Fitzpatrick fends off primary challenge; Bucks County election results roll in

Bucks County GOP defends blurred names on sample ballots 

At the polls Tuesday, a kerfuffle over blurred names on the county Republican Party sample ballot caused some Republicans supporting Mark Houck to question the fairness of party poobahs who published it.

Houck's name, along with presidential contender Nikki Haley (since withdrawn from the race) and state Attorney General candidate Craig Williams were blurred, as they were not the endorsed party candidates. However, voters could see the names and vote for them once they entered the voting booth. They appeared the same as endorsed candidates on the official ballot.

Patricia Poprik, who chairs the Bucks County Republicans, said that the ballot is not an official state ballot, but solely reflects the county party's candidate endorsements.

"This is not the first time we've blurred out names," she said, adding that the county GOP literature reflects the votes of committee people. "Mark Houck got 11 votes out of 121," she said.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press called the 1st District race for Fitzpatrick, who was expected to easily win the primary challenge as a well-funded, party-endorsed candidate.

-JD Mullane

Moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick fends off challenger in GOP race for 1st District 

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defeated right-wing challenger Mark Houck in the Bucks County congressional primary, according to a call by the Associated Press.

The race was viewed as a test of how important the issue of abortion could be for the Republican Party’s base in 2024. Fitzpatrick, of Middletown, is a widely regarded as a moderate Republican. Houck advocated for a near total ban on abortions, while Fitzpatrick has called for compromise.

The district includes all of Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County. Fitzpatrick's win sets up a rematch between the four-term incumbent and Ashley Ehasz in November.

Fitpatrick garnered 39,129 votes, or 62 percent, over Houck's 22,949 in Bucks County, which makes up most of th district. Democrat Ashley Ehasz ran unopposed for her party's nomination and got 58,364 votes.

Fitzpatrick and Ehasz will faceoff in November in a rematch of their race two years ago, where the incumbent bested the newcomer taking about 55 percent of the vote, or 171,655 votes in Bucks County, to keep the seat for the GOP.

– Karissa Waddick and Danielle Camilli

PA primary: Incumbent Fitzpatrick leads challenger Houck in funding on primary day

Sen. Bob Casey wins Democratic Senate primary

Longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey won his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, after not facing any competition in the race. He will face Republican David McCormick in what’s expected to be a competitive, high dollar general election battle in November.

– Karissa Waddick 

Pennsylvania primary live results: Bob Casey, Dave McCormick will battle for Senate seat

Donald Trump, Joe Biden lock down Republican and Democratic primaries in PA

Donald Trump and Joe Biden won their respective party primaries in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, picking up dozens of additional delegates as they both seek a second term in the White House. Before Tuesday they had secured their nominations, but the PA votes allowed both to garner more delegates.

– Marina Pitofsky

Donald Trump endorsed David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate primary as candidate swings through Bucks County

Before he entered the courtroom for his New York hush money trial on Tuesday, Trump urged voters to the polls in Pennsylvania.

Trump supported GOP Senate candidate David McCormick in his campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.

“It’s very important to let them that we’re coming on Nov. 5, we’re coming big,” Trump said. “Pennsylvania get out and vote.”

In the meantime, McCormick swung through the state Tuesday, meeting voters at the polls. He came to Lower Bucks County in the mid-morning with a message of party unity.

"I was in New Hope last night and had a great reception," said McCormick, as he made his way through well-wishers in the sun-drenched plaza in front of a Bensalem school. "Every place I go, it feels like there's unity, that the party has come together to win."

– Karissa Waddick and JD Mullane

Polls in PA primary are closed, first election results expected around 9:30 p.m.

The polls are now closed throughout Pennsylvania, and close to home the Bucks County Board of Elections is expected to post the first results to its website at around 9:30 tonight.

Updated results are expected to come in 90 minute intervals on the election board's unofficial results website.

So far, about 12.5% of the county's 394,194 registered Democratic and Republican voters have already cast a ballot today, according to the most recent mail-in ballot figures from county spokesman James O'Malley.

