Like Northampton County, Lehigh County is governed by a strong executive under a Home Rule Charter. As Northampton County has a nine-member County Council, Lehigh County has a nine-member Board of Commissioners. These are primarily legislative bodies who hold the purse strings.
In Northampton County, four members of County Council represent districts, or geographic areas. The other five are elected at-large. In Lehigh County, it's five who represent districts. The remaining four are at-large. The salary is a pittance, $7,000, but it's a part-time gig. The four at-large Commissioners in Lehigh are Dan Hartzell, Amanda Holt, Marty Nothstein and Brad Osborne. All but Hartzell are Republican. I've received no announcements, but presume they all will run again. Late Friday, I received word that David Harrington, an immigration lawyer whose practice is based in Allentown, is running.
According to his LinkedIn page, Harrington is a 2013 graduate of Penn State and a 2016 graduate of Dickinson School of Law. While still in law school, he did clerk a few months for Superior Court Judge Bill Platt. He also worked as a field organizer at For Our Future, a SuperPac started by billionaire Tom Steyer and labor unions. He currently is employed as an immigration attorney at an Allentown law firm.
Harrington and his other Kathy are driving forces behind Lehigh Valley For All (who agree with them). Just as some members of the local tea party can be quite intolerant of different views, the same is true of some members of this group.
According to his web page, he's running " because I see a need in our county for a government that is focused on people first. We need to ensure that our community members, regardless of race, income, sex, gender, and background have a government that works for them. We must protect our most vulnerable in our community and ensure that when someone falls on hard times, they have the platform on which to lift themselves up. We need to ensure that our local government is not beholden to the wealthy and powerful, but answers to the working people that call Lehigh County home."
Last summer, he threatened to sue Lehigh County if it passes a law giving deputy sheriffs the power to honor detainers against undocumented immigrants in local custody. That would actually be the jail. Dean Browning, himself a former Commissioner and member of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party, said Lehigh County is a "sanctuary" jurisdiction because it refuses t honor detainer requests unless accompanied by a court order.
Both want to take a federal debate to a county level. County government's primary role is and should be human services, bridges and the courts.
I'm unsure but believe Harrington lives in Coopersburg.
Harrington will announce formally on Thursday, February 7, at Bell Hall in Allentown.
32 comments:
No plastic bags or straws for Lehigh County.
Does he believe in enforcing laws passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor? Or does he believe in enforcing the laws he agrees with ?
You knew this hack kid was being groomed for the role.
God save us from the rising tide of upper-middle class white bread Hillary “progressive liberal” suburbanites.
Is he as clueless about what a county actually does as Zirinski I sin Northampton County.
how to such people get elected
Lehigh Valley All (Who Think Like Us) was created just for this moment.
6:19
by the apathy of the voters
Mr. Harrington should be running for Allentown's Mayor or City Council.He could make a big difference in the community
Oh great a left wing progressive activist. Will he be more interested in none-binding plastic straw resolutions or the actual (critically important) functions of County Government?
Holt is probably not running again in LC.
Nothstein and Osborne probably are. Rumor is Republicans are struggling hard to find candidates to round out a slate. Nothstein and Osborne are strong incumbents, but it's going to be another brutal cycle for Republicans again with the (very real) trump backlash.
The creepy ginger....
Anonymous said...
"You knew this hack kid was being groomed for the role.
God save us from the rising tide of upper-middle class white bread Hillary “progressive liberal” suburbanites.
February 4, 2019 at 4:23 AM"
It's always inspiring to read the remarks of an upstanding and thoughtful citizen such as yourself. It's especially impressive how you throw mud at someone without offering any substance. Not everyone has the nerve to do that.
Other than Immigration, what does this candidate know about the day to day operations of the County? Approximately 75% of the budget is pass thru money from the State and Feds for human services. We are talking hundreds of millions of dollars, does the candidate grasp the scope of the duties that he will have for the pay of $7000 a year? We will see. We are all allowed our different beliefs and priorities in life, so I am willing to wait and see what this gentleman puts forth as a campaign platform. There is also the story floating around that Osborne is considering a challenge Eckhart for Controller in the Primary. Who knows what the players are thinking?
lehigh county needs a left wing socialist no borders more crime drugs etc more taxes more stupid spending more rules for business to follow more stupid trade rules let president Trump go he made the economy the best period he will straight out the border if the democrats leave him alone just like the economy and to top it all he did it with the media all totally against him with all their fake news also some stupid republicans who go against the President
10:23 so true you are but do not forget the left wing baby killers led by the governor of new york--cumo the baby killer and others including the racist virgina governor
“....people first....protect the most vulnerable....”
Is there a shop worn cliché that he missed?
Bernie, I find David Harrington to be and honest caring man who is interested a government for the people and works hard to achieve this. Yes, he is an immigration attorney and that’s a good thing – everyone is entitled to their day in court, that’s what makes America great. Sounds like some people don’t agree with this, like our current president.
