White wins reelection to 170th District seat
State Rep. Martina White won reelection Tuesday night, holding on to the 170th District seat in Northeast Philadelphia that Democrats were strongly trying to win back.
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State Rep. Martina White won reelection Tuesday night, holding on to the 170th District seat in Northeast Philadelphia that Democrats were strongly trying to win back.
White, 28, beat Democrat Matt Darragh, 31, who works for the state Auditor General's Office. She was leading by a 11-9 ratio with 98 percent of the vote counted.
This will be White's first full term in the House. She won a January 2015 special election, filling a vacancy created when Brendan Boyle left to take a seat in the U.S. House. The 170th District includes all of Somerton, Chalfont, Millbrook, and Parkwood, and parts of Bustleton.
"I think Northeast Philadelphia has decided that they want me to keep representing them," White said Tuesday evening. "They came out in full force."
The race was bitterly competitive, as Democrats have a 2-1 advantage over Republicans in registration. Both candidates had the support of various labor unions, which traditionally favor Democrats.
White was endorsed by the police and fire unions, along with Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and several other building trades unions.
Darragh had endorsements from the AFL-CIO, SEIU, the Laborers and unions representing workers in state liquor stores and carpenters.
White said the Democrats gave her a good run.
"The Democratic Party pulled out all the stops. They even had Lt. Gov. Stack at my polling location to support my opponent," she said.
As a rookie legislator, White introduced some controversial bills in the last year. One bill, which would withhold state funding from "sanctuary cities" such as Philadelphia, stalled at the last minute as the House adjourned last month.
Sanctuary cities refuse to comply with "ICE detainers" issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to keep in custody people who are in the country illegally once their jail sentences end.
Another bill, which would prevent public officials from immediately releasing the names of police officers involved in shootings, was approved in bipartisan votes by the House and Senate.
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