Allyson Schwartz (center) , Chaka Fattah (left) and Michael Nutter (right) at the election headquarters at Warwick hotel in Center City Philadelphia on November 6, 2012, election night. (Maria Pouchnikova)
Election results 11–7
Election Day belonged to the incumbents in Northeast Philadelphia, as voters rehired local members of Congress and the state legislature for another term.
And none of the contests were especially close.
In the area U.S. House of Representatives races, Reps. Bob Brady (D-1st dist.) and Allyson Schwartz (D-13th dist.) cruised to victory.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Mike Stack (D-5th dist.) overwhelmed Mike Tomlinson.
In races for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Reps. Tom Murt (R-152nd dist.), Ed Neilson (D-169th dist.), Kevin Boyle (D-172nd dist.) and John Taylor (R-177th dist.) were big winners.
Steve McCarter will succeed fellow Democrat Larry Curry in the 154th district, having beaten Republican Mark Sirinides.
The following local candidates, all Democrats, were unopposed: State Sen. Shirley Kitchen (3rd district), Reps. Brendan Boyle (170th), Mike McGeehan (173rd), John Sabatina Jr. (174th), Mark Cohen (202nd) and Dwight Evans (203rd) and James “Scoot” Clay in the 179th district.
Here is a closer look at some of the most-watched local races:
13th Congressional District
Rep. Allyson Schwartz calmly and confidently awaited election results at a Center City hotel ballroom festooned with balloons and televisions set to MSNBC’s coverage.
“On big policy issues and local issues, my constituents know I represent their interests and values,” she said. “I’m certainly proud of the work I’ve done. We did a lot of work … house parties, signs, door knocking.”
Schwartz dismissed speculation that this could be her last term and that she may run for another office, such as governor or U.S. Senate.
“I hope not,” she said. “I’ve been effective as a member of Congress.”
Rooney said he learned a lot in his first run for Congress.
“The №1 thing I’ve taken out of this thing is the power of incumbency,” he said. He said Schwartz was able to “push around the newspapers, push around the civic associations. Even within my own party, it is hard convincing them that Schwartz can be beaten.”
Rooney did not rule out another run.
“I know enough now to start a really good campaign. I’ve established a good network of people.”
5th Senatorial District
More than 100 supporters greeted state Sen. Mike Stack at Randi’s restaurant in Bustleton shortly after 8:30 p.m. About an hour later, the senator was claiming a “resounding, resounding” victory over Republican challenger Mike Tomlinson.
The three-term incumbent won more than 71 percent of the vote.
Stack thanked organized labor, including carpenters, Teamsters, steamfitters and sprinkler-fitters, as well as the city’s police and firefighters unions, for delivering him key votes, even in largely Republican divisions.
“Labor is in the house. We can’t do it without labor,” Stack said. “We’ve always said, ‘Our labor will beat your labor.’ ”
According to Stack’s election coordinator, Mike Kates, Democrats hold a roughly 60-to-40 voter-registration edge in the district, but many Republicans switched parties to vote for the senator.
An early indicator was the 58th Ward, 39th Division.
“It’s a very Republican ward that came out four-to-one for [Stack],” Kates said.
169th Legislative District
Rep. Ed Neilson was on the phone with his opponent as he hurried into his campaign headquarters at Grant and Academy last night at 9:15.
Republican Dave Kralle had called him to concede the contest, Neilson said.
The Millbrook Democrat, looking at results from 30 of the Far Northeast district’s 60 voting divisions, knew he was ahead by the time he got the call.
“Places where I shouldn’t have won, I won,” Neilson said. “I’ve been blessed.”
Kralle, 26, who also had incomplete numbers by about 9:25 p.m., said he had lost every ward. The top of the GOP ticket, he said, also was losing badly in the city.
The young Republican promised to continue to stay involved with neighborhood issues and said he offered to help Neilson in any way he could.
“I’m not going anywhere,” the Normandy resident said.
Both men ran for a seat that will likely evaporate in a couple of years. The 169th will leave the city because of the once-in-a-decade reconfiguration of legislative districts tied to population shifts. It likely will take form again in fast-growing York County, leaving Neilson, 49, a man without a constituency in 2014 unless the state’s Supreme Court says otherwise.
Republican Denny O’Brien represented the district for more than 30 years, but gave it up in 2011 after winning a City Council at-large seat.
172nd Legislative District
Democratic Rep. Kevin Boyle crushed Republican Al Taubenberger with nearly 70 percent of the vote.
“I’m shocked. I didn’t think I’d get close to seventy percent. I’m flabbergasted by the majority. Our polling was always very high, but I thought it would be sixty-forty,” said Boyle, who declared victory shortly before 9:30 p.m. at Benny the Bum’s.
Taubenberger saw the depressing numbers at Cpl. John Loudenslager American Legion Post 366.
“I gave everything I could to win. I knocked on ten-thousand doors. But the numbers are not anywhere close,” he said.
Taubenberger said Boyle had the power of incumbency and ran an effective campaign.
“I congratulate him,” he said.
177th Legislative District
Rep. John Taylor thanked a crowd of more than 100 supporters and campaign volunteers at the United Republican Club in Kensington after winning his 15th election. He took 57 percent of the vote to defeat Democratic challenger William Dunbar.
“They worked hard, we worked a little harder,” Taylor said of the Dunbar campaign. ldquo;When the competition’s there, I think it’s good for the neighborhood.”
Taylor said that, when he gets back to work, he will take on new complaints from his constituents.
“We collected a lot of problems on Election Day from people saying, “Why don’t you fix this, do that,’ ” he said. ••
William Kenney, John Loftus, Tom Waring, Sam Newhouse and Larry Keller contributed to this report.
