May 19, 2015 3 min read

Washington County Deputy District Attorney Traci McDonald-Kemp clinched the contested Cecil-area district judge seat for both the Republican and Democratic ballots, according to unofficial results Tuesday night.

Totals from all 14 precincts in Cecil and Mt. Pleasant townships and McDonald Borough showed 989 votes for McDonald-Kemp, 561 for former state representative Jesse White and 417 for former Cecil Township police officer Mike Philips on the Democratic ballot.

On the GOP ticket, unofficial totals were 793 for McDonald-Kemp, 175 for White and 391 for Philips.

McDonald-Kemp said she was “grateful and appreciative” of the voters.

“They have given me their trust and I am overwhelmed,” McDonald-Kemp said through tears late Tuesday. “I had to overcome a lot of barriers and struggles, but I think we ran a positive campaign.”

McDonald-Kemp said she will continue to carry out her duties with the district attorney’s office throughout the immediate future.

“I need to step back and figure things out,” she said.

Tuesday’s race made her the first African-American woman to secure such a position in Washington County, McDonald-Kemp said.

“I never wanted it to be about that, but I’m so proud,” she said.

White did not return calls seeking comment, but thanked voters on his personal and political Facebook pages.

Results for the Washington and North Franklin magisterial district judge’s race between incumbent Robert Redlinger and challenger Anthony Gennaccaro were not available late Tuesday night. Both men were left off online records. Election officials said they accidentally loaded that race onto East Washington’s ballot even though that magisterial district had been moved out of that jurisdiction two years ago.

Washington County Elections Director Larry Spahr said the elections office has to “wait until all the results are in and then we can make the adjustment.”

Donald Cortese, chief information officer for the county, said in an email that “a change made to the election database prior to the election removed (Redlinger’s and Gennaccaro’s names) from appearing on the results page and that there is no way to correct this until all votes are tabulated.”

Although the magisterial district was realigned Aug. 1, 2013, not to include East Washington Borough, East Washington voters went to their newly consolidated precinct Tuesday to find Redlinger’s and Gennaccaro’s names on the ballot. Wes Parry, Washington County assistant election director, said any votes for the magisterial race in East Washington “will not be tallied.” East Washington Borough was moved to District Judge Jay Weller’s jurisdiction.

Redlinger is a retired Washington police officer and East Washington chief seeking a second, six year term. Gennaccaro, a constable for more than five years and owner of Shangri-La Beverage LLC, is also seeking a nomination as constable in North Franklin.

Both men cross-filed.

Staff writer Barbara Miller contributed to this report.

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