Nov 10, 2025 2 min read

There are 67 counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the recent election, Washington County native and candidate for Superior Court Brandon Neuman lost in 53 of those counties.

You might presume by those numbers that Neuman got a proverbial butt whoopin’. You would be wrong. Thanks in part to the 3,483-vote majority Neuman received from the voters of Washington County, where the judge makes his home, he won the election by the “razor thin” margin of half a million votes – 496,466 to be precise.

Locally, Washington County Democrats voted in Republican Heather Sheatler for controller because they considered her the best candidate. More significant is the fact that Washington County is one of the few counties in Pennsylvania to move back into the blue column, given the row office and Superior Court judge race outcomes.

Democrats can still win elections. But only if they choose qualified, electable candidates and take advantage of the current political environment to step out of their comfort zones to approach and engage “unlikeminded” people. Subjects that have common ground that are easily raised include the price of food, the economy, health care, education, and energy policy. They should not be afraid to discuss more controversial issues while acknowledging that opposing opinions have merit.

Washington County Democrats must realize that despite being in the minority, they have much to offer in helping to move our county forward. This will only happen if we all just drop our labels, slogans and hangups, roll up our sleeves and dig in – with our hands not our heels.

Mark Kramer

Bulger