Pa. primary election: Sean Dougherty defeats incumbent in state House race; Eugene DePasquale and Dave Sunday win attorney general nominations

Cass Green, the progressive Democrat who was one of two candidates hoping to unseat Amen Brown in the 10th state House District primary, addressed the couple dozen supporters left at the Painted Bride shortly after 11:30 p.m.: The race was too close to call.

Still, she was optimistic.

“I'mma give it to you straight,” she said. “You better pray and believe that we got this.”

Preliminary primary voting results from the state’s largest Democratic counties showed a higher percentage of write-in votes on the Democratic presidential party line than in the 2020 presidential primary, a possible sign of protest votes cast against President Joe Biden.

Progressive organizers mounted a campaign urging voters to write in “uncommitted” as a protest vote over Biden’s ongoing support to Israel in its monthslong war against Hamas that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. The group known as Uncommitted PA hoped to send a message to Biden in a critical swing state he’ll need in November.

But unlike Michigan and some other states, Pennsylvania doesn’t offer an “uncommitted” option on the ballot so it’s impossible to know what voters wrote in as of Wednesday. It might not be clear for weeks.

Shortly before midnight, supporters of U.S. Rep. Summer Lee continued to hang out at the extravagant Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, which can be seen from the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

“Summer Lee for Congress” was projected in the middle of a split stairwell that led to her party, and a black, white, and gold step-and-repeat donned the same message upstairs.

Tanisha Long, 34, who lives in the West End in Pittsburgh and is a community organizer for the Abolitionist Law Center, which endorsed Lee, said that she would still support Lee even if her organization didn’t.

The Democratic primary for the West Philadelphia-based 10th District of the Pennsylvania House was too close to call late Tuesday night, with State Rep. Amen Brown holding a narrow lead over progressive challenger Cass Green.

The three-way primary was a rematch between Brown, 36; Green, 64, a community organizer; and radio personality Sajda “Purple” Blackwell, 47, who was a distant third. The Democratic district includes Mantua, Powelton, and parts of University City and Logan Square.

There is no Republican running in the general election, so the winner of the primary faces a clear path to the statehouse in November.

For years, neighborhood groups in Philadelphia have urged local officials to provide them with legal protections due to their city-sanctioned involvement in zoning matters, which could place them at odds with monied business owners.

Now Mayor Cherelle L. Parker will have to figure out how to indemnify Registered Community Organizations (RCOs), after Philadelphia voters approved a ballot question Tuesday requiring the city to do so.

Previous mayoral administrations blanched at the idea, fearing the city would end up paying legal bills for community organizations they had little control over and which occasionally indulged in bizarre, reactionary, or even illegal behavior.

Sean Dougherty unseated seven-term incumbent State Rep. Kevin Boyle in Tuesday’s Democratic primary Tuesday in a Northeast Philadelphia district and will advance to the general election in a critical race that could help determine which party controls the state House.

House Democrats poured more than $300,000 into Dougherty’s campaign in Northeast Philadelphia in recent weeks, hoping to unseat Boyle – who sought reelection without the party’s support as his family said he’s struggling with a serious mental health condition.

On the Republican side, consultant Aizaz Gill won the GOP nomination for the seat, which Republicans are focused on flipping in November.

In her victory speech Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee framed her win as proof of the strength of progressive politics.

“Our movement is stronger than every GOP billionaire that exists,” she said. “Our movement is stronger than any wedge issue, is stronger than any opportunist.”

The Associated Press called Lee’s primary against challenger Bhavini Patel at 9:21 p.m. She had 55.9% of the expected vote.

Erin McClelland, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer, said she was stunned by her upset over the party-backed candidate State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D., Erie). But she knew she had the right policy-focused message for voters.

Bizzarro had outraised McClelland 5-to-1 and received dozens of endorsements from advocacy organizations across the state.

“The only endorsement that matters is the one on election day,” McClelland told The Inquirer.

For much of the night, attorney general candidate Joe Khan trailed in the polls at around 15% of the vote; just after 10 p.m., the Associated Press called the race for Eugeune DePasquale, one of Khan's five competitors.

