NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — All three commissioners leading Montgomery County will be new after the November general election, because Republican Joe Gale, the only incumbent seeking reelection, lost in the primary.
Democrat Jamila Winder won her primary and will join Democrat Neil Makhija on the November ballot. Winder was appointed and sworn-in as county commissioner in February to replace Val Arkoosh after Arkoosh stepped down to join Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration as secretary of the Department of Human Services.
To keep her seat, Winder will have to win it in the general election.
The other current Democrat on the board, Ken Lawrence, is finishing his term but is not seeking reelection.
Gale’s hopes for a third term ended with a loss in the primary when he finished third among Republicans. So, Republicans will be represented in November by former Spring-Ford Area School Board member and Limerick Township Supervisor Tom DiBello and Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia legislative director Liz Ferry.
Only the top two from each party get a spot on the ballot in the general election. Then, of those four, the top three vote-getters become county commissioners.
Montgomery County Republicans campaigned against Gale, calling him “no-show Joe.”
Montgomery County Republican Committee chairman Christian Nascimento said Ferry and DiBello were working together as a team, whereas Gale was telling supporters to vote only for him — all but guaranteeing Democrats maintained the majority on the three-person board.
“The benefit to the Republican ticket is that you can go for two seats, instead of just fighting over each other for the minority spot. I mean, that's the bottom line,” Nascimento said.
Gale painted himself as the only one willing to stand up to the establishment.
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