ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As local Democratic Party leaders prepare to nominate the likely next holder of an Allentown-area state House seat, a small group of voters are calling for a “caretaker” representative.
The 22nd House District is up for grabs in early 2026 after now-former state Rep. Josh Siegel resigned following his election in November as Lehigh County’s next executive.
That triggered a special election, scheduled for Feb. 24, less than three months before the 2026 Democratic primary for the open state House seat.
“An interim representative should be a caretaker, not a candidate seeking an advantage in an upcoming election."Leo Atkinson, co-chair of the Lehigh Valley Democratic Socialists of America
Fewer than two dozen rank-and-file members from the Lehigh County Democratic Committee are set to nominate the party’s candidate for the special election.
Precinct committee people, or PCPs, are due to interview candidates and select a nominee Jan. 3.
Two candidates — Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach and Julian Guridy, an aide to Democratic state Sen. Nick Miller — have publicly announced their interest in finishing Siegel’s state House term.
Both say they also will campaign next year for a full term.
But several speakers on an icy Monday morning at Keck Park called on local party leaders to choose someone who doesn't want the job beyond 2026.
'Stacked in favor of one applicant'?
At the Monday event, Leo Atkinson, co-chair of the Lehigh Valley Democratic Socialists of America, said “An interim representative should be a caretaker, not a candidate seeking an advantage in an upcoming election.”
“The process to fill a seat should be fair, transparent and rooted in the will of the people,” Atkinson said.
“The people should decide, not the party."Paulette Hunter, local Democratic volunteer
Paulette Hunter, a local Democratic volunteer, said PCPs choosing a caretaker would let residents “have a vote” next year on who should be their new representative.
She said she worries “the voting committee has been stacked — stacked hard in favor of one applicant.”
Hunter and others who spoke Monday said they believe Democrats are lining up Guridy — who is among the group of voting PCPs and has the endorsement of Siegel, another voting PCP — as their special-election nominee.
She urged those voting Jan. 3 to appoint a short-term interim representative until voters can hear from Guridy, Gerlach and any other candidates in an open primary next spring.
“The people should decide, not the party,” Hunter said.
Gerlach last week called for a public debate before the PCP’s decision; Guridy said he is open to a forum hosted by a “neutral, third-party organization.”
The Democratic nominee for the special election likely will determine the next state representative from the 22nd House District, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2.5-to-1 margin.
