SALISBURY TWP., Pa. — Candidates for Northampton County executive sat Wednesday for a pair of one-on-one interviews, their first major media appearance of the general election campaign.
In May’s municipal primary, Northampton County Controller and Bethlehem resident Tara Zrinski secured the Democratic nomination for county executive; Republicans nominated County Commissioner Tom Giovanni, an IT consultant who resides in Plainfield Township.
Ahead of each general election, the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce typically hosts debates between candidates seeking major local offices. Each debate is broadcast as part of "Business Matters," a weekly television show produced by Channel 69 WFMZ and hosted by Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce President Tony Iannelli.
When the show’s producers reached out to Giovanni, though, he declined their invitation to debate, organizers said. Instead, each candidate agreed to a 12-minute one-on-one interview.
“It's not what we prefer, but we think it's important to get people out in front of the community, and so we adjusted,” said Iannelli, who conducted both interviews. In order to give voters as much insight into the candidates as possible, “we did the best we could with what we had,” he said.
Giovanni defended the move, citing a debate PBS39 hosted earlier this year between Zrinski and her opponent in the Democratic primary, Amy Cozze.
“I watched the debate between Tara [Zrinski] and Amy Cozze, and I'm just not going to defend lies, point blank. I saw a lot of lies from Tara, and I'm just not going to sit there and defend,” Giovanni said.
Because Giovanni did not face a competitive primary for the Republican nomination, his appearance Wednesday was one of his first major public tests as a county executive candidate.
What they said
Though Giovanni never mentioned County Executive Lamont McClure by name during his interview, Giovanni framed his candidacy as a response to the sitting county executive.
“What really concerns me about county government right now is the lack of accountability, integrity and transparency.”Tom Giovanni, Republican candidate for Northampton County executive
“What really concerns me about county government right now is the lack of accountability, integrity and transparency,” Giovanni began his first response. “When I'm county executive, I will bring those virtues back to the people of Northampton County.”
Giovanni’s approach to the executive job would hinge on a top-to-bottom review of county government. Overall, he would look to cut spending as executive, Giovanni said.
More than any other topic, Giovanni focused attention on Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home; he criticized McClure for using money earmarked for Gracedale staff bonuses to cover the home’s operating expenses.
If he became county executive, Giovanni said he would undertake “a full total assessment from top to bottom” of Gracedale’s operation, and would keep the home county-owned and -operated.
Giovanni again criticized the sitting county executive in response to a question about handling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, agents at the county courthouse.
“I don't think we're properly compliant with ICE … and for me, the reason for that is the county executive put out an executive order for ICE agents to not go into the courthouse,” Giovanni said. “I don't think we need that executive order.”
McClure’s Executive Order 20-28 bars ICE from arresting immigrants going through legal processing for a separate crime and requires agents to have a warrant to arrest someone on county property.
Giovanni mentioned his opponent only twice during his 12-minute interview. First, he explained her role as controller in auditing Gracedale’s bonus program.
“There's no fraud. There's no misappropriation of funds. The funds were used in the way that they were supposed to.”Tara Zrinski, Democratic candidate for Northampton County executive, on Gracedale spending
The second mention came in the final minutes of Giovanni’s interview, after Iannelli asked directly whether Giovanni sees a potential Zrinski administration as a “carbon copy” of McClure’s.
“The current administration supports my opponent, Tara Zrinski, so why would it not be the same?” Giovanni replied.
During the primary, McClure’s campaign committee donated $5,000 to Zrinski’s campaign; McClure endorsed Zrinski in her primary race.
Zrinski spent much of her 12-minute interview defending the McClure administration, including their move to spend money earmarked for staff bonuses on operating expenses.
“There's no fraud. There's no misappropriation of funds. The funds were used in the way that they were supposed to,” Zrinski said.
Still, she said, the administration “could have shown more transparency” in how the money was transferred.
After Iannelli asked if Zrinski would be an extension of McClure’s time in office, Zrinski praised the sitting executive for “bringing [Northampton County] through COVID,” but said she plans to run her administration “a little bit differently,” and replace McClure’s cabinet-level officials with her own slate.
Zrinski went on to criticize ICE, and said she would maintain the county’s current policy.
“We follow the law. I'm not handing people over to ICE, and I'm not going to allow them in the courthouse,” Zrinski said.
“Look at who ICE is employing right now. They're taking just about everybody they can because they're expanding at a rate that is phenomenal, so you can't get the best and the brightest.”
Zrinski also endorsed plans to open new in-person early voting centers in Bethlehem and the Slate Belt; Zrinski said she aims to “enfranchise voters” as county executive.
