The May 21 primary brought out just 7 percent of Philadelphia voters in an election that saw losses for a number of LGBT candidates, but victories for some allies.
Out Harrisburg city controller Dan Miller lost his bid for the Democratic nomination for mayor to Eric Papenfuse. Papenfuse led Miller by fewer than 400 votes. Miller would have been the state’s first openly LGBT mayor.
Openly gay attorney Leon A. King 2d was unsuccessful in his bid for the Democratic nomination for one of the six open seats for judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
King came in 11th of two-dozen candidates, receiving 12,845 votes, or 4.43 percent overall.
The six candidates who received the Democratic nomination for Common Pleas include: Anne Marie Coyle, Timika Lane, Sierra Thomas Street, Joe Fernandes, Daniel D. McCaffery and Giovanni Campbell.
Two LGBT candidates were among the more-than two dozen who ran for Traffic Court judge. Inja Coates received 5 percent of the vote and Robert Tuerk garnered 2.14 percent, putting them out of reach of the top three spots.
Alan Butkovitz won the Democratic primary for city controller with 61.25 percent of votes, with challenger Brett Mandel taking 30.79 percent. Butkovitz will square off with Republican challenger Terrence J. Tracy Jr., who ran unopposed, in November. If he wins, Butkovitz will serve his third term as controller.
Statewide, elections for LGBT candidates saw both victories and losses.
Out Democratic candidate for Hatboro Council Andrea Myers will head to the general election in the fall, as will Chris Dietz, an openly gay Democratic candidate for Millersburg Borough Council, and Ben Allatt for Harrisburg City Council. Also successful were incumbents Lori Schreiber for reelection to the Abington Township Commission and Robert Langley to Meadville City Council.
Out Republican Bryan Tate, however, was unsuccessful in his bid to represent the 95th District in the Pennsylvania House, losing to Democratic candidate Kevin Schreiber in the special election for the vacant seat.