Philadelphia voted Tuesday, and the picture has changed a lot since the first mail-only numbers. With 1,692 of the city’s 1,703 divisions reporting, 479,717 ballots have been counted, for turnout of 43.45% of registered voters. That count includes 94,892 mail ballots and 384,825 polling place ballots. A later refresh on Wednesday morning put the total slightly higher, at 480,398 ballots, but the race-by-race numbers below are from the settled overnight update, and all of them remain unofficial.
The one race already called is the governor’s race. The Associated Press called Pennsylvania for Josh Shapiro at 8:01 PM on Tuesday. Statewide, Shapiro leads with 2,987,878 votes, or 60.28%, to Stacy Garrity’s 1,904,545, or 38.42%. In Philadelphia alone, Shapiro took 420,481 votes, or 88.68%, to Garrity’s 48,676.
The Northeast’s own races now tell a different story than the early mail count did. The biggest swing is in the 170th District, where Republican incumbent Martina White now leads Democrat Rob Gurtcheff 9,898 to 7,269, or 57.59% to 42.30%, reversing Gurtcheff’s early mail-only lead once in-person votes were counted. In the 173rd, Democrat Pat Gallagher leads Republican Marygrace Griffin 9,183 to 4,698, with all 59 divisions reporting. In the 177th, Democrat Joseph Hohenstein leads Republican Tom Bird 11,553 to 4,300. None of these State House races is presented here as called.
In the State Senate races on Philadelphia’s ballot, Democrats lead by wide margins in the Philadelphia portions: Christine Tartaglione leads the 2nd District with 37,070 votes, Art Haywood leads the 4th with 53,082 votes in Philadelphia (101,718 districtwide), and Anthony Hardy Williams leads the 8th with 54,264 votes in Philadelphia (72,009 districtwide).
In Congress, Democrat Brendan Boyle leads Republican Jessica Arriaga in the 2nd District, 142,752 to 34,547 in Philadelphia, or 80.32% to 19.44%.
On the two city ballot questions, yes leads by wide margins. Question 1, which would let the city give contracting preferences to small and local businesses on contracts from $75,000 to $500,000 even when they are not the lowest bidder, leads 344,912 to 92,839. Question 2, which would make Creative Philadelphia, the city’s arts and culture office, a permanent part of city government, leads 367,515 to 71,993. Charter amendments need approval from two-thirds of voters to take effect, so both yes shares clear that bar in this snapshot, but both questions remain unofficial and uncalled here.
What is still outstanding is the rest of the count. Mail ballot counting continues, and the formal canvass begins at 9 AM Friday, November 6, at the Election Warehouse, 11311 Roosevelt Boulevard. This breakdown will be updated as counting continues.
