From left, Ce-Ce Gerlach, Robert Smith Jr. and Ana Tiburcio / Gerlach and Tiburcio photos by Donna Fisher, Smith photo contributed

The hard-fought battle for the 22nd District House seat, which opened when Democrat Josh Siegel became Lehigh County executive, tallied more than $200,000 in cash and in-kind spending as of June 8.

In February, Democrat Ana Tiburcio, then an Allentown School Board member, defeated Republican Robert Smith Jr., a former ASD board member, in a special election to serve the remainder of Siegel’s term.

On May 19, Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach bested incumbent Tiburcio. Gerlach will face Smith, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, on Nov. 3 for a full two-year term. Tiburcio’s term expires Nov. 30.

The heavily Democratic 22nd district covers East Allentown, parts of Center City and three wards in Salisbury Township.

See campaign finances in Lehigh Valley state House races

The race between Gerlach and Tiburcio came down to a monetary tussle between the progressive group Working Families and the state Democrats.

Campaign expense reports filed with the state show Ce-Ce for PA spent $46,454 and received more than $38,005 worth of in-kind contributions between March 31 and June 8.

Most of the in-kind help – $34,568 – came from the Working Families National PAC for video production, supplies, canvassing and other services. The progressive group also gave Ce-Ce for PA a $2,500 cash donation.

Working Families’ support for Gerlach represents one of the largest expenditures for a Lehigh Valley candidate, according to the group.

Gerlach’s committee incurred $15,723 in debt to Community Labor Administrative Services for texting, staffing and other services. The group provides administrative services to candidates supported by Working Families.

Gerlach, who announced plans to run in the 22nd last fall, carried over $17,769 in cash that she raised in 2025. She added $41,591 between March 31 and June 8, according to campaign finance reports. She had $12,906 in cash left over.

Cash donations included $3,000 from the political committee for Siegel, who was an ally of Gerlach’s when he served on Allentown City Council. His committee also donated $1,700 worth of in-kind help for mailers.

Gerlach’s committee also received $2,500 each from Lehigh Valley Stand Up, IBEW 375 and Yamelisa Taveras of Allentown. Friends of Ce Ce Gerlach, another one of her committees, gave $1,090 while Gerlach herself contributed $1,000.

For both of her races, Tiburcio’s committee, Ana for PA, raised $64,536 and spent $54,865. She also received $76,214 worth of in-kind contributions.

Her in-kind contributors included the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, which provided $39,385 worth of services such as digital buys and staffing. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party provided $40,341 worth of services such as mailers. Ana for PA paid the party $11,485 for services and gave the committee a $500 contribution.

Other in-kind contributors included the Progressive Turnout Victory Fund, which over the course of her campaigns gave about $3,000 worth of help.

Cash contributors included the political committees of Democratic state Reps. Mike Schlossberg (132nd), which gave over $8,850 over the two elections, and Peter Schweyer (134th), which gave $6,250 between Jan. 1 and June 8. The committee of state Sen. Nick Miller (14th) contributed $3,748.

Other cash donations included $10,000 from the Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters PAC; $4,000 from Elaine Lindy, a Philadelphia property manager; $2,500 from Wind Creek LLC; $1,500 from Operators for Skill PAC, and $1,000 from the political committee of Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk. Boston Beer founder Charles James Koch and his wife Cynthia A. Fisher gave $2,500. Boston Beer owns Samuel Adams Brewery in Breinigsville.

Smith, the Republican candidate, raised $6,872 and spent $5,597 between Jan. 1 and June 8. The Committee to Elect Bob Smith Jr. had an ending cash balance of $2,262. His campaign received $3,645 worth of in-kind contributions with the bulk – $2,411 – coming from the House Republican Campaign Committee.

Cash donors included $2,500 from John and Sandra Lovett of Allentown; $1,000 from Allentown attorney Ronald Clever and $500 from the Lehigh County Republican Committee.