Updated 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6.
State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, has won another term representing the 77th state House district in western Centre County.
Conklin held a lead of 60.8% (17,433) to 31.2% (11,195) over Republican challenger Marie Librizzi, of Ferguson Township with 76% of votes counted. The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday morning.
It will be Conklin’s 10th term representing the district, which includes State College (partial), Philipsburg and Port Matilda boroughs and Ferguson, Halfmoon, Huston, Patton, Rush, Taylor and Worth townships.
Conklin currently chairs the House Commerce Committee. Prior to his election as state representative in 2006, he served as a Centre County commissioner for seven years and owned a carpentry business.
Another race for a state House district in Centre County was called later on Wednesday. Incumbent state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, won a second term representing the 82nd district against Benner Township Republican challenger Therese Hollen by a margin of 52.2% (14,533 votes) to 47.8% (13,307) with 99% of votes counted. The AP called the race at 3:17 p.m.
The 82nd district was the lone legislative race in Centre County still hanging in the balance while the county rescanned thousands of mail-in ballots that could not be added to its election results overnight because of a software issue that delayed its reporting of vote tallies.
Elections staff made “several attempts throughout the night to transfer scanned mail-in ballot data into the county’s election software,” but determined on Wednesday morning that about 13,000 of those ballots would need to be rescanned, according to a statement from the county. Watchers from both major parties were present for the scanning.
The county first reported at about 12:30 a.m. that data was being successfully exported from mail ballot scanners, but was not being recognized by elections software when uploaded. Elections staff were “working with the equipment vendor to adjust configurations to make the two systems—the mail-in ballot scanner and the elections software where data are uploaded—compatible with one another,” the county wrote in a statement at the time.
In the county’s other state House race, state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, ran unopposed in the 171st district and won a 15th term.
For the state Senate, incumbent state Sen. Cris Dush, R-Pine Creek Township, easily won reelection in the 25th district against Clinton County Democrat William McGill, and incumbent state Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland Township, was unopposed in the 35th district.
