Tomlinson Vs. Hayes: Incumbent Leads Bensalem State Rep. Race

Updated at 9:45 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4

BENSALEM, PA — Republican state Rep. Kathleen "K.C." Tomlinson had built up a lead Wednesday morning in a re-election bid to her Bensalem-based seat, but with an unknown number of mail-in ballots yet to be counted.

As of about 9:40 a.m., Tomlinson led Democrat Harold Hayes 15,735 to 13,767, with all 27 of the districts reporting unofficial returns. But mail-in votes, which are expected to skew heavily Democratic, could still change the race's outcome.

In all of Bucks County, there were roughly 109,000 mail-in votes yet to be counted Wednesday morning, according to election officials.

The race was a rematch between candidates who faced off in a March special election marred by worries about the then-emerging coronavirus epidemic.

Tuesday night, Hayes had taken a sizable lead bolstered by an early round of ballots cast by mail in the race.

Figures provided by Bucks County showed that dramatically more registered Democrats voted in the election by mail, while more Republicans were expected to cast their ballots in person on Tuesday.

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Tomlinson, 32, has worked at her family's funeral home business for years and been a licensed funeral director since 2016. Her father, Tommy Tomlinson, has been the area's state senator since 2005.

She campaigned on fighting the opioid epidemic and supported Pennsylvania's lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, saying that money should be used for treatment. She pushed typically Republican issues like charter-school reform, fighting drug injection sites and funding the police, but also championed affordable healthcare, paid family leave and increasing funding for education and human services.

"I was raised in the public eye, but I was raised to have a passion to serve my community," Tomlinson said in a Patch profile. "I have spent the past 10 years as a small businesswoman, but I have always looked for ways to serve the public in a new role."

Hayes is a master plumber and is active in the plumber's union. His campaign has focused on job creation, raising the minimum wage, education funding and property tax reform.

"We are well overdue for a targeted property tax relief model for senior citizens, the disabled on a fixed income, and those below the poverty line so they are not taxed out of their home," Hayes said on his campaign website. "We want every child to have access to a world-class education regardless of zip code, but we cannot sustain the current model of placing such high burdens on our homeowners year after year."

The special election between the two in March went on despite coronavirus concerns and a last-minute attempt by Bucks County to postpone the race.

The county, joined by a Bensalem poll worker with health issues, had asked to put off the election until at least the April 28 presidential primary over concerns about the new coronavirus.

Tomlinson won that election, 4,516 to 3,661.

The special election for the District 18 seat was called after former state Rep. Gene DiGirolamo was elected to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

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