Hanbidge Defeats Friebel In 61st: Election Results

LOWER GWYNEDD, PA — Democrat Liz Hanbidge has won re-election to her seat in the 61st legislative district, defeating challenging Republican Lisa Friebel.

With a small number of mail-in ballots still to be counted in the district, Hanbidge holds a huge lead, 23,406 to 15,968.

The victory marks a dramatic improvement from Hanbidge's inaugural victory in the district in 2018, after it was held for 50 years by Republicans.

Update, 12:42 a.m.

Friebel has narrowed Hanbidge's lead as more and more precincts report in Montgomery County, but Hanbidge continues to keep her well at arm's length with nearly all precincts reporting:

Hanbidge: 17,096

Friebel: 11,769

There are still many mail-in ballots to be counted, but likely not enough to overturn this standing. The race appears to be Hanbidge's.

11:07 p.m.

There are now 80 precincts reporting in Montgomery County, with 431 still not reporting. On the mail-in side, 103,118 of 239,336 ballots have been counted. These combined results show Hanbidge with an enormous lead:

Hanbidge: 12,544

Friebel: 5,561

9:02 p.m.

Hanbidge has taken a decisive early lead as the first mail-ins are counted:

• Hanbidge: 7,394
• Friebel: 1,538

8:32 p.m.:

The Hanbidge campaign released a statement shortly after polls closed Tuesday, noting a huge voter turnout.

"The polls are CLOSED and Montgomery County is already reporting record high voter turnout – including the historic volume of mail ballots returned over the past several weeks! While this is exciting news, it also means that definitive results may take several days to be confirmed. Please BE PATIENT and remember that the most important thing is that every single vote is counted!"

Montgomery County announced that they plan to release preliminary election results at 8:30 p.m. Mail-in ballots were legally allowed to be counted starting at 8 p.m., when polls closed.

Original story:

As polls close in Pennsylvania results will begin to trickle in for the 61st District seat, one of the more unpredictable state legislature races in southeastern Pennsylvania, between Democratic incumbent Liz Hanbidge and Republican challenger Lisa Friebel.

The seat was Republican for its entire 50-year history until current Hanbidge turned it blue in 2018, unseating the favorite and 16-year incumbent Kate Harper in the process. Hanbidge was one of numerous legislators in Montgomery and Chester counties to win such historic victories on the heels of the "blue wave" during the midterms two years ago.

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Hanbidge has an MS from Oxford, a Masters in education from Harvard, and a JD from the University of Wisconsin. She points to healthcare as her key issue; particularly, expanding quality, affordable access to all residents.

"For too long, career politicians throughout Pennsylvania have ignored their constituents and catered to special interests," Hanbidge said in a recent Patch candidate profile. "In the meantime, I have spent my entire career giving voice to the voiceless and fighting to protect those most harmed by Harrisburg's apathy."

Friebel, an Upper Gwynedd resident, is a high school social studies teacher with a Masters in education from Arcadia University. Friebel has not made her key positions publicly available.

The municipalities in the 61st include all of North Wales, Towamencin, Upper Gwynedd, as well as parts of Whitpain and Lower Gwynedd townships.

Republicans control both branches of the legislature in Pennsylvania, with a 109-93 majority in the state house heading into the general election. The 151st is one of many "swing" districts which will determine the balance of power in the state for the next two years.

For full coverage of the election in Pennsylvania, go here.