"As much as I wanted me to be the nominee, as much as you wanted me to be the nominee, It doesn't look like that's going to happen," Khan told his supporters, saying he had just gotten off the phone with DePasquale, telling the candidate he had his support.

"It's hard to come all this way and come up a little short," Khan continued, mentioning his campaign was "outgunned" and "outspent" across Pennsylvania; he did, however, commend Bucks County Democratic voters for offering him a majority of their support.

Janelle Stelson, a former WGAL television news anchor, who won a tough six-way primary Democratic race Tuesday to face Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the fall, said she’s ready for another fight to win the 10th District.

In a social media post Tuesday night, Stelson, 63, called Perry an “insurrectionist.”

“I am honored to be your nominee to take on insurrectionist,” (Scott) Perry, she said. “Together, we can defeat his extremism and chaos and bring commonsense problem-solving back to Congress.”

In his victory speech, State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta thanked the 100 of so people who gathered to wait out his win.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he said, excited but seemingly not surprised about a triumph that had been widely predicted.

He added, “I want to thank all the people who didn’t support my campaign. Sometimes, we forget what we did all this for. It was to make life better for working people who’ve given up on the political process.”

Former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale won Tuesday night’s Democratic primary election for attorney general in a crowded field and will face York County District Attorney Dave Sunday, who handily won the Republican primary, in the November general election.

DePasquale, 52, was one of five Democratic candidates vying to become the state’s next top prosecutor. He was the only Democrat in the field who has previously held statewide elected office and the only one from Western Pennsylvania, with the rest hailing from the southeast.

DePasquale is a former York County state lawmaker who also served two terms as auditor general during former Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration. He is credited for getting the auditor general’s office more attention, due to his investigations into the backlog of untested rape kits and unanswered calls to the state’s child abuse hotline. He said protecting the environment and reducing gun violence are among his top priorities.

Shortly after the Republican attorney general primary was called in his favor, York County district attorney Dave Sunday walked down from the makeshift campaign headquarters at his election party to applause.

"It's a great night in York County," said State Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill before introducing Sunday.

Sunday thanked his mom, his wife, and his young son, all of whom were at the party at the Central Market House in downtown York. Sunday also thanked his employees, many of whom were in attendance, and the police officers at the party.

The energy was contagious as countless supporters crowded the upstairs of Mario’s East Side Saloon in Pittsburgh chanting “Dave! Dave! Dave!” as he stood in front of an American flag backdrop, clapping along with his wife Dina, to accept the Republican nomination. He said he and Dina just got off their bus, which he’s using to tour across the state as part of his campaign. He jokingly said he likes to refer to the tour as their “second honeymoon.

McCormick started his speech by praising Dina, and the crowd also chanted her name.

His speech largely focused on describing Senator Bob Casey as a weak leader.

Longtime Republican State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie will take on Democrat U.S. Rep Susan Wild in November as she seeks to defend the Lehigh Valley swing district.

The Associated Press declared Mackenzie the winner of the three-way race that also featured Maria Montero and Kevin Dellicker.

Throughout his campaign Mackenzie highlighted his early support for former President Donald J Trump alongside his record in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. First elected to the legislature in 2012, Mackenzie argued his record passing bills that cut taxes and required employers to run immigration checks on workers set him apart from his competitors.

Former President Donald Trump did a one-on-one interview with Philadelphia ABC affiliate Action News via satellite from New York, where he’s sitting through a hush-money criminal trial.

Trump talked to Action News Tuesday morning as Pennsylvanians headed to the polls on primary day.

“We have to get the vote out. We have to show support because we are right now confronted with the worst president in the history of our country,” Trump told Action News’ Walter Perez.

Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democratic state representative who represents North Philadelphia, defeated Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley Tuesday. He advances to the November general election, and will take on Republican incumbent Timothy DeFoor.

The auditor general serves as the state’s fiscal watchdog and reviews government departments and agencies. DeFoor was elected in 2020 and did not face a GOP primary opponent this year.

