Dems Sweep North Penn School, Montgomery Twp Supervisor Races

LANSDALE, PA — Six seats on the North Penn School Board of Directors were up for grabs on Election Day Tuesday, as voters determined the future shape of the nine-person office. The election was projected as a sweeping victory for the North Penn Neighbors for Progress (Democratic) team, which swept all six available seats.

It was one of several big victories for local Democrats Tuesday, as they also flipped two Republican seats on the Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors, according to unofficial results. Democrats now have a 3-2 advantage on that five-person board.

>>Dems Flip 2 Seats On Montgomery Township Board Of Supervisors

The Upper Gwynedd Commissioners race saw three seats go to Democrats, as sitting president of the board, Ken Kroberger, was ousted. Thomas Duffy and Jim Santi were also incumbents.

• Katherine D. Carter (D): 2,399
• Martha Simelaro (D): 2,333
• Ruth Damasker (D): 2,388
• Thomas Duffy (R): 2,166
• Ken Kroberger (R): 2,147
• Jim Santi (R): 2,128

Democrats now hold all five seats on the Board of Commissioners in Upper Gwynedd.

The GOP did prevail in Towamencin, where they were projected to take close victories in the Board of Supervisors race:

• Laura Smith (R): 2,544
• Chuck Wilson (R): 2,455
• Joyce Ferguson Snyder (D): 2,354
• Peter Murphy (D): 2,305

The GOP maintains its 5-0 grip on the Towamencin Board.

Below are a series of live updates from the North Penn School Board election as it unfolded Tuesday night:

10:32 p.m.

The North Penn Neighbors for Progress team has won all six available seats, according to unofficial results.

With 46 of 47 precincts reporting, the Democratic squad held a commanding lead over their North Penn Views competitors.

• Cathy Wesley (D): 12,622
• Juliane Ramic (D): 12,336
• Wanda Lewis-Campbell (D): 12,288
• Timothy MacBain (D): 12,262
• Elisha Gee (D): 12,049
• Michelle Rupp (R): 9,885
• David Kresge (R): 9,616
• Karen Calvanese (R): 9,793
• Daniel Bell (R): 9,667
• Jennifer Breen (R): 9,738

Democrat Al Roesch also defeated Republican Edward Smith in the race for the two-year term, 12,614 to 9,843.

10:04 p.m.

The race is winding to a close, as 35 of 47 precincts in the North Penn School District have reported. Democrats maintain a commanding lead for all five four-year terms:

• Cathy Wesley (D): 8,555
• Juliane Ramic (D): 8,368
• Timothy MacBain (D): 8,300
• Wanda Lewis-Campbell (D): 8,294
• Elisha Gee (D): 8,165
• David Kresge (R): 6,259
• Michelle Rupp (R): 6,443
• Karen Calvanese (R): 6,369
• Daniel Bell (R): 6,286
• Jennifer Breen (R): 6,343

9:41 p.m.

In the race for the slot with a two-year term, with 15 of 47 precincts reporting, here's how things look:

• Al Roesch (D): 3,480
• Edward Smith (R): 2,303

9:37 p.m.

A total of 15 of the districts 47 precincts have now reported. With a little over a third of the vote cast, things still look good for North Penn Neighbors for Progress:

• Cathy Wesley (D): 3,503
• Wanda Lewis-Campbell (D): 3,412
• Juliane Ramic (D): 3,545
• Elisha Gee (D): 3,374
• Timothy MacBain (D): 3,420
• David Kresge (R): 2,258
• Michelle Rupp (R): 2,315
• Daniel Bell (R): 2,260
• Karen Calvanese (R): 2,289
• Jennifer Breen (R): 2,259

9:10 p.m.

The first returns from the North Penn School Board race are in, with two precincts reporting. Democrats had the advantage in Upper Gwynedd's 4th District, while Republicans won the fifth.

Here's how results stand, with a little more than 10 percent of the votes counted:

• Cathy Wesley (D): 752 votes
• Timothy MacBain (D): 747 votes
• Juliane Ramic (D): 745 votes
• Wanda Lewis-Campbell (D): 742 votes
• Elisha Gee (D): 725 votes
• Michelle Rupp (R): 632 votes
• Daniel G. Bell (R): 625 votes
• David K. Kresge (R): 620 votes
• Jennifer Breen (R): 619 votes
• Karen A. Calvanese (R): 615 votes

8:40 p.m.

Polls officially closed in Pennsylvania at 8 p.m., and a tally of votes is underway. As of 8:40 p.m., no Montgomery County precincts had yet reported results.

A link to an overview of the race, including candidate profiles and key issues facing the new board, is included below:

• 2019 Election Preview: 12 Candidates For North Penn School Board

Ten candidates ran for five available four-year terms, and two candidates ran for a single open two-year term.

The race for the four-year terms included North Penn Views (Republicans) candidates David K. Kresge, Michelle Rupp, Daniel G. Bell, Karen A. Calvanese, and Jennifer Breen. North Penn Neighbors for Progress (Democrats) candidates are Cathy Wesley, Wanda Lewis-Campbell, Juliane Ramic, Elisha Gee, and Timothy McBain.

>>Lansdale Area Election Day 2019: Candidates, Polling Places, More

The two-year slot was a face-off between Republican Ned Smith and Democrat Al Roesch.

Three school board members, Martina Stoll, Christian Fusco, and Jonathan Kassa, are not up for re-election until 2021.

Numerous key topics have been at the forefront of the race, including taxes, growth in the district, Crawford stadium renovations and improvements elsewhere the district, approaches to school safety, and the opioid crisis, just to name a few.

A school board debate was hosted by the staff of the Knight Crier, North Penn's student newspaper, in mid-October. One of the key splits between the two parties was how to handle structural improvements and growth, with differences of opinion on the prioritization process and the existing 10-year facilities plan.

"The reality is facilities require constant, pre-meditated maintenance," Bell, one of the North Penn Views candidates, said during the debate, later pointing to the importance of prioritization of facilities goals. Student health and access are the top priority, he said, "things like abatement, student access through ADA compliance, and ensuring that students are able to go to school with proper temperatures."

He added that he was wary of taking on new projects, without ensuring there were funds available to address basic needs and higher priorities. Specifically, he noted preventative maintenance could help ensure the district doesn't spend money on a "$400,000 project" that should be a "$20,000 project."

Julianne Ramic, the North Penn Neighbors for Progress candidate, said that there were issues with existing facilities that the renovations in the 10-year facilities plan would address. She noted that Crawford stadium is not ADA compliant, and currently is designed chiefly for a boys sport, football, and not girls sports like lacrosse or field hockey. She added that "For so long, so many of our buildings, our stadium, haven't been cared for (properly)," she said.

A video of the full debate is included below:

Three of the Democratic candidates are incumbents, but no matter how the final results shake out, there will be at least a few new faces on the school board following the election.

Return to Patch for results as they come in. Subscribe to free news alerts for election results.