Democrat Julian Guridy and Republican Robert Smith will face off next month for the chance to fill the remainder of Josh Siegel’s term in the state House’s 22nd District.
Both candidates were chosen by their respective county parties Saturday.
Guridy is a constituent services representative with state Sen. Nick Miller’s office and was a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Julian Guridy, an Allentown native who works for state Sen. Nick Miller’s office, is running for state representative in the 22nd District. (Photo courtesy of Julian Guridy)
Smith has been in the health field for more than 25 years, assisting people with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries. He served on the Allentown School Board for 16 years.
Guridy was selected by an ad-hoc committee of elected Democratic precinct committee members at a closed meeting Saturday morning, according to Lehigh County Democratic Committee Chair Lori McFarland. Other candidates included Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach and Allentown residents Erlinda Aguilar and Lewis Shupe. Siegel resigned from the Legislature in December after his election as Lehigh County executive, for which he’ll be sworn in Monday. His term as representative would have run until November 2026.
According to McFarland, 17 members of the committee cast votes for Guridy, one cast a vote for Aguilar, one cast a vote for Gerlach and one was absent from the Saturday meeting.
“I am honored by the confidence local Democrats have placed in me to be their candidate,” Guridy said in a news release. “This is only the beginning. I will fight for every vote, and when I arrive in Harrisburg I will fight every day to ensure a better future for Allentown and Salisbury.”
The special election will take place Feb. 24. Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Joanna McClinton also lauded Guridy’s nomination.
“Julian brings deep roots in the Lehigh Valley, a strong commitment to working families, and the kind of steady, servant leadership our communities deserve. His experience in state government constituent services will ensure that HD-22 continues to receive the people-driven service they’ve come to expect from their representative,” McClinton said.
The 22nd District includes parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township, where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans.
Robert E. Smith Jr. is the Republican candidate for state representative in the 22nd District. (Photo courtesy of Robert E. Smith Jr.)
In a statement, the Lehigh County Republican Party criticized Democrats for their leadership, and said the special election “is an opportunity for real change.” Smith was chosen from three candidates, the party said.
“As our nominee, Robert Smith brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong network of support from all parts of the community and political divide,” the party said. “Robert will bring respect, honesty and unity to District 22.”
The GOP also hinted at “internal fighting” among the district’s Democrats.
Gerlach and her allies have criticized the party’s process of electing candidates for a special election. Gerlach had called for a public debate between the candidates, and for the Saturday meeting to be open to the public. Several activists at a news conference Monday also accused the Lehigh County Democratic party of manipulating the candidate selection process in favor of Guridy, which McFarland has denied, saying that it followed state and Democratic party by-laws in the process.
At a news conference Saturday morning, Gerlach said she is focused on her campaign for the primary election in May, where she will run to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for a full, two-year term representing the 22nd District beginning in 2027. She will not seek write-in votes for the Feb. 24 election, she said.
“I do think what’s important is to focus on the future, not just what happened,” Gerlach said. “We can’t change what happened. And unlike some politicians and some political parties that want to, diminish the outcome, or who won — look, I didn’t get the votes in that room today, but I’ll get the votes in May.”
Guridy is also seeking the Democratic nomination for a two-year term in May.
The Pennsylvania Democratic party’s executive committee will meet Monday to officially approve Guridy’s nomination before he can appear on the Feb. 24 ballot, McFarland said.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.