Despite lacking a background in auditing, Kenyatta argued in his campaign that his experience on Pennsylvania House committees that oversee state agencies prepared him for the job. He proposed bringing back school bureau audits and creating a bureau focused on employee misclassification.

Janelle Stelson, a former WGAL television news anchor, won the Democratic primary to face U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the fall in a central Pennsylvania congressional race that’ll be closely watched.

Stelson, 63, previously asked Perry, a six-term Republican incumbent, questions as a nonpartisan journalist. Now, she’ll answer questions herself, in competition with him. The 10th Congressional District includes Dauphin County and parts of York and Cumberland Counties.

“At some point, I realized I needed to move from the public service of telling about our concerns and issues to actually trying to do something about them, to get to Washington, raise my right hand and work on the issues and concerns that people have been telling me about for 38 years now,” she said in an interview earlier this month.

Sean Dougherty arrived around 9 p.m. and entered the bar to claps from supporters. He shook hands and hugged those gathered at the bar making his way around the room which was filled with around 40 people.

Asked how he felt about the voter turnout today he said, “I don’t know the numbers. I understand that it’s a very low turnout, which is disappointing, but I understand it’s a primary. But I’m still waiting on the final returns,” he said.

He said family, friends and constituents had come out in support tonight.

York County District Attorney Dave Sunday won the Republican primary for attorney general.

Sunday, 48, rode the state Republican Party’s endorsement and his record as a prosecutor to the Republican nomination over State Rep. Craig Williams (R., Delaware).

Republican leaders coalesced around Sunday months before the primary, as the state GOP wanted to avoid its previous errors in the 2022 election where they left the primary races open that party members blame as their reason for losing in the November election. Sunday got the Republican Attorneys General Association endorsement early as well, giving him a leg up in the state party’s endorsement process.

Tuesday was a “relatively calm and successful primary election” Pennsylvania Secretary Al Schmidt told reporters during a briefing Tuesday night.

Over the course of the day, Schmidt said, his office’s voter hotline received about 600 calls. By comparison, he said the hotline received around 3,600 calls during the 2020 primary election and 1,100 calls during the 2022 primary election.

“That is not an insignificant number but it is a significant decrease, one that we believe demonstrates that Pennsylvania’s voters encountered and improved voting experience this year,” he said.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who likely secured a fifth term by fending off a Democratic challenger Tuesday, took to social media shortly after the primary election to say he’s ready to “fight like crazy” for the 3rd Congressional District.

“Thank you to all of the voters of the 3rd Congressional District for voting for me. I do not take your support lightly and I'm ready to fight like crazy to make sure our Democratic slate wins in November. Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow let's get to work!”

Evans easily defeated former Philadelphia Register of Wills Tracey Gordon, and he does not have a Republican challenger in the November general election. He represents most of Philadelphia west of Broad Street and parts of South Philadelphia.

Supporters of State Rep. Amen Brown (D., Phila.) gathered at Cafe Breezes in Parkside on Tuesday night and broke into applause when the initial results were posted online.

In the first batch of votes, which were all mail-in ballots, Brown had a lead over progressive community organizer Cass Green and radio personality Sajda “Purple” Blackwell.

Attendees at his results party watched the NBA playoffs and chowed on wings while waiting for further results.

At The Red Rooster Inn, green tinsel was hung up on the wall and at least 10 televisions were playing a Phillies vs. the Cincinnati Reds game, as people trickled into the bar around 8:30 p.m., where some 35 people had gathered for Sean Dougherty’s election party.

Supporters, some dawning T-shirts that said “Sean Dougherty for State Representative” sat at tables drinking beers or mingling on the high top chairs at the bar. A rendition of “Fast Car” by Luke Combs played over the speakers. A buffet with trays of pork, roast beef and pasta, was set up.

Dougherty’s sister, Kaitlin Dougherty, 25, who works as a paralegal, was among the crowd. Asked how she felt waiting for the results she said, “It’s nerve wracking, but I’m excited.”

