Election results: Register of wills, sheriff races remain tight

Democrats battled in tight primary contests to determine Philadelphia’s next sheriff and register of wills, while projected winners emerged in the races for city controller and some judicial positions.

With nearly all of the votes counted, estate attorney John Sabatina Sr. held a slender lead Wednesday of about 3,300 votes over incumbent Register of Wills Tracey Gordon, according to unofficial results posted by the City Commissioners. Elizabeth Hall Low and Rae K. Hall garnered 22% and 15% of the vote, respectively.

The Philadelphia Democratic Party supported Sabatina, who, if he holds on, will face Republican Linwood Holland in the general election.

Unofficial results also show a close contest for sheriff, with incumbent Rochelle Bilal clinging to a 5,300-vote advantage over Michael Untermeyer. Jackie Miles came in third with about 15% of the tally.

Mark Lavelle ran unopposed in the GOP primary for sheriff.

In the Democratic race for controller, Christy Brady, a longtime employee of the office, seemed on track to best Alexandra Hunt and John Thomas.

Brady, who was appointed acting controller after Rebecca Rhynhart resigned, received 46% of the vote, to Hunt’s 31% and Thomas’s 23%, according to the preliminary results. She will be heavily favored in November against GOP nominee Aaron Bashir.

All three current City Commissioners – Democrats Lisa Deeley and Omar Sabir, and Republican Seth Bluestein – are running uncontested.

Philadelphians voted “yes” on three of the four ballot questions, approving measures to mandate more money be allocated to the city’s “rainy day fund” during the budget process; to form a Division of Workforce Solutions in the Commerce Department; and creating the position of public safety director as a cabinet-level job.

Voters rejected a proposal to exempt members of the Citizens Police Oversight Commissioner from civil service hiring rules.

Daniel McCaffery is poised to gain the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice, over Debbie Kunselman, and Carolyn Carluccio was ahead of Patricia McCullough in a close contest on the GOP ballot.

For Superior Court, Democrats Jill Beck and Timika Lane appear headed to the general election, and Republicans Maria Battista and Harry Smail Jr. ran unopposed.

In the Commonwealth Court race, Republican Megan Martin held a significant lead over Josh Prince, and Democrat Matthew Wolf is likely to prevail against Bryan Neft.

Voters were asked to select up to 10 Democratic nominees for the Court of Common Pleas and the top finishers were Natasha Taylor-Smith, Tamika Washington, Samantha Williams, Kay Yu, John Padova, Chesley Lightsey, Brian McLaughlin, Damaris Garcia, Caroline Turner and Jessica Brown, according to data from the City Commissioners.

Will Braveman and Wade Albert trailed Brown by 2,780 and 3,003 votes, respectively.

Barbara Thomson and Colleen McIntyre Osborne held commanding leads Wednesday in the race for Municipal Court, the results indicated.

For the most up-to-date results, visit metrophiladelphia.com.