Pa. House Democrats’ majority is on the line in Delco race to replace Mike Zabel

The race is underway to fill a Pennsylvania House vacancy in Delaware County created by Rep. Mike Zabel’s resignation earlier this month, putting Democrats’ one-seat majority on the line.

Zabel (D., Delaware) represented the 163rd House District from 2018 until three public accusations of sexual harassment prompted his resignation. Now, both county parties have chosen female candidates to run for election to represent the district.

The Democratic candidate, Heather Boyd, 46, chairs the Upper Darby Democratic Committee. She’s been deeply involved in politics for years, and left her job as a senior adviser to U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Delaware) to run for the seat.

The Republican candidate, Katie Ford, a 43-year-old early intervention specialist, is a newcomer to politics but a longtime volunteer in Upper Darby schools.

Democrats are favored to hang onto the seat, as they have more registered voters than Republicans in the district, which includes Upper Darby, Clifton Heights, and Darby Township. But the Democrats face lingering questions over their handling of the allegations against Zabel, which party leaders knew about in 2019, and Republicans are hoping to capitalize on voters’ frustrations.

Boyd is friends with one of the people who accused Zabel of harassment and is among the Upper Darby Democrats who knew about the accusations — but says she didn’t know he’d allegedly harassed multiple people.

She told The Inquirer she knew about one allegation against Zabel after the incident occurred in 2019. Boyd said she deferred to the victim’s wishes to stay quiet about it and passed along suggestions of who could challenge him in a primary election. The county Democratic Party still endorsed Zabel in his reelection bids in 2020 and 2022.

Andi Perez, a lobbyist for Service Employees International Union 32BJ, was the first person to come forward with a sexual harassment allegation. She first shared her experience at a listening tour event in January, but did not name Zabel until earlier this month, in a report from SpotlightPA. Two other people — a female GOP lawmaker and Zabel’s former campaign manager — then also came forward with sexual harassment allegations.

Boyd said Perez confided in her about the 2019 incident after it occurred, but only wanted the House to change its rules regarding harassment. She said she spoke with Zabel about his conduct “more than once.”

“I wanted to do what Andi wanted to do,” Boyd said. “Until she told me she was ready to make it about Mike, we just didn’t. I didn’t know it was this bad. I thought he made a bad decision. I didn’t realize it may have been a regular [occurrence].”

Perez declined to be interviewed but said in a prepared statement: “Heather has been a true ally to me because she kept what I told her about my experience of sexual harassment private until I was ready to share my story publicly. She did what she could do within the scope of her power while not breaching my trust. Every victim should have the power to choose how and when they will share their experiences.”

Boyd said she was heavily involved in the General Assembly’s earliest efforts to create sexual misconduct protections, as a top staffer to State Rep. Leanne Krueger (D., Delaware). She said she also served as a witness in a case against former state Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Delaware) who was accused of inappropriately touching female staffers.

“I understand that the voters are very disappointed with Mike Zabel. I’m disappointed with that, too, as a woman, as a mom, and as a woman who has been a staffer in these offices,” Boyd added.

“We need somebody who understands the legislative agendas, but also protects women.”

Zabel’s former district has become more reliably Democratic since he first flipped it from Republican control in 2018. Under new district maps approved last year, 51% of registered voters in the district are Democrats, 37% are Republicans, and 12% are not affiliated.

But Republicans hope Zabel’s harassment scandal and the Democrats’ handling of it could also factor into the race.

“I find it astounding that the leadership of the party knew about [Zabel] and they sat on their hands after that,” said Tom Micozzie, a Republican and former Upper Darby mayor whose father once held Zabel’s House seat. “People aren’t stupid. People look at what’s happening around them. If you put the right candidate up, like I believe we did, who will do what she says, I think people won’t vote for party as much this time.”

Democrats, meanwhile, say they’re ready to move past the scandal and elect a woman to the seat.

“Like everyone else, I’m really disappointed in Mike Zabel. He’s done a lot of good work for the district, but his behavior was unacceptable,” said Meredith Hegg, the chair of the Clifton Heights Democratic Committee. “[Boyd] is going to be a person of integrity. … We’re ready to knock doors and get out and talk to people. I know Heather is eager to do that, and that Democratic leadership has a lot to offer.”

Ford announced her candidacy from the front porch of her Drexel Hill home on Monday. She wore bright blue pants, and spoke into a microphone to project over heavy rain. She started her remarks by taking a moment of silence for the six victims of a Tennessee mass shooting. (She later told The Inquirer she supports “commonsense gun regulations.”)

Ford said she is stepping up to run to better represent the district’s residents, and called Boyd a “political boss.”

“Sadly this was a scandal that was avoidable,” Ford said of Zabel’s resignation. “As a citizen, as a woman, and as a mother to a daughter, this infuriates me, and this should infuriate all of you as well.”

Boyd announced her candidacy earlier this week, backed by endorsements from top Democrats, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia).

Both candidates said their top issue is fair funding for schools, as mothers of children who attended the area’s public schools.

Ford said she wants to bring her advocacy to the state House to ensure that families who have children with special needs never have to choose between paying for therapy or for their mortgage. A former U.S. Army combat medic, she said she wants to support small businesses and described herself as the “proud wife” of an Upper Darby police officer.

“We have such community pride that’s unfortunately been tarnished by some of the politics that have gone on here,” Ford added.

Boyd listed abortion access as a top issue. Democrats maintaining the majority in the state House is crucial to keeping access to abortion in the state, she added.

“We cannot go backwards,” she said. “I want us to keep moving progress forward. I don’t think we can afford to move backward and switch to the Republican Party.”

The race is one of two May 16 special elections for House seats. The other is for the 108th District in Montour and Northumberland Counties, which is expected to go to Republicans.

With a current 101-100 Democratic majority, these two races will determine which party controls the state House.