A few dozen supporters of Democratic candidate for attorney general Jared Solomon gathered in the back of BUCCANN, a Dominican restaurant in Northeast Philadelphia, to watch returns roll in as dance music blared.

His voice hoarse after months of campaigning, Solomon — a state representative — said he felt confident he'd prevail and reflected on what was his first statewide campaign.

"I had an absolute blast," he said. "I constantly saw a common thread, and that's the values our party represents."

After his victory in Tuesday’s primary election, incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican, said his district was “not far-left or far-right, we are centrist and pragmatic.”

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, defeated challenger and anti-abortion activist Mark Houck in the GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District.

“Once again, our community has spoken with an overwhelming voice in support of unity, collaboration, moderation and bipartisanship,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement posted on his election website.

Nearly every Philadelphia election, authorities receive complaints about political operatives flouting election law by trying to campaign inside polling places — and Tuesday was no exception.

The District Attorney’s Office received 11 reports of illegal electioneering throughout the day. While the office does not confirm individual investigations, The Inquirer identified a target of at least one complaint: State Rep. Amen Brown.

Brown, a Democrat seeking re-election against two challengers in West Philadelphia, bounced between polling places in West Philadelphia on Tuesday in his last-minute effort to court votes.

Supporters and volunteers for Cass Green, the community organizer running to unseat Amen Brown in the 10th state House District, filled the Painted Bride in West Philadelphia.

The room was abuzz as dozens of people trickled in to the tunes of disco, hip-hop, and pop.

“One time for Cass Green,” roared the DJ to applause as supporters waited for the guest of honor, calling Green the “President of 52nd Street.”

The fate of Democrat Joe Khan's candidacy for attorney general could be decided steps from where he elevated his profile as Bucks County's solicitor.

Around 8:30 p.m. at Chambers 19 Bistro & Bar in Doylestown, the county seat, the grooves of MGMT's "Electric Feel" soundtracked a somber room full of patrons - most of them unaffiliated with the campaign - downing beers as they watched the Phillies struggle on the road.

Khan arrived at 8:40 p.m. and greeted campaign staff who were waiting on projections of the five-way race that's been largely seen as a toss-up.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans has likely secured a fifth term in Congress, fending off a Democratic challenger Tuesday.

Evans defeated former Philadelphia Register of Wills Tracey Gordon Tuesday. No Republican is seeking to challenge him in November.

Evans, who represents most of Philadelphia west of Broad Street and parts of South Philadelphia, was the first Black representative to chair the House Appropriations Committee in 1990. In the GOP-controlled House of Representatives he now sits on the Ways and Means Committee which controls raising revenue and administering social programs including Medicare and Social Security.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican, staved off a challenge from the right to win his party's nomination to retain his suburban district.

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent who has represented Bucks County in the U.S. House since 2017, beat anti-abortion activist Mark Houck Tuesday in the GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District.

Framing himself as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, Fitzpatrick has joined Democrats in key votes on gun control and infrastructure since President Joe Biden took office. But he also voted to impeach Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump officially won Pennsylvania’s presidential primary Tuesday as the campaigns prepare for a November rematch pitting two vastly different leadership styles and political visions for the nation against each other.

Their primary victories were a foregone conclusion, but the closely contested general election will hinge on which of the deeply unpopular candidates is able to build a coalition in swing states like Pennsylvania.

“People can’t believe that we’re doing this again,” said Ray Courtney, a Lower Merion Township commissioner at the polls there on Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick won uncontested primaries in Pennsylvania Tuesday, launching what is expected to be one of the most expensive and politically consequential Senate contests in state history.

McCormick lost the 2022 Republican Senate primary to celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz by less than half a percentage point, but this time around the former hedge fund CEO and combat veteran coalesced support early to clear an easy path to the nomination.

“I believe in America,” McCormick told a Harrisburg TV station in an interview ahead of the primary. “I’ve served my country on multiple occasions in the past. I think we’re in trouble. And I believe that when elected to the Senate, I can do something about it.”

Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday for Pennsylvania primary election, marked by what appears to be low turnout throughout the region likely because of uncontested federal races, including president.

