Why Terry Houck Will Win the DA's Race

Terry Houck and staff

Northampton County DA Terry Houck is going to be re-elected on Tuesday.  To be sure, challenger Steve Baratta pulled out all the stops. He raised nearly twice as much money. His campaign heralds a return of big money to local  politics, with $10,000 donations from J.B. Reilly, Joe Topper and Ray Lahoud, to say nothing of the nearly $40,000 in-kinds that Ray poured into the race.  Baratta got the backing of established Morganelli machine politicians Bob Donchez and Lisa Boscola. He sent out six mailers, advertised on TV, radio and in social media. He even took out ads on this blog. He ran an ugly negative campaign to paint Houck, a person who has spent 45 years in law enforcement, as incompetent, racist, ethically challenged and a closet Republican. He's raged at Houck in two debates and several news conferences. Despite Baratta's bluster, Terry's going to win. I'll tell you why. 

One week ago today, there was a debate between Easton Mayor Sal Panto and challenger Pete Melan.  A throng of about 100 Easton voters cascaded into a chapel at Lafayette College for the show. These people were not just voters, but Democratic voters. Before the fireworks started, Terry Houck came and worked the room. He marched up and down the aisles to talk to people and ask for their support. 

I saw that happen repeatedly throughout this election cycle. At the Bethlehem City Council debate, Houck appeared and spoke to people informally after candidates had their say. Baratta was absent. He failed to even appear at the endorsement meeting conducted by Lehigh Valley For All (who agree with them). They ended up endorsing Houck, even though Baratta is more liberal. 

Baratta missed the LV Labor Council's annual dinner, which is sacrilege if you're a Democrat and want to get elected. 

He missed a candidates' forum at Kirkland Village, even though it's so close that he could have fallen out of his bedroom window and would be there. 

Even at events where he did appear, like the candidates' night at Easton's Southside Civic Association, he stayed off in a corner by himself with campaign manager Leo Reilly. There were few voters there, but he could have scored points with numerous candidates by just talking to them. 

I know one Bethlehem voter who will vote for a candidate simply if he or she knocks on his door, regardless of their views. 

People like to be asked. 

For the past 25 years, Baratta has been secluded in a perch on the third floor of the courthouse, isolated from the community. This was not his choice, It's a security measure to protect judges from disgruntled litigants and gang bangers. Though Baratta actually has a great sense of humor, which I've experienced from him a few times during this campaign, he's out of touch. He still talks to people as though he's God and believes his word is final. 

Just as a deep sea diver needs to rise slowly from the murky depths to prevent nitrogen bubbles in the brain, a person who descends from the judicial heavens needs time to adjust to his new role as an  ordinary human being. 

Baratta should have stayed where he was until his term expired. His resignation was actually selfish to the community he claims he wants to serve. The courts have been forced to bring in two senior judges, at taxpayer expense, to assume the duties he should have been performing.

He describes his departure as a selfless move to continue serving the community in a different capacity. He notes he walked away from his state judicial pension before it maxed. He fails to mention that he has a county pension, too. That pension will be based on his three highest years. If elected District Attorney, that county pension will increase dramatically and he will end up with more money than if he had just remained on the bench. 

Baratta also burned bridges. Right off the bat, he sent a complaint to the Disciplinary Board against  three lawyers with spotless records. This turned off a lot of lawyers who might have been tempted to support him. 

He has conducted a negative campaign. Say what you will, negative campaigning usually works. But the person conducting the negative campaign has to appear to be more likable than the person he is attacking. Instead of looking like a reformer, Baratta has been the Captain Queeg of Northampton County. His campaign has been conducting a relentless and increasingly elaborate investigation of Terry Houck in a vain effort to find the missing strawberries. 

In his last news conference, he ended up in a confrontation with an assistant DA who did not like her hard work demeaned. He had previously handed out a paper claiming that she was one of the assistants who quit, but there she was. He handed out a heavily redacted memo that involved a personnel matter. It was almost impossible to decipher and should have remained private. He even started to criticize  fellow judges for a backlog in criminal cases. All to find those missing strawberries.

