Comitta Pulls Ahead Of Runey In PA 19th Senate District Race

This story was updated at 4:10 p.m. Watch for further updates as the vote count continues.

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Votes are still being counted in the race to represent the citizens of Pennsylvania State Senate District 19, but Carolyn Comitta is leading by 11 percentage points.

The state senate seat held by Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-19th) since 2006 was vacated with Dinniman's retirement. Vying for the District 19 State Senate seat is Rep. Carolyn Comitta (D-156th) and Republican Kevin Runey.

At 4:10 p.m. Wednesday the Chester County elections website reported Comitta ahead of Runey by 11 percentage points, with the counting incomplete.

Runey had 44 percent of the counted votes, a total of 59,807 at 4:10 p.m.

Comitta had 55 percent of the counted votes, a total of 74,016 at the 4:10 p.m. update.

Pennsylvania's voter information page reported this morning that Chester County had counted 38 percent of mail-in ballots. It said just under 90,000 remain uncounted this morning.

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Carolyn Comitta (D-156th) has been serving as representative in the Pennsylvania State House 156th District since 2017. The Democrat is a mother of two and formerly an educator in Chester County. She served two terms as mayor of West Chester. She's also Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Comitta Associates, Inc., Town Planners & Landscape Architects West Chester since 1990.

"I am an environmental champion. I have advocated long and hard for moving toward more sustainable energies as soon as possible and making sure everyone has the right to clean air and clean water," Comitta said during her campaign.

Republican Kevin Runey challenged Comitta for Dinnaman's State Senate seat. The father of three has worked in healthcare and has been a London Grove Township supervisor, serving on its planning commission.

"I am concerned with the direction our state and country is heading," Runey said. He accused Comitta of "aligning herself with radical groups" and being "beholden to special interests." Runey called himself "a commonsense political outsider who isn't beholden to any special interest group."

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