The Inquirer will be reporting results throughout the night.

As polls opened at 7 a.m., President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump had already been named presumptive nominees of their parties by the AP – setting up a 2020 rematch for November. And incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey faced Republican Dave McCormick were both in uncontested races to represent their parties in the fall general elections.

At the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, a polling place official estimated that about half of their votes today had been college students.

Two of those students, Emma Gross, 21, an international studies major, and Celia Huey, 19, an education and psychology major, both who attend Bryn Mawr College, said they voted uncommitted for Biden to send a message of protest about his handling of the situation in Gaza.

"In the primary system, it's our way to use our voice and not risk the election," Huey said.

Brian Newswanger, 65, has been a Republican since he was 18. Although he works in real estate, where construction costs have become a big problem, he says the economy is only one of the issues that brought him out today.

“The economy, safety, security on the streets,” said Newswanger, after leaving the Mummers Museum on Washington Avenue, where he voted.

In the attorney general’s race, which is most focused on those issues, he thinks York County District Attorney Dave Sunday is the best choice to address those kind of issues.

It's election day in Pennsylvania, with voters set to decide on their nominees for attorney general and other row offices, as well as some contested races for U.S. house and state seats.

Polls will remain open in Philadelphia and across the commonwealth until 8 p.m. As long as you're in line by 8 p.m., you'll be permitted to vote.

Here's a rundown of all the major races on the ballot today, and here are the congressional races to watch as results come in tonight.

State Sen. Nikil Saval arrived at the Arch Street Presbyterian Church polling station in the shadow of the Comcast Center around 5:30 p.m. The unopposed Democrat enthusiastically talked to voters about the Whole Home Repair program, an initiative that he championed.

Throughout the day, Saval heard voters’ concerns about the election in November and fear of former-President Donald Trump returning to the White House.

“It’s a hugely important election,” Saval said. “It’s important to beat Trump.”

When polls close at 8 p.m. April 23, the results of primary elections for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania State House and Pennsylvania Attorney General will start trickling in.

The Philadelphia Inquirer will post results live for all races during the course of the night.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have already been named presumptive nominees of their parties by the AP for a November rematch. And incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is seeking a fourth term, and is expected to face Republican Dave McCormick in the fall general election.

Sen. Bob Casey is a household name in Pennsylvania politics. But his ballot number proved a bit more elusive in Tuesday’s election — for his friends in the Democratic party, at least.

A misprint on the Democratic City Committee’s sample ballot of endorsed candidates accidentally listed Casey as number “2” instead of his correct “3" position on the ballot.

The snafu is almost certainly harmless for Casey. The three-term senator is running unopposed in the Democratic primary ahead and has been focusing his campaign energy against his Republican challenger in November. The number “2” position on the ballot is assigned to President Biden’s former challenger who dropped out of the race, Dean Phillips.

Rachel Elfenbein voted for Biden in 2020. This year, she wrote “uncommitted” on her ballot to send the president a message on his stand on the Israel-Hamas war.

Elfenbein was inspired by how the “uncommitted’ vote won Michigan two Democratic delegates, back in February.

“It’s time for him to shift policies,” Elfenbein said. “Pennsylvania is a swing state and we can use our power as voters to let him know how disappointed we are with his ongoing support of this war.”

For Republican voters casting their ballot at Ridley High School, two of the biggest issues driving the presidential election are the economy and concerns about crime.

“I'm a senior citizen on a fixed income,” said Marion Severson, 75, a republican of about 40 years. “Every time I go to the store I have to leave something behind.”

Severson said she's worried about the cost of medicine and gas going up and feels as though her life has gotten worse under the Biden administration.

For Wesley Wheatley, 42, of South Philadelphia’s Whitman neighborhood says that primary elections are the most important time to vote — especially on down ballot races.

A registered Democrat who has been voting since he was 18, Wheatley says that primaries and off-year elections with low voter turnout give those who do turn out more power.

“I always try to stress to everybody that I know that this is, to me, the most important election to come out for,” said Wheatley. “Not just who's the mayor, Or who's the president…These are the ones [that] keeps our state representatives accountable to us.”

