Sean Dougherty, Johnny Doc’s nephew, defeats incumbent Kevin Boyle in state House race

Sean Dougherty unseated State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a seven-term incumbent, in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in a Northeast Philadelphia district and will advance to the general election in a critical race that could help determine which party controls the state House.

House Democrats poured more than $300,000 into Dougherty’s campaign in Northeast Philadelphia in recent weeks, hoping to unseat Boyle — who sought reelection without the party’s support as his family said he is struggling with a serious mental health condition.

On the Republican side, consultant Aizaz Gill won the GOP nomination for the seat, which Republicans are focused on flipping in November.

The Northeast is one of the more conservative areas of deep-blue Philadelphia. Registered voters in the 172nd District — which includes Fox Chase, Rhawnhurst, and Burholme — are 59% Democrat, 28% Republican, and 13% independent. That voter makeup is similar to the district of State Rep. Martina White (R., Philadelphia).

Dougherty, 30, is a former assistant Philadelphia public defender who has never held elected office. He is the son of state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty. He is also the nephew of former labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty.

From his election night party at the Red Rooster Inn in the Northeast, Sean Dougherty got emotional as he took the stage alongside his mother and sister.

“To all of those who knocked doors and helped me, I am forever grateful,” Sean Dougherty said to a crowd of about 40 people. “This is only the first step. No one will work harder than me or fight harder than me to make sure our voice in Northeast Philadelphia is heard. Let’s go win it all.”

Democrats recruited Sean Dougherty to run against Boyle in February, after Boyle had an outburst at a Montgomery County bar that made party leaders question his viability as a candidate. Days after that episode, Boyle still filed to run for reelection but lost his security access to the state Capitol building.

Gill, 31, is a consultant who most recently ran Councilmember Brian O’Neill’s City Council reelection campaign. The graduate of Father Judge High School and Chestnut Hill College moved to Northeast Philadelphia when he was 9, after his family fled Pakistan and religious persecution. He was endorsed by the Philadelphia GOP.

Asked how he felt about unseating Boyle, Sean Dougherty said the situation is unfortunate.

“Representative Boyle is a human being. He’s a father, a son, a brother,” he added. “I just hope that he seeks and receives the help and treatment that he needs, not only for himself, but for his family.”

Sean Dougherty in his acceptance speech also referenced media coverage of the race, which has noted his family ties as a member of the politically powerful Dougherty family.

“Throughout this campaign I’ve been labeled a lot of things, so I feel as though it’s only appropriate tonight that I label myself,” he said. ”I am the great-grandson of state representative,” he said, going on to note members of his family, including his grandfather and father.

“And also, I am Johnny Doc’s nephew,” he added.

A warrant was issued for Boyle’s arrest last week for allegedly violating a protection-from-abuse order. But police withdrew that warrant Monday, and officials said the protection-from-abuse order was no longer valid. District Attorney Larry Krasner said police are still investigating Boyle.

Boyle has been open about his struggles with mental health in recent years. In 2021, he was arrested for harassment and violating a protection-from-abuse order filed by his then-wife, which was later expunged. His brother said in his statement that he “made a full recovery” with treatment and proper medication. Boyle said in a 2022 letter to constituents that he was having a psychotic episode at the time of his arrest and that his life was saved after subsequent treatment at a mental health facility.

Last week, his older brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, said the reemergence of a mental health condition led to his brother’s now-withdrawn charges and has been “a nightmare for me and our family.”

In the final days of the campaign, Sean Dougherty released ads criticizing Kevin Boyle as an absent lawmaker, citing his recent absences from the House and the revocation of his security access.

Some voters said Tuesday that they liked Boyle and felt bad about the situation.

“I feel bad because he was an excellent state rep before his condition. A lot of us liked him more than his brother,” said Veronica Bartch, a Democratic committeeperson in the 63rd Ward. “I hope to see him back.”

Ira Pitman said Boyle’s apparent mental health challenges and absences in the district motivated him to vote for Dougherty.

“Because of his illness, he hasn’t been able to serve us,” Pitman said, outside of C.C.A Baldi Middle School.

Staff writer Beatrice Forman contributed to this article.