ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Mayor Matt Tuerk signaled his plans to get "right back to work" after easily claiming victory in his bid for re-election Tuesday.
Tuerk again saw off a challenge from Councilman Ed Zucal, whom he handily beat in the Democratic primary in May.
Zucal ran on the Republican side of the ballot after getting enough GOP write-in votes, but never officially changed parties.
The challenger appears to have performed better this time around, after picking up 20% of votes in the May 20 Democratic primary.
“Allentown showed up today. ... And my promise to you, Allentown: I'm going to keep showing up.”Mayor Matt Tuerk after winning re-election
Tuerk got almost 5,000 primary votes, while Zucal picked up about 1,200; the mayor called his May 20 primary win “a clear message” that voters want him to continue leading the city.
Tuerk got just over 12,000 votes out of 16,645 counted by 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, good for a lead of 72%-28%, according to unofficial results.
'Still a ton of work to do'
Speaking Tuesday night from Simpatico, Tuerk said he was “completely blown away” by “really impressive” voter turnout in Allentown and across the Lehigh Valley.
“Allentown showed up today,” Tuerk told dozens at the Center City restaurant.
“Allentown residents know how to show up, and they showed up today in a big way. And my promise to you, Allentown: I'm going to keep showing up.”
The Lehigh County's website displaying unofficial election results showed a turnout of about 38% with all 161 partially reporting vote tallies. The county registered a turnout of 16.4% in May’s Democratic and Republican primaries.
The mayor highlighted investments in city infrastructure and parks, lower crime rates and continued development among the “ton of progress” made during his first term.
“We've done a lot over four years," he said. "It's been really remarkable progress. [When] you walk down Hamilton Street, it's not the same Hamilton Street that you saw four years ago.
“But there's still a ton of work to do. We still have strong investments to make in housing. We have to continue to create economic opportunity for people to get ahead.
"We have to keep working to connect people to our city.”
Tuerk thanked Zucal for running a “much more gentlemanly” campaign since his first loss. The mayor in May accused the two-term councilman of “MAGA-style politics” after he distributed inflammatory mailers in the final weeks of the primary.
LehighValleyNews.com could not immediately reach Zucal on Tuesday night.
'A new era for Allentown'
Voters on Tuesday also elected four members to Allentown City Council.
Two incumbents — Cynthia Mota and Natalie Santos — won new terms, while newcomers Jeremy Binder and Cristian Pungo also claimed seats after confirming their Democratic primary wins.
Binder received the second-most votes in May, while Pungo topped Council President Daryl Hendricks by 25 votes for the fourth and final nomination.
Zucal did not seek re-election as he ran for mayor.
The new year will bring the start of Mota’s fourth term and Santos’ second on council.
“I'm an immigrant. [My victory] means a lot, especially now, with all the difficulties immigrants are having.”Cynthia Mota, Allentown City Council
Santos was the youngest person ever elected to the office in 2021, beating the mark set in 2019 by Josh Siegel, who was elected Lehigh County executive on Tuesday.
Mota, who moved from the Dominican Republic to Allentown as a child, called her fourth successful election a win for immigrants.
“I'm an immigrant," she said. "[My victory] means a lot, especially now, with all the difficulties immigrants are having.”
“It's an honor; it's an honor to serve my city,” she said at her party at El Tipico, a Dominican restaurant in South Allentown. “I love my city. There's nothing I won't do for my city.”
Pungo, a construction manager at Alvin H. Butz Inc., called his election alongside Binder and Siegel the start of “a new era for Allentown.”
Hendricks and Zucal will take two decades of combined experience with them when they vacate their seats in the new year.
Pungo, 28, said he sees that “changing of the guard” as “an opportunity for new voices and for our community to have a seat at the table.”
Pungo said he’s long felt a “disconnect” between Allentown officials and Center City, where he grew up, and wants to work toward "bridging that gap.”
LehighValleyNews.com could not immediately reach Jeremy Binder or Natalie Santos on Tuesday night.
