As I write this at midnight, many races are still too close to call, but here is what I can say...
First up, Luzerne County government did it again, treating every election like it's their first time out of the box. From machine problems in the morning to vote count problems at night, why can't they get it right?
The race for the Republican senate nomination is between Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz. Kathy Barnette had a late surge in the polls, but something told me that wasn't tight. She came too far, too fast. This was always going to be a race between the big spenders.
Doug Mastriano blew away the rest of the field to capture the Republican nomination for governor. The win comes in spite of members of his own party seeking to derail him, fearing he is too far right to win. How did that work out for you? Former Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta finished a distance second, a campaign that never caught fire.
Democrat Josh Shapiro was unopposed on the Democrat side, so now, it's a contest between two men at the far ends of the political spectrum. We know both have solid bases. Who has the ability to capture the moderates and the independents they need to win? Even though the Republicans have been making gains, Democrats still hold the registration edge. Mastriano now faces the though task of uniting his party.
Carrie DelRosso spent big, and she wins the nomination for Lieutenant Governor on the Republican side. Mastriano's choice, Teddy Daniels finishes a distant third. The domestic violence allegations against Daniels took their toll. Can she get along with Mastriano, who clearly wanted someone else as his second in command?
Democrat John Fetterman breezed to a win in the Democrat race for senate. Conor Lamb was a distant second, a moderate who never gained traction. Fetterman started with tremendous name recognition from two previous state-wide runs. Plus, that unique look of his sticks in the minds of voters. Republicans see Fetterman as beatable. Can Oz or McCormick do it? An aside, it was not a good night for moderates in any party.
Jim Bognet cruises to an easy win over former Hazleton Mayor Mike Marsicano in the Republican race for congress in the 8th district. Bognet nearly took down Matt Cartwright two years ago. Is this his year? Can predictions of the new "red wave" get Bognet over the top? I thought Marsicano had some well done television commercials, but his track record in recent years isn't very good.
James May wins the Republican nomination for state representative in the 118th, and he made it look easy. I have to admit I'm surprised here. May is a known commodity with a solid base. I thought John Lombardo, with a well known name in and around the Pittston population base, would fare better.
Dane Watro cruises to the Republican nomination in the 116th, an easy win in a crowded field.
Kyle Donahue had an easy win over Patrick Flynn for the Democratic nomination in the 113th, and that isn't much of a surprise.
As I write this, the Republican race in the 119th is still tight. Alec Ryncavage holds a lead over Tom Williams. Ryncavage found an issue that worked for him-- Williams' party switching.
As always, things are subject to change, and keep watching this space for updates.
Good luck to the winners. And to those who didn't win (I never call them losers), thank you for getting involved in the process.