David and LHV4ALL is not just about immigration. Please review our webpage: http://lv4all.org/about-us/
“Lehigh Valley For All is a progressive , community-minded organization whose goals are to provide a platform for voters to gain knowledge of the political system and to effectuate progressive policies within their communities through issue campaigns and encouraging our membership to seek office.” – Lehigh Valley For All mission statement.
Lehigh Valley For All was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 elections to connect, organize and mobilize progressives across the valley. By uniting progressives and connecting the disparate movements we aim to build a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.
Lehigh Valley For All organizes rallies, provides a platform for progressive candidates, coordinates calls to representatives, builds organizes progressive voters and informs the community on issues affecting their lives.
Like progressives across the country we were devastated by the outcome of the elections in November 2016. No less so because Donald Trump had lost the popular vote and lied about his policies. Whilst these facts offered little comfort they did create a call to action.
The conclusion we are drawn to is that neither America nor the Lehigh Valley are seeking the return of old prejudices. They do not welcome the class warfare being waged by Trump and his cabinet of billionaires upon the working and middle classes of this country. They continue to demand progress but are unsure of how to proceed. Progressives have been outmaneuvered, out-messaged and out organized. Sheltered by Obama’s veto, unable pass a Republican congress, apathy and complacency set in, frustration turned to division. Now progressives find themselves on the defensive but they are once again electrified with purpose. Unsure of the way forward but certain they will not be pushed backwards.
We aim to provide the resources, information and organization use that energy effectively and bring positive change tot he Lehigh Valley.
Last election, LHV4ALL knocked on over 8000 doors and made thousands of calls. I know some of the results didn’t end up the way you wanted them to, your candidate DINO John Morganelli ended up losing to Susan Wild for the Congressional Seat.
Zrinski is only on Northampton County to further her own agenda and not what is good for the county. This is what most left leaning liberal politicians are all about. Maybe we should have the illegal people coming in live on the door steps of these ill informed.
LV FOR ALL upscale Hillary suburbanites.
The very name is a thinly veiled lie.
Funny how Lehigh Valley For ALL was AWOL as the Pawlowski crime syndicate was taking Allentown down the sewer.
“Progressives....”
LOL!!!!!
Chris Casey said:
"There is also the story floating around that Osborne is considering a challenge Eckhart for Controller in the Primary."
That would be a huge upgrade at the Controller position.
Hopefully that story's true.
I'd vote Osborne in a heartbeat.
From the original post:
"Dean Browning, himself a former Commissioner and member of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party, said Lehigh County is a "sanctuary" jurisdiction because it refuses t honor detainer requests unless accompanied by a court order."
Browning has trotted that falsehood out for his own political benefit in several elections. Each time he's lost.
If Harrington is elected, I think we'll all learn how much Lehigh County is NOT a sanctuary jurisdiction.
Lehighcounty is not sanctuary yet Allentown is and state officials have many invaders setting up dope shop's in there tenements.
That one alone should reach out and assault manys groin area be it male or female, not to mention the many invaders that have been moved to the front of the line in public housing to set up dope shop's too?
Just check APD call centers dispatchment lists each month!
The vast majority of non-white people in Allentown are Puerto Rican, which makes them US citizens, but the racist know-nothings who like to bitch and moan on here don’t want to hear that. And frankly, if every white person who doesn’t like the racial makeup of Allentown had stayed living there instead of moving out to the hinterlands or the suburbs into a two-story tract house, maybe Allentown would be more to their liking. And yes for those who aren’t Puerto Rican, it would also be more American of them to be welcoming to all rather than assuming everyone is a criminal.
An early start at an empty suit.
Don't mention the child rapist from Coopersburg now residing in Allentown's higher quality of life's locals? He is just another under cover worker for the democratic party as well as a national DNC member that also worked the sea haggs conventions! hahaha
"Open Borders Activist On Steroids Seeks Lehigh County Comm'r Seat"
There. Fixed it for you. Next piece of propaganda, please.
Another fine upstanding citizen caught in NY city subway shooting, just another circus carnival shill for the federal DNC movement Comming in 2020! This fine young man stated his oath of allegiance to cumo's baby killers Klan Kollective.
It is a shame that the two political parties are now controlled by their extremists. The Republicans are controlled by xenophobic, science denying fascists. The Democrats are controlled by leftist progressive socialists.
Meanwhile the vast majority of us want neither purist agenda.
Harrington was in my scout troop, and he was always a really thoughtful, caring guy, even as a teenager. I'll be the first to admit that Democrats have a problem with being condescending, but David is vehemently not that, and will genuinely listen to you. The people here trying to say he's some kind of extremist have clearly never met him.
Hooray for Open Borders!!!
(Not to mention FREE EVERYTHING)
How any sane and rational person oppose the Democrat Party and its all-caring agenda?
Dave is a thoughtful, capable and well-researched individual who will serve his community fairly and engage with people of different viewpoints and ideas. The personal attacks against him in these comments are grotesque and mislaid. For folks whose knee-jerk reaction is to attack him just because of a dislike for democrats perhaps engaging in conversation with him, reading about his platform, or going to one of his events to ask him questions would be a more helpful endeavor.
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