Davis wins Democratic primary for lieutenant governor

Pennsylvania Democrats gave their nominee for governor his choice for second-in-command on Tuesday, selecting state Rep. Austin Davis to be their lieutenant governor candidate in the fall election.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democrats’ choice for governor, had endorsed Davis over state Rep. Brian Sims, who ran an energetic campaign but trailed well behind Davis.

In the nine-candidate Republican contest for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso of Allegheny County jumped to a lead as votes were still being counted.

Davis, a resident of McKeesport, has been a state representative since 2018 and is a former executive assistant to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a prominent elected Democrat.

In Pennsylvania, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor are not paired on the primary ballot, but do run as a ticket in the fall.

The lieutenant governor is the chair of the Pardons Board and is the presiding officer during state Senate sessions.

Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday also cast ballots in primary contests for 17 congressional seats. The state’s delegation to the U.S. House had been 18 — nine Democrats and nine Republicans — before one delegate was lost because of 2020 Census numbers.

In the state House, three races pitted incumbents against each other in districts where the primary winner is likely to take the oath of office in January.

Northwest of Harrisburg, Rep. Perry Stambaugh faced a GOP primary against Rep. Johnathan Hershey. Southwest of Allentown, Republican Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Gary Day slugged it out. And in Philadelphia, Democratic Reps. Isabella Fitzgerald and Chris Rabb faced off.