About 49,276 mail ballots out of 63,608 ballots applied for (or 77%) have been returned as of Tuesday morning, according to O'Malley. Voters had until 8 p.m. to return those ballots to dropboxes around the county.

As in most elections and primaries of since 2020, Democrats have massively favored mail-in ballots in Bucks County compared to Republicans.

About 30,594 Democrats who applied for a mail ballot returned one by this morning, which is roughly 15% of all Democrats registered to vote in the county. Only about 18,620 Republicans applied for a mail ballot, less than 10% of registered GOP voters, and only 13,146 of those have been returned.

Election workers from more than 300 polling places across Bucks County will begin transporting their ballot boxes to the main office in Doylestown for tallying.

-Chris Ullery

With one hour to go, time remains to vote in PA primary

It's the 2024 Presidential Primary in Pennsylvania and voters still have an hour to head to their polling place or return their mail ballot in time to vote the Republican and Democratic nominees in key federal and statewide races.

If you still haven't cast a ballot for the next Presidential nominee, state Attorney General, Congressional representative or other races, the polls are open until 8 tonight.

Voters in line at their polling place before 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. Do not step out of line if you are waiting to vote at the deadline.

Voters who still haven't returned their mail-in ballots will also have until when the polls close to deliver them. Post marked envelopes recieved after the polls close will not be counted.

Bucks County's Board of Elections has three offices across the region and several public libraries with drop boxes for returning mail ballots open until the return deadline tonight.

The three office locations can be found at the county’s administration building at 55 E. Court St. in Doylestown; an Upper Bucks satellite office at 261 California Road in Quakertown; and a Lower Bucks office at 7321 New Falls Road in Levittown.

A full list of locations and hours can be found on the Board of Elections webpage at www.buckscounty.gov.

As of early Monday morning, about 63,810 Bucks County voters had their mail-in ballot applications approved by the April 16 deadline, but about 27,700 (43%) of those ballots have not been returned as of Monday morning, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of State.

-Chris Ullery

Light turnout and blurry ballots: Light turnout, blurry controversy marks PA primary on election day in Bucks County

Turnout appeared to be light at the polls in Bucks County

Voters across Bucks County turned out to polls slowly Tuesday morning as they cast ballots for President, State Attorney General, and their next potential congressman — that last race stirring up controversy early in the primary.

A sample GOP ballot, reportedly made by the Bucks County Republican Committee, blurred the names of unendorsed candidates, including that of congressional candidate Mark Houck, presidential contender Nikki Haley (since withdrawn from the race), and AG candidate Craig Williams, a state representative from Delaware County.

Some voters and volunteers vented frustrations over the choice to blur the names, like Patricia DeBlasio, who said she felt "it's wrong" to not include the names of candidates if they are appearing on the ballot.

"I just think it's wrong. If they got their signatures and they got on the ballot, show their names," DeBlasio said.

The low turnout early in the day was blamed on a mix of more people voting by mail and a lack of contested races to draw voters out during the primary.

-JD Mullane

Who's on the ballot in PA primary?

Biden and Trump have long been favorited to be the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, respectively, and both Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick were running unopposed Tuesday.

Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District in Bucks County has incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick facing off against fellow Republican Mark Houck, while returning Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz runs unopposed on her party’s ballot.

The race for Pennsylvania’s next Attorney General is contested for both parties, with a five-way split among Democrats. AG Michelle Henry is not running for re-election.

The Democrats have Jack Stollsteimer, of Haverford Township, Delaware County; Eugene DePasquale, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; Joe Kahn, of Doylestown, Bucks County; Keir Bradford-Grey and Jared Solomon, both of Philadelphia.

Dave Sunday, of Spring Garden Township in York County, and Craig Williams, Concord Township, Delaware County, are running for the Republican nomination.

This is a live blog for Tuesday's primary election coverage, check back for updates and results.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA primary election results roll in to Bucks County; Fitzpatrick wins