Karen Shuey: Primary 2022: Berks election results have been updated

May 24—Berks County has updated its election results, bringing the 2022 primary election one step closer to being complete.

Monday evening the county updated results on its election website after finishing the count of mail ballots. The initial results posted on the county's election services website the day after last Tuesday's election included only mail ballots received before May 16, meaning those that came in on May 16 or election day still had to be tallied.

The vote totals now include all 71,896 votes cast in person on election day or through mail ballots. Of those, 57,752 were cast in person, and 14,144 were by mail.

The party breakdown of the votes counted so far show the Republican primary was more popular than the Democratic version.

A total of 42,424 Republicans cast ballots, while 29,348 Democrats voted.

Despite the update, vote totals for the county are still not complete. There are still provisional, overseas and military ballots. It is unclear how many of those ballots were received.

There is also an issue that could complicate the results statewide.

Republican Senate candidate David McCormick has filed a petition in Commonwealth Court to make sure all undated ballots received on time are counted in counties that are, so far, refusing to count them. His petition follows a May 20 ruling by a federal appeals court that permitted mail ballots in Lehigh County to be counted despite not having the required date on the exterior of the ballot.

The Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, has issued guidance to counties to count mail ballots with undated signatures but in separate counts amid the legal challenge.

Results are deemed unofficial until certified by the respective county board of elections and the Pennsylvania Department of State. The date for state certification is June 6.

Here's where the local contested primary races stand:

Republican primary races

4th Congressional District

Christian Nascimento has won the race to be the Republican nominee and earned a chance to square off with U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean this fall.

The Comcast executive from Montgomery County has received 47,033 votes. Daniel Burton Jr., a Lancaster County insurance agent, received 21,227 votes.

Dean, a Montgomery County Democrat who is running for her third term, ran unopposed. She has received 95,947 votes.

The 4th Congressional District includes all of the central, eastern and northeastern parts of Berks as well as a portion of Montgomery County.

6th Congressional District

Guy Ciarrocchi has won the four-way race for the Republican nomination and earned a chance to square off with U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan this fall in the general election.

The former president of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce has 23,271 votes. Businessman Steve Fanelli followed in second place with 21,051 votes, real estate agent Ron Vogel finished in third place with 15,532 votes and businesswoman Regina Mauro trailed in fourth place with 10,473 votes.

Ciarrocchi is now turning to his race against the incumbent Houlahan, who was unopposed in the primary. Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat seeking a third term, received 71,063 votes for her party's nomination.

The 6th Congressional District includes all of Chester County and parts of Berks.

24th Senatorial District

A state House of Representatives member has a big lead in the Republican nomination race.

Tracy Pennycuick has received 20,948 votes. David Moyer, a Washington Township supervisor, has received 8,765.

Pennycuick appears poised to face off in the general election this fall against Democrat Jill Dennin, who holds a sizeable lead in the Democratic primary.

The 24th Senatorial District has long been represented by Sen. Bob Mensch, who announced this year that he would not be seeking reelection. The district includes parts of eastern Berks and northwest Montgomery County.

5th Legislative District

Republican voters are sticking with Barry Jozwiak.

The incumbent lawmaker has received 5,145 votes in the contest for the party nomination. His challenger, the Berks County Republican Committee-endorsed Dave Golowski, trails with 3,701 votes.

The primary win for Jozwiak, who has represented the district since 2016, likely assures him a fourth term because there were no Democratic candidates appearing on the primary ballot.

The district includes parts of western Berks.

124th Legislative District

Schuylkill County businessman Jamie Barton came out on top in the three-way race for the Republican nomination.

Barton received 6,616 votes. Hamburg real estate agent Jill Saunders came in second place with 2,226 votes, and Windsor Township resident Elle Rulavage finished third with 898 votes.

Barton will go on to face health care consultant Tina Burns, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the general election this fall. Burns has received 3,697 votes.

The post has long been held by Rep. Jerry Knowles, who announced this year that he would not be seeking reelection. The district includes parts of western and north central Berks and eastern Schuylkill counties.

Democratic primary races

24th Senatorial District

A former Boyertown School Board member is the Democrat's choice to run in the fall general election.

Jill Dennin has earned 17,287 votes. Emanuel Wilkerson, a former Pottstown School Board member, had earned 6,105.

It appears Dennin will face off this fall against state Rep. Tracy Pennycuick, who won the Republican primary.

The 24th Senatorial District has long been represented by Sen. Bob Mensch, who announced this year that he would not be seeking reelection. The district includes parts of eastern Berks and northwest Montgomery County.

129th Legislative District

Reading City Councilwoman Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz appears to have won the race for the Democratic nomination.

Cepeda-Freytiz has received 2,330 votes. Her opponent, Reading School Board member Mark Detterline, trails with 1,915 votes.

She will likely compete against the Republican nominee, Barry Llewellyn, who ran unopposed, in the general election. The retired teacher has received 3,240 votes.

The state House district includes parts of Reading and Spring Township as well as Sinking Spring, West Reading and Wyomissing.