Captain Queeg was suffering from battle fatigue. Baratta is also showing signs of the toll that 25 years of very hard work as a common pleas judge has taken on him. 

Terry Houck is no politician. His allies are good cops and victims, not real estate moguls or established politicians who dole out campaign funds to each other. But he ran a good campaign, spent money and was everywhere. He asked people for their support in person. 

They like to be asked. He's going to win. 

Campaign Timeline

1/4: Before he even announced, Baratta filed a 65-page complaint with Pennsylvania's Disciplinary Board, attacking the ethics of Houck, his top assistant and a prominent criminal defense lawyer. He never bothered to supply copies of his jeremiad  to the persons he attacked. The state board has taken no action. 

2/21: Baratta attacks Houck and Colonial Regional Police Department for refusing to take sides in what is essentially a civil dispute between two Sikh factions over control of their temple, even though police have responded to every complaint, have filed harassment charges when warranted and are investigating two incidents. 

3/28: Baratta accuses Houck or racism: At a debate in Nazareth, Baratta continues to attack Houck over Sikh temple dispute, and plays race card. He tells Sikhs, " He [Houck] doesn't want to look at that and doesn't care because you guys don't look like him ... ." Houck denies the accusation, states he's met with both Sikh factions, that police have responded to the temple 20 times, and three people who engaged in harassment were charged and convicted. He noted the dispute over control is properly handled in civil court. 

3/28: Baratta attacks Houck over referral fee: Every year, public officials must file a Statement of Financial Interests, reporting all sources of revenue aside from their public appointment. Houck did so, and reported income from the Specter & Kline law firm. Baratta has repeatedly attacked Houck for accepting this money. Hocke explains that about 12 years ago, long before he was DA, he was approached by a friend on a soccer field and asked wht firm his wife should use for a mesothelioma claim. Hock recommended Specter & Kline because he saw their ads on TV. He ne3ver met with the firm and had no idea his friend had even listed him as a referral. When he received a check, he contacted the state Ethics Comm'n, which advised him he could accept the money because whatever he did was done long before he became DA. 

4/13: Baratta accuses Houck of being a closet Republican. - At a PBS debate, Houck acknowledged  that he is seeking write-in votes from Republicans, who have fielded no candidate. This resulted in a Baratta mailer that accused Houck of "siding with the Republican party." Houck responds, "I am a Democrat. I have always been a Democrat and will remain a Democrat regardless of the outcome of this election." 

4/17: Houck snags FOP endorsements - Houck, himself a former cop, is endorsed by Bethlehem FOP Lodge 20 (Bethlehem police) Easton FOP (Easton police), PSTA No. 40 (Northampton County Pa. State Police) and PSTA (statewide Pa, State Troopers).

4/21: Politically inspired lawsuit against DA and police is dismissed. - A politically inspired lawsuit, filed by the lawfirm employing Baratta's biggest financial backer, Ray Lahould, sought the return of money that two warring Sikh  factions entrusted with police in what is essentially a civil dispute. ent Judge Michael Koury, Jr., dismissed it. 

4/28: NorCo GOP distances itself from Democrat Terry Houck. -  In an unrelated news conference, NorCo GOP Chair Glenn Geissinger specifically denied that his party is backing any attempt by Terry Houck to win a Republican write-in. The party has since that time prepared palm cards urging the party faithful against writing in either Houck or Baratta. 

5/4: Baratta Electioneers Aside Drop Box: - He conducted a news conference assailing Houck within 10-20' of a drop box set up for voters. At least one person come in to drop off a ballot during his harangue. He was confronted by an Assistant DA who disliked having her hard work demeaned by him. 

5/8: Baratta's Pre-Primary Report a disturbing return  of big money in local politics. - NIZ developers J.B. Reilly and Joe Topper gave Baratta $10,000 apiece. Norris McLaughlin lawyer Ray Lahoud gave $10,000 and added a whopping $37,900 in in-kinds. The Morganelli machine was revