Dems Win Bucks Co. Board Of Commissioners Race

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Bucks County Democrats appeared on the verge of taking control of the county board of commissioners for the first time in decades after Tuesday's elections.

With all of Bucks County's 306 districts reporting, unofficial results showed incumbent Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia and her Democratic running mate, Falls Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Harvie, among the top three vote-getters in the at-large race.

The race for third was tight, with Harvie leading Republican board Chairman Robert Loughery by just 665 votes. But Loughery conceded the race at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

If the results hold, Republican state Rep. Gene DiGirolamo would join Ellis-Marseglia and Harvie as the three-member board's lone Republican.

With all 306 districts reporting, the unofficial vote totals were as follows in the race:

• Ellis-Marseglia (D): 82,650
• DiGirolamo (R): 77,930
• Harvie (D): 75,172
• Loughery (R): 74,507

Board Vice-Chairman Charley Martin, a Republican and 23-year veteran of the board, opted not to seek reelection.

At stake in Tuesday's election was partisan control of a board that has been run by Republicans for decades.

The newly elected commissioners will control the purse strings in Bucks County, where the annual budget now approaches $500 million, as well as make decisions about day-to-day operations in the county of roughly 630,000 people.

In southeast Pennsylvania, Bucks County had been something of a last stand for the GOP.

After last year's General Election, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties saw either Republican majorities in their state House delegations turn to Democratic advantages or narrow Democratic leads turn to overwhelming ones. State senate and congressional seats followed the same trend.

But in Bucks County, the GOP-led House delegation's numbers remained the same (two seats flipped, one in favor of each party) and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick won reelection, touting himself as a moderate Republican in the face of Democratic efforts to tie him to President Donald Trump and other congressional leaders.

The Democrats seeking Board of Commissioners seats were hoping that tide would wash ashore in Bucks this year.

"There has been one-party control over Bucks County for most of its history," Harvie said during the run-up to the election. "I believe that any party which has control for too long has the potential to lose sight of what they owe their constituents."

The Republicans, meanwhile, say they've set themselves apart in Bucks County through steady leadership and strong constituent service.

"The Republican majority has built a strong foundation and has a proven track record in Bucks County for delivering real, positive results for our residents," Loughery said to Patch.

DiGirolamo had represented the Bensalem area in the state House for 13 terms, establishing himself as a moderate en route to becoming chairman of the House Human Services Committee. He stressed fighting the opioid epidemic, environmental protection and holding the line on taxes in his bid for the board of commissioners.

Harvie stressed the experience he's gained in 11 years as supervisors chairman in Falls. He focused on environmental protection, infrastructure improvements and managing development during his campaign.

Loughery, too, mentioned fighting opioid abuse as one of his top priorities if re-elected. He also stressed the need for affordable housing, particularly for veterans and Bucks County residents with disabilities.

Ellis-Marseglia stressed taking a more holistic approach to addressing Bucks County's problems rather than creating "silos" for individual issues. She said she would prioritize improving county services, creating new and more efficient one and creating alternative funding sources for those programs. She stressed her personal background as a social worker, noting that roughly two-thirds of the county budget goes toward social services.