Post Primary Write-In Ponderings

Post Primary Write-In Ponderings — The smoke has cleared. Party-endorsed Liz Piazza and Brian Burke easily won yesterday’s (May 20) Republican Primary for Delaware County (Pa) Council.

Burke has, as of this morning, 18,965 votes; Liz, 19,231 votes; and 1,661 write in votes are unassigned.

How many did Charlie Alexander get? How many went to the lovely Sharon Devaney. Both ran write-in campaigns albeit Sharon’s was a bit ad hoc and without much effort.

In the Springfield precinct where I work the polls, Charlie got one vote as Charles Alexa and one as Charles Alexande. Neither would likely count. Sharon got one properly spelled. She beat you there, Charlie. I’ll try and do a better job of keeping the little lady in line. Hey, Leah Hoopes also got one vote. That’s a serious crossing of signals.

On a more troubling note for the GOP, Joanne Phillips — one of the Democrat candidates for council — got two write-ins on the Republican ticket.

Frank Agovino better start working on his messaging. Change is critical, unless all of us — including the poor, misguided Ds — want a county with usurious taxes and no hospitals.

The Dems with whom I interacted, by the way, were nice people. I don’t want to see them suffer any more than myself. Just say no to crushing taxes and no health care.

All it takes is leadership and strength.

The wards in Marple, where Charlie lives, had a better write-in response.

Why, write-ins accounted for 13.13 percent of the vote in Marple 7-2.

I’ll grant them to Charlie although I haven’t seen the tickets.

Nice job, Charlie.

By the way, if the GOP defended Charlie’s access to the ballot rather than let him be removed on a technicality, he still would have bigly lost and the last two months could have been spent promoting the relevant issues — health care, taxes — rather than putting on an embarrassing circus.

Unity is necessary. May we all make up.

Turnout was higher for Democrats statewide despite them having no contested races.

Another warning sign for the Republicans.

Concerning the contested state races for the Republicans, endorsed candidate Matt Wolford easily beat insurgent Josh Prince for the Commonwealth Court nomination. On the other hand, insurgent Marie Battista handily beat party-endorsed Anne Marie Wheatcroft for the Superior Court nomination.

Go figure.

Greg Rothman was probably a bad choice to head the state GOP.

Oh, and in my precinct Sharon also got one Democrat write-in for County Council ticket and two write-ins for 6th Ward Commissioner. Sorry, Bob. I’ll try and keep her in line.