Supervisor seat hanging on one vote

Levittown - Solebury township officials will be first in line as the process of certifying Tuesday's vote begins.

With the election of a Solebury supervisor hanging on one vote, interest in getting the official count is growing.

Bucks County's elections director, Deena Dean, said votes in Solebury's four districts will be the first to undergo the certifying process today in the courthouse.

The winning candidate, Republican Ed McGahan, said he would be on hand to witness the procedure that includes proofreading the results aloud and comparing them to the printed results.

"I want to make sure the count is proper," he said. "I'm sure it is but I'd like to be there," noting he was there for the certification of the primary vote too.

McGahan's opponent, incumbent Democrat Dennis Mankin, could not be reached for comment.

Tuesday night's unofficial results showed Mankin with 1,021 and McGahan with 1,022. Republican Robert Heath, who was cross-filed, won a seat with 1,341 votes.

Asked if winning by the slimmest of margins concerned him, McGahan said that didn't matter. "If I have one vote or a mandate + a win is a win," he said.

Supervisor Ruth Ann Wilson, who supported Mankin, said she didn't think the voters understood the consequences of the election and how the outcome could impact the township's preservation efforts.

"We're holding our collective breath here," she said.

During the often bitter campaign, Mankin accused McGahan of being a developer, a claim the businessman denied.

Dean said she was not sure how long the process would take since it would depend on how many questions those attending have.

Write-in votes, which won't be counted until next week, cannot affect the outcome of the Solebury race, since both candidates were on the ballot.

The 42 Solebury absentee ballots were included in Tuesday's count, although, Dean said, those interested in the race can ask for those to be examined again.

Freda R. Savana can be reached at 215-345-3061 or fsavana@phillyBurbs.com.

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