The Island Of Allentown

While Allentown remains an island of Democratic votes,  the greater Lehigh County veered to the right on Tuesday.  The Republican judge sweep* showed that voters valued their experience in criminal justice, i.e. their awareness of the growing criminal reality we face.  Glenn Eckhart appeared to have scored an upset against incumbent Armstrong, until the write-in count was completed early Wednesday morning.

I expect that Susan Wild didn't sleep well last night. While the progressives in Allentown can't stop worrying about social justice issues,  elsewhere in the county people are apparently getting tired of subsidizing and pandering to the protestors.  

Allentown's new Democratic mayor, Matt Tuerk (there hasn't been a Republican elected Mayor since 1998) has his work cut out for him.  A young man moving from one of the new apartments out to the suburbs said that there isn't anything to do downtown at night except get mugged.  With the voter base in Allentown Tuerk may not have to address the young man's concerns politically... only if he really wants to make a worthwhile difference in Allentown.**

*vote for third judge very close, provisional votes need to be counted

**postcard shown above from Allentown's glory days, which aren't coming back. Tuerk will find no shortage of people playing up for advantage from a new administration, instead, this blog will offer blunt reality checks before day one.