Regardless of who wins Tuesday's primary, voters in Bustleton, Rockledge, Rhawnhurst, and Fox Chase are hoping the election cycle will usher in a cohort of politicians who can work together to address what they view as an uptick in crime.

“It’s been getting worse in Fox Chase,” said 63rd ward Democratic committeeperson Veronica Baruch, 73, who’s lived on and off in the area for 15 years.

Bustleton lifer Ira Pitman, 72, hopes to see state representatives from the area work with Mayor Cherelle Parker and city councilpeople to hire more police officers — and dispatch them to the Northeast. Parker just earmarked millions of dollars in the police budget to go towards hiring, but the department is facing a persistent hiring shortage that could leave them short by nearly 1,000 officers in years to come.

Some North Philadelphia voters were given sample ballots on Tuesday suggesting the city’s Democratic party had endorsed a pastor accused of making anti-LGBT comments over State. Rep. Malcolm Kenetta, the openly gay Democratic incumbent in the 181st State House District.

One problem: the ballots were fraudulent.

The Democratic City Committee is not backing Lewis Nash Sr. over Kenyatta — who is both seeking reelection and running for auditor general — as the sample ballots advertised.

As politicians from across the city made their way into South Jazz Kitchen for the luncheon sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans every election day, so did two candidates vying for attorney general: Philly’s former chief public defender Keir Bradford-Grey and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.

Both candidates said they were feeling confident about their chances in today’s election. The race for attorney general has been relatively sleepy, despite it being the most competitive race on today’s primary ballot.

“We’ve made history no matter what,” Bradford-Grey said. “We have the first African American woman on the ballot for attorney general, and it’s been giving people more understanding and awareness of what the role is and why we need to pay attention.”

At the Famous 4th Street Deli in Queen Village, many of the more than two dozen politicos and elected officials who gathered for the traditional election day lunch were worried about one thing, and it wasn’t the daunting size of the reubens.

“It’s a very low turnout,” said State Rep. Danilo Burgos (D., Phila.), who is running unopposed in Tuesday’s primary. “It’s very slow. It’s concerning.”

Turnout was expected to be low in the Pennsylvania primaries given that the Democratic and Republican nominations for the presidential and U.S. Senate race were all but settled ahead of time. But Burgos and some other Democrats who dined at the deli said that early reports on voter participation were giving them pause about November, when Philadelphia will be key to President Joe Biden’s chances of winning Pennsylvania.

Candidate signs were noticeably missing at the entrance to the voting station at General George A. McCall elementary and middle school in Center City.

The only person handing out campaign fliers was Bridget O’Toole, who made a last pitch on behalf of Democratic Attorney General candidate Jared Solomon.

“He’s just a great guy,” O’Toole said.

Peter Gill has been handing out election literature outside the Rhawnhurst School since 7 a.m. 

Why?

His son Aizaz is a Republican running to represent the 172nd District in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, covering parts of Philadelphia — Bustleton, Fox Chase and Rhawnhurst — and Rockledge in Montgomery County.

Around 10 a.m., Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer greeted voters and volunteers outside the Chester Senior Center.

“I’m having the time of my life,” he told a passing driver as he leaned through the car window to shake their hand. “What could be more fun?”

It was only fitting that Stollsteimer make a morning pit stop in the Delaware County city that has been at the heart of his campaign to become the Democratic nominee for attorney general.

In Franklin Township, Chester County, one of the area’s biggest issue’s — a proposed campground at Big Elk State Park — wasn’t on the ballot, but evidence of the controversy was everywhere.

“Save Big Elk” signs were staked into the grass, among the dozens of signs for candidates outside the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

“It’s a bipartisan issue,” Dawn Dooling, a township supervisor, said outside the polling center there. “Everyone is against it.”

Voter turnout was slow at the polling station inside Lower Merion High School in Ardmore early Tuesday morning — and voters in the Main Line Democratic stronghold talked less about their excitement for President Joe Biden and more about their fear and shock over his coming rematch with former President Donald Trump.

