City Councilman Ed Zucal, 80.5-19.5%. No Republican filed for the position, but GOP voters were encouraged to write in Zucal’s name. The Lehigh County election results website does not show the number of write-in votes cast by Republican voters and will be adjudicated over the next week.

Zucal would need a minimum of 100 write-ins and one more than any other write-in candidate to claim victory in the GOP primary. | LehighValleyNews story

Bethlehem

Incumbent J. William Reynolds is in line for a second term after a convincing 65-35% victory over councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith. No Republicans filed for the office, but there were at least 125 write-in votes on the GOP side. Should one name appear at least 100 times, that person could claim victory on the Republican side and create a race in November. | LehighValleyNews story

Erie

Daria Devlin, the director of social impact for Hamot Health Foundation, upset two-term incumbent Joe Schember and retired educator Sheila Woeger for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Erie.

Devlin received more than 50% of the vote, compared to 46.1% for Schember and 3.52% for Woeger for a 423-vote victory. Schember is the first incumbent Erie mayor to lose in a primary since 2005.

Devlin will face Republican Matthew Thomas in November and enter the fray as a huge favorite, given the city’s more than 2-to-1 Democratic voter registration edge. No Republican has been elected mayor of Erie since 1961. | Erie Times-News story

Harrisburg

Incumbent Wanda Williams was in a tight race throughout the night against city Treasurer Dan Miller before finally pulling away as the final precinct totals came in. Williams was victorious by 83 votes, securing 35.4% of the vote in the five-candidate race, while Miller garnered 33.7%. City Council member Lamont Jones finished third at 22.4 percent.

There were no candidates on the Republican side, clearing the way for a Williams win in November. | PennLive story

Lancaster

It was an overwhelming victory for City Council vice president Jamie Arroyo in the Democratic primary over Janet Diaz, 83-17%. He is in line to replace Danene Sorace who opted not to run for reelection. Arroyo will likely face former home rule commissioner Tony Dastra, who has indicated he will run under the Green Party flag, in November. | LNP story

Scranton

Incumbent Paige Cognetti cruised to a 76-23% victory over former Scranton School Board President Bob Sheridan in the Democratic primary. She will face Republican Trish Beynon in the fall.

Beynon, a construction company accounting executive, edged Lynn Labrosky by 118 votes or 5.7 percentage points to receive the GOP nod. | WVIA story

County Executive

Erie

In another Erie upset, Democrat Christina Vogel surprised Perry Wood, executive director of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, 52-47%.

Vogel, who was outraised by Wood’s campaign by $80,000, secured a 1,257-vote win and will oppose Republican Brenton Davis in the November general election. | Erie Times-News story

Lehigh

Former Allentown Police Chief Roger MacLean defeated former Allentown School Board director Mike Welsh for the Republican nod for Lehigh County Executive. MacLean registered a 716-vote victory, 52-48%, and will face state Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) in the November general election. | LehighValleyNews

Northampton

Northampton County Controller Tara Zrinski defeated former county elections director Amy Cozze for the Democratic nomination. Zrinski, who ran with the backing of outgoing executive Lamont McClure, received 57% of the vote, compared to 43% for Cozze. The Bethlehem resident will face Republican nominee Tom Giovanni, who went unopposed in the GOP primary, in the general election. | LehighValleyNews

District Attorney

Philadelphia

Incumbent Larry Krasner is positioned for a third-term as Philadelphia District Attorney after defeating former municipal couty judge Pat Dugan by a 64-36% count. No Republican filed to run, likely clearing the path for Krasner to secure a new four-year term in November.

The Philadelphia GOP encouraged its voters to write in Dugan for district attorney in an effort to let the Democratic runner-up run as the Republican nominee in the general election. Dugan’s campaign has said he would decline such an opportunity.

According to the Philadelphia City Commissioners website, there were 7,046 write-in votes cast by members of the GOP. | Philadelphia Inquirer story

Lebanon

Two-term incumbent Pier Hess Graf advanced to the general election ballot with a resounding 5,200-vote victory in the Republican primary against Michael Light. The challenger still could win in a spot on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee, if he receives at least 100 of the 570 write-votes and one more than any other write-in. | LebTown story

Schuylkill

Incumbent Michael O’Pake defeated challenger John Henry Urbanski for the GOP nomination, 53-42%. O’Pake switched from Democrat to Republican in January, citing “deepening ideological differences” with the national Democratic Party.

There were 718 write-in votes for Democrats. If one candidate receives at least 100 plus one more than any other submission, s/he will appear on the November ballot representing the party. | Skook News story

York

Tim Barker, who became the county’s DA in January after the departure of Dave Sunday, will likely keep his job after defeating challenger Jack Graybill II, 65-34%. There were no candidates on the Democratic side, although 1,168 write-in votes were cast. Should a person receive a minimum of 100 write-ins, and have at least one more than any other candidate, s/he would represent the Democrats in November. | York Dispatch story