Politics & Government

City Council Primary Winners: Evans, Dolan, Callahan

The two running incumbents and the mayor's older brother win Democratic nominations for City Council. West Side newcomer Adam Waldron may have the fourth party nod.

 

Incumbents Eric Evans and Karen Dolan coasted to victory—finishing first and second in the Democratic City Council primary on Tuesday.

According to unofficial voting results provided by Northampton and Lehigh counties, they will be joined on the ticket by the mayor's older brother, Bryan Callahan, who finished third.

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The fourth nominee currently appears to be house painter Adam Waldron, 29, a political newcomer from the city's West Side.

According to unofficial and incomplete vote totals, Waldron had just 89 votes more than eatery owner David "Lump" Sanders. The totals are with one precinct unaccounted for and questions about the vote count in one other precinct.

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If he does hang on to his lead, Waldron will owe his victory to the strength of his support in his home West Bethlehem, where he had just 55 fewer votes than Evans, the leading vote getter citywide.

Waldron finished last among the six candidates in Northampton County, where he had 200 fewer votes than Steve Melnick, who finished last overall.

At least three of the four primary election winners will actually serve on City Council beginning in 2014 as only one Republican is running.

That Republican, Chris Morales—best known in Bethlehem as the man who runs the city’s lone street hot dog vending cart—is expected to be the only competition for the four winners of Tuesday’s Democratic primary in the November general election.

Dolan and Evans were the only incumbents in the race. Two other council members—Jean Belinski and David DiGiacinto—did not seek re-election.

DiGiacinto ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for city controller. No Republicans or independents are running either.

Belinski, who has served on council for four terms and 16 years, is retiring from public life.

The unofficial vote totals:

  • Eric Evans: 2,970
  • Karen Dolan: 2,922
  • Bryan Callahan: 2,444
  • Adam Waldron: 2,292
  • David "Lump" Sanders: 2,203
  • Steve Melnick: 2,127


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