State Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia, speaks during a news conference at Andrew Jackson Elementary School, Thursday, May 9, 2013, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke / AP Photo
Longtime Philly state lawmaker loses primary bid
Rick Krajewski, a community organizer, led 18-term Rep. James Roebuck by nearly 2,600 votes with counting just about finished in Philadelphia.
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The Associated Press
Matt Rourke / AP Photo
State Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia, speaks during a news conference at Andrew Jackson Elementary School, Thursday, May 9, 2013, in Philadelphia.
(Harrisburg) — A challenger to a longtime Democratic lawmaker from west Philadelphia declared victory Monday in a four-way primary contest for a state legislative seat.
Rick Krajewski, a community organizer who was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, led 18-term Rep. James Roebuck by nearly 2,600 votes with counting just about finished in Philadelphia in the June 2 primary election.
Results are still preliminary, but Roebuck would become the sixth Democratic incumbent to lose in the primary. Also losing were Sen. Larry Farnese and Reps. Maria Donatucci and Roni Green of Philadelphia, Sen. Daylin Leach of Montgomery County and Rep. Adam Ravenstahl of Allegheny County.
Roebuck, first elected in 1985, is the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee and currently one of the longest-serving House members.
Krajewski would have no Republican opposition in the November general election.
A spokesperson for Philadelphia’s elections office said workers still have to count ballots that were damaged and couldn’t be electronically scanned, and ballots that arrived on June 3 without postmarks or legible postmarks. There are 446 ballots from the June 3 batch and about 1,500 to 2,000 damaged ballots, the spokesperson said.
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