EASTON, Pa. – When the latest class of Northampton County officials is sworn in at the Northampton County Government Center on Jan. 2, it will include both new faces and familiar names.
Democrats swept the contested elections for county office, and in the process regained control of Northampton County Council through a 5-3 majority.
More concretely, the result clears the way for a new $3.7 million health care center for county employees.
Council voted down a contract for New Jersey-based Integrity Health to run the clinic earlier this year. Shortly after releasing the county’s proposed 2024 budget in October, County Executive Lamont McClure said that the clinic would become a reality if Democrats won both contested council seats.
Kelly Keegan
Kelly Keegan, a Forks Township supervisor, ran unopposed in November to represent District Two, covering the area around Easton, Palmer Township and Forks Township.
“The county executive has said that he wants to bring Integrity [Health] back on the table,” she said Tuesday of her early-term priorities. “I'm in full support of that.”
She replaces current council President Kerry Myers, who sought re-election as a Democrat in May. After a challenge, Judge Edward Reibman ruled Myers did not gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot.
As a result, Meyers became a Republican and mounted a write-in campaign in the fall, but ultimately fell short of the number of votes needed to become the Republican nominee in the November general election.
Ken Kraft
A familiar face in Northampton County government, Kraft was formerly a member of county council from 2011-18.
In 2018, McClure appointed him to work as public safety administrator at Northampton County Prison.
Next week, Kraft will be sworn in to replace incumbent Kevin Lott, who declined to seek another term representing District One on council.
The district covers the southeast quarter of Northampton County, including Bethlehem.
Jeff Warren
Warren first joined local government in 2007 with his election to Easton City Council. In 2019, he moved to Hanover Township with his family and successfully ran for the township’s board of supervisors soon after.
On county council, he will represent District Three, covering part of the county west of Route 33 and north of Bethlehem.
His predecessor, John Cusick, announced earlier this year he would not seek another term on council, instead running for county controller.
Among his priorities for the first weeks of his tenure on council, Warren said he wants to “recognize January as blood donor Awareness Month here in the county.”
Tara Zrinski
Technically, Tara Zrinski is still a member of Northampton County Council, but on Jan. 2 she will become county controller, responsible for overseeing audits of county funds.
She replaces Scott Parsons, who was temporarily appointed to the role in July following the death of Richard Szulborski.
Ahead of the November election, she wrote in an email that she would use the office to “dig deep into the functions of county government, follow the money and create greater fiscal transparency and more efficient services for taxpayers.”
Both Zrinski and her general election opponent, Cusick, said that the controller’s chief responsibility is administrative: managing the controller’s office and its small staff.
Zrinski’s immediate replacement on county council will be appointed by its eight remaining members in January.
Stephen Baratta
Baratta has been on track to become Northampton County district attorney since May, when he defeated incumbent DA Terry Houck in the Democratic primary.
In the same race, Houck received enough write-in votes to secure the Republican nomination and a spot on the November general election ballot, but did not receive support from the county Republican Party.
Facing a bruising and expensive general election without the support of a political party, Houck dropped out of the race in August.
Once he takes office, Baratta said earlier this month, he intends to push judges to use cash bail less and review cases where defendants are held in jail awaiting trial.
