HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania election results include a loss Tuesday in the Democratic primary by a Philadelphia state representative one day after prosecutors announced that they had erroneously issued a warrant mistakenly accusing him of violating a protective order.
Rep. Kevin Boyle, seeking an eighth term, was one of at least two incumbent state lawmakers defeated on Tuesday, losing to Sean Dougherty, whose father is state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty.
The warrant that was withdrawn came up in the context of a years-long child custody and divorce dispute. His ex-wife’s lawyer, Diana Schimmel, said Wednesday that they contacted police in Pennsylvania and New Jersey after his ex-wife received a text from Boyle earlier this month, saying he may go to the lawyer’s home. Boyle’s attorney, Andrew Montroy, has said the flawed warrant issued “in the final days before election day has caused tremendous professional damage to my client.”
In an Altoona area district, Rep. Jim Gregory lost by nearly 10 percentage points to Scott Barger in the GOP primary. Barger, a former pastor and radio station operator, had focused on Gregory’s role in the dealmaking surrounding Democratic Rep. Mark Rozzi’s brief bipartisan tenure as House speaker early last year.