Pennsylvania’s first out Republican state legislator lost the Republican nomination for re-election — but won the Democratic race.
Rep. Mike Fleck (R-81st Dist.) was unseated in the May 20 primary by a write-in campaign from Huntingdon County Treasurer Richard Irvin. But he received 15 more Democratic write-in votes than Irvin, meaning he could run as a Democrat on the November ballot.
Irvin had been ousted from the ballot when he failed to submit a financial-disclosure form, but ultimately garnered 3,600 write-in votes to Fleck’s 3,396.
This marked Fleck’s first election after coming out last year.
Fleck lightheartedly wrote about his Democratic nomination on his Facebook page: “Rep. Mike Fleck (D) Three Springs. How’s that for an oxymoron?”
Fleck went on to thank voters.
“Thank you to the 3,000-plus Republicans who voted based on my job performance,” he wrote. “While a lot can still happen legally, today is a new day and if we are ultimately successful in our bid to continue through the fall, rest assured, I will give it my all.”
The Board of Election will have to certify Fleck’s proposal to run on the Democratic ticket, and it is still uncertain whether Irvin will challenge the result.