Liz Hanbidge Wins 61st District, Keeps Long-Red Seat Democratic

LOWER GWYNEDD, PA — Democrat Liz Hanbidge has won a second term in the 61st legislative district, which was Republican-controlled for 50 years before her upset victory. She defeated GOP challenger Lisa Friebel by a significantly wider margin than her narrow win in the 2018 midterms.

With all in-person precincts reporting and just a small number of local mail-in ballots still needing to be counted, Hanbidge led 23,406 to 15,968.

"Thank you to each and every voter who participated in yesterday's election, to the dedicated poll workers and election officials who worked diligently throughout the day to help voters navigate the process, and to those who are working around the clock to ensure #everyvotecounts!" Hanbidge shared late Wednesday morning.

She won this district over 16-year incumbent State Rep. Kate Harper by just over 2,000 votes in 2018, possibly indicating a shifting political demographic in the area. The 61st covers all of North Wales, Towamencin, Upper Gwynedd, as well as parts of Whitpain and Lower Gwynedd townships.

The win comes following other Democratic victories in Montgomery County. As expected U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean won re-election in Pennsylvania's 4th, while Amanda Cappelletti convincingly defeated Ellen Fisher to replace Daylin Leach in the 17th senatorial district.

Many other state legislature races in Montgomery County remained too close to call early Wednesday afternoon. Countywide, some 50,000 ballots needed to be counted as of 2 p.m., meaning that close battles were still up in the air.

Hanbidge has an MS from Oxford, a Masters in education from Harvard, and a JD from the University of Wisconsin. She's run on a healthcare platform in both elections, noting expanding affordable options as a key issue.

The victory was a crucial one for Democrats who will need every seat they can get if they hope to shift the balance of power in the Republican-controlled state legislature. Republicans held a 109-93 majority heading into Election Day.

See Hanbidge's candidate profile here.