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Politics & Government

Romney Rolls, Welch Falls, Area Legislators Eye November

Chester County's Steve Welch fell short in his bid to challenge Bob Casey in November.

Though Phoenixville’s state senate and house candidates ran unopposed to their party’s nominations tonight, Pennsylvania’s 2012 primary wasn’t short on headlines.

While 19th district state senate candidates Andrew Dinniman and Christopher Amentas, and 157th district house aspirants Paul Drucker and Warren Kampf geared up for the general election, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney continued his victory lap towards the same. 

Romney had little trouble winning the Pennsylvania Republican primary for President of the United States on Tuesday, with his closest competition coming from a man who no longer is in the race. 

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Romney finished with 57 percent of the vote, followed by former Sen. Rick Santorum at 19 percent. . Texas congressman Ron Paul finished third with 13 percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was last with 11 percent of the vote. 

In the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Lackawanna County easily defeated Joseph Vodvarka of Robinson Township, Allegheny County, by a four-to-one margin in the Democratic primary. 

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Vodvarka who spent the evening with his family at his home, said he thought his message of fair trade resonated with voters who are concerned about jobs being shipped overseas. He blamed the media for not taking an interest in his campaign, pointing to stories about the Republican U.S. senate candidates and contending there had been a dearth of coverage of his candidacy.

“They mentioned everyone else, but they never said my name,” Vodvarka said. “The media avoided me like the plague.” 

Former coal company owner Tom Smith will face Casey in November after winning a five-man race for the Republican nomination. Among the candidates Smith beat out was Chester County businessman Steve Welch, who Patch profiled last week. Though Welch lost the state handily, he beat Smith soundly in his home county—garnering 50 percent of the vote to the nominee's 20.

In the race for Pennsylvania Attorney General, Lackawanna County Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Kane defeated former military prosecutor Patrick Murphy of Bucks County.

Kane will face Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. 

In the race for Pennsylvania Auditor General, state Rep. John Maher of Upper St. Clair easily defeated Dauphin County businessman Frank Pinto in the Republican primary.

"The voters declared today that Pennsylvania deserves an auditor for auditor general," Maher said during his victory speech at the  in Bethel Park. 

Maher will face York County state representative Eugene DePasquale in November. 

In the race for state treasurer, Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. She will face incumbent state treasurer Robert McCord, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. 

In the race to represent Pennsylvania’s 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, Republican incumbent Jim Gerlach ran unopposed, as did his eventual opponent in the general election, Democrat Manan Trivedi.

As predicted, turnout for the primary was generally low around the state.

See the full, final Chester County results, including county committee voting, here.

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