“People can’t believe that we’re doing this again,” said Ray Courtney, commissioner for Ward 5 in Lower Merion Township, who talked with voters as he worked an information table at the high school.

Colleen Wortley, who works for the Lower Merion school district, said she kept waiting for something to happen as primary day approached — for Trump to be removed from the republican ticket over his criminal and civil trials, or for a younger Democrat to challenge Biden.

Wallace Simpkins, 76, of Warrington, voted Republican — “not even a question.” He said border security was a top concern: “We want to close the borders, the whole nine yards.”

He enthusiastically voted for former president Donald Trump. A retired gas worker who supports drilling in the Marcellus Shale, Simpkins said Trump was “for ‘drill, baby, drill.’“ He said Trump was being unfairly prosecuted, and that perception would be worsened if Trump were convicted: “If they put him in jail, that’s a lock. He’s in.”

“Anybody who says it’s not political — it is political,” he said of the prosecution.

By 9 a.m., fewer than 40 voters had shown up to cast their primary ballots at the Swarthmore-Rutledge School in Delaware County.

As birdsong cut through the morning quiet, several students walked over from nearby Swarthmore College to voice their discontent with President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza by voting “uncommitted.”

“The situation in Gaza, the genocide that is ongoing, is something that needs to be addressed,” said James Lewis, 18, of Reno, Nev. 

Morning voting got off to a slow start at St. Thomas Cyro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church in Bustleton on Tuesday morning, where only seven people had voted by 8 a.m.

Parishioners filing in for morning Mass vastly outnumbered voters.

For those who did cast a ballot, foreign policy was front of mind.

People trickled into Neshaminy High School in Langhorne Tuesday morning, for a primary that appeared to be drawing the type of voter who always shows up at the polls.

“If you want to speak up, you have to vote,” said Judy McGullam, 77, of Langhorne, a “strong Democrat” who voted along with her husband Dennis McGullum, 81.

For Judy McGullam, who voted for President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, the cost of living and women’s rights are top issues — “I marched years ago for Roe” — as well as gun control.

Amelia Baird turned 18 in December, and on Tuesday she cast her first vote. Outside Summit Presbyterian Church in Mount Airy, Baird said her AP government class at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy had prepared her well.

“I felt very ready,” Baird said. She is a newly registered Democrat.

Baird’s mother, Miriam Peskowitz, accompanied her to the polls before school. Peskowitz voted for Biden in 2020, but this year she voted “uncommitted” on a write-in line.

Philadelphia voters will see one question on their ballots Tuesday, asking:

Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to require the city to provide for the indemnification and defense of registered community organizations in connection with claims made against them arising directly out of their lawful participation in the city’s zoning variance process?

What does it mean?

Pennsylvania had approved mail and absentee ballots for about 10% of the state’s registered voters as of Monday, according to election officials at the State Department.

About half of the approved ballots had been returned and submitted to the state by Monday, it said.

Democrats continue to dominate the mail ballots, with a 3:1 edge in approved applications. In the city, itself, however, the Democratic advantage is 10:1.

Democrats hold a registration lead across the state, however their numbers have dropped about 5%, compared with those for the 2020 presidential primary.

Republican registrations have increased about 5% since 2020 — and about 10% since 2016. But Democrats still hold about a 53-47 advantage — 3.9 million to 3.5 million — according to figures from the Pennsylvania State Department.

In Philadelphia, GOP registration totals were virtually unchanged, compared with 2016 and 2020, but the Democratic figure has slipped by 6% since 2020.

Primary day is getting off to a chilly start — the National Weather Service posted frost advisories across much of Pennsylvania — but nothing in the forecasts should discourage people from voting.

Most of the state will have sun between the times the polls open and when they close at 8 p.m., right around the times of sunset and the rising of the full moon.

In balmy Philly, which didn’t make the frost-advisory cut, temperatures are due to recover after bottoming out around 40 degrees at poll-opening time. Highs could approach 70, with no threat of any rain until the early morning hours of Wednesday.