2019 Election Preview: Montgomery Co. Commissioners Race

NORRISTOWN, PA — The 2019 Montgomery County Commissioners race features three incumbent candidates hoping to retain their offices, with a fourth wild card vying to shake up the present alignment.

There are three county commissioner seats, and voters can cast votes for two candidates, meaning that it's guaranteed for one party to have two seats, and the other one seat.

In general, given Montgomery County's status as a blue area, Democrats are often the favorites. Current Democratic commissioners Ken Lawrence Jr. and chair Valerie Arkoosh are thus very likely to retain their positions, particularly after a dominant showing the primaries in May.

Arkoosh led all vote-getters with 48,398 votes, while Lawrence followed her with 46,841 votes. Their lone Democratic challenger, Ray Sosa, put together a 9,729-vote showing.

The more interesting facet of the race is on the Republican side, where sitting Commissioner Joe Gale faces a challenge from Fred Conner, who narrowly beat out a field of three other Republicans to be named the second GOP man on the ticket.

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Gale's 16,119 votes narrowly trailed Conner's 16,355, and their competition for a Republican commissioner seat has often been seen as emblematic of a larger rift in the modern Republican party.

Gale continues to run on an anti-establishment ticket and is vocal in his support of President Trump. He has repeatedly pointed toward the "swamp" when referencing both the local Democratic and Republican parties. Conner, a Blue Bell native, businessman, and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Whitpain Township, has presented a more moderate campaign.

But James Saring, the executive director of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, sees similarities in the two .

"(Conner and Gale) are running as conservatives and supporters of President Trump and have been in agreement on all of the issues in this race," he said in an email to Patch.

The question that will be answered by voters in November is, which candidate better represents right-leaning residents in Montgomery County?

The primary results may hold some hints here. Gale's brother, Sean Gale, earned 14,420 votes in the primary running on the same platform as his brother, so there is clearly further support for that type of politician. Two more traditional Republicans, Dean Eisenberger (14,454 votes) and France W. Krazalkovich (5,909 votes), also received support.

Given those numbers, it's entirely possible the battle between Gale and Conner in the general election is just as tight as it was in the primary.

Arkoosh and Lawrence, meanwhile, are campaigning together, running on a platform of their Montco 2040 sustainable future plan and citing responsible spending and lowered taxes as some of their achievements.

If you're unsure of your polling place, you can find it here.