Cook will succeed Daley in 49th Legislative District
Republican Bud Cook arrives at his campaign headquarters in Bentleyville Tuesday night. Cook faced Democrat Alan Benyak in the 49th Legislative District race.
Democrat Alan Benyak speaks with supporters at his campaign headquarters in Charleroi after the polls closed Tuesday night.
A voter leaves Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday.
A line of voters stretches out into the parking lot of Cecil Township Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 on Tuesday.
Darlene Barni of Cecil Township shows her support for Donald Trump at the Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department polling place Tuesday.
Republican Bud Cook declared victory in the race for an open seat in the 49th Legislative District, writing on his website, “I am honored that the voters of the 49th District (have) given me this two-year opportunity to provide a new vision to convert our problems into jobs for the region.”
Cook, 60, an e-marketing coach from West Pike Run Township, will be replacing Democrat State Rep. Peter J. Daley, who is retiring after 34 years in the state legislature.
In Washington County’s unofficial returns, Cook had 5,943 votes to Democrat Alan Benyak’s 4,255. In a gathering at the Holiday Inn Express, Bentleyville, shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m., Cook expressed confidence in results he was expecting from Bentleyville, California and Marianna.
Cook was also leading Democrat Alan Benyak with 691 votes to 515 votes in Fayette County.
The Pennsylvania Department of State website showed Cook with 13,354 votes to Benyak’s 11,259.
Just after the polls closed, Cook arrived at his campaign headquarters at the Holiday Inn Express, Bentleyville, saying he felt confident a victory was ahead of him.
“I feels good. It felt right,” Cook said surround by nearly 20 supporters.
He said his campaign had a good team effort as he knocked on more than 20,000 doors.
“It was an emotional election,” he said. “People were motivated.”
The mood at the campaign gathering around Benyak, who defeated five opponents to become the Democratic nominee in the April primary, was bleak. In contrast to the ever-ebullient Cook, a downcast Benyak described this fall’s contest as “nasty, rude, ugly, vicious. It was an epic battle.”
Republican Justin Walsh defeated Democratic nominee Mary Popovich to fill the open seat in Westmoreland County’s 58th Legislative District. The state website showed Walsh, an attorney from Rostraver Township, with 16,799 to Popovich’s 10,246.
Incumbent State Rep. Pam Snyder, a Democrat, turned back a challenge from Betsy Rohanna McClure in the 50th Legislative District. The state website showed Snyder with 9,926 votes to McClure’s 8,690.
With Cook flipping the seat held by Daley from Democrat to Republican, Snyder and State Rep. Brandon Neuman, who was running unopposed, are the only Democratic legislators representing Washington County in the General Assembly.
In the 15th Legislative District Republican incumbent Jim Christiana of Beaver handily defeated Democrat Michael Rossi of Center Township by a vote of 18,368 to 10,759.
In the 37th State Senatorial District, which, in Washington County includes Peters Township, incumbent Republican State Sen. Guy Reschenthaler of Jefferson Hills had a total of 89,952 votes to the 58,431 of Democratic challenger Edward Eichenlaub of Bethel Park.
Peters Township unofficial totals were 8,944 for Reschenthaler and 3,044 for Eichenlaub.
Only odd-numbered districts were on the ballot this year.
In the 40th Legislative District, Republican incumbent John Maher easily defeated Democratic challenger Andrew Zahalsky. According to the state website, Maher garnered 19,052 votes to Zahalsky’s 10,601.
In the 39th Legislative District, Republican Rick Saccone held of a challenge from Democrat Peter Kobylinski. Saccone, who won his first two terms in nail-biters, garnered 21,128 votes to Kobylinski’s 9,740, according to the state website.
Republican Jason Ortitay defeated Democrat Joe Szpara to win the seat in the 46th Legislative District, which includes part of northern Washington County and southwestern Allegheny County. Ortitay won by an 18,655 to 12,372 vote advantage.
Contributing to this story was Staff Writer Scott Beveridge.