2005 Lehigh County Executive election

2005 Lehigh County Executive election
November 8, 2005
 
Nominee Don Cunningham Jane Ervin
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 33,263 20,721
Percentage 61.60% 38.37%
County Executive before election

Jane Ervin
Republican

 Elected County Executive

Don Cunningham
Democratic

The 2005 Lehigh County Executive election was held on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Republican County Executive Jane Ervin ran for re-election to a second term. She narrowly defeated engineer Kevin Ryan in the Republican primary, winning 53-47 percent, and advanced to the general election, where she was opposed by former Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham, the Democratic nominee. Cunningham defeated Ervin in a landslide, winning 62 percent of the vote to Ervin's 38 percent, largely over voter frustration at a 70 percent property tax hike, enabling him to become the first Democratic County Executive in county history.[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Don Cunningham 11,782 99.73%
Democratic Write-ins 32 0.27%
Total votes 11,814 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

  • Jane Ervin, incumbent County Executive[4]
  • Kevin P. Ryan, consulting engineer, perennial candidate[5]

Declined

  • Andy Roman, County Commissioner[6]

Results

Republican primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jane Ervin (inc.) 7,104 53.13%
Republican Kevin P. Ryan 6,260 46.82%
Republican Write-ins 6 0.04%
Total votes 13,370 100.00%

General election

Results

2005 Lehigh County Executive election[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Don Cunningham 33,263 61.60%
Republican Jane Ervin (inc.) 20,721 38.37%
Write-in 14 0.03%
Total votes 53,998 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. ↑ Hartzell, Dan (November 9, 2005). "Cunningham ousts Ervin". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. A1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  2. ↑ Hartzell, Dan (March 6, 2005). "Cunningham joins race for Lehigh executive". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "MUNICIPAL PRIMARY - MAY 2005". Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration. 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  4. ↑ Hartzell, Dan (December 9, 2004). "Ervin wants to lead Lehigh for second term". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  5. ↑ Hartzell, Dan (May 6, 2005). "GOP challenger campaigns on the bottom line". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B4. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  6. ↑ Hartzell, Dan (February 20, 2005). "Roman will not run for Lehigh executive". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B4. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  7. ↑ "MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 2005". Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration. 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
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