Gibbons appears headed to the bench
Cross-filed as Republican and Democrat, the district attorney held leads that likely meant no rival for a judgeship in November.
Bucks County District Attorney Diane E. Gibbons is expected to join the county bench in January, having apparently swept the Republican and Democratic primaries yesterday.
With 63 percent of precincts reporting, Gibbons held sizable leads in both primaries.
Without final results, Gibbons was not ready to declare victory late last night, but she said the trend suggested that voters from both parties appreciated her work as district attorney.
"If the numbers contine this way, I'd be very proud of that, because I've always tried to represent everybody in this county," she said.
County judicial candidates are allowed to cross-file, meaning they appear on both parties' primary ballots. By winning both primaries, she would face no opposition in November.
Gibbons, 49, of Warminster, is a career prosecutor who was appointed in 2000.
The county's first female district attorney, she replaced longtime District Attorney Alan M. Rubenstein, who ran successfully for judge.
She narrowly won election in 2001, and was reelected by a wider margin in 2005.
Gibbons would replace Bucks County Judge Daniel Lawler, who retired.
In July, Judge Kenneth G. Biehn also announced his retirement, but Gov. Rendell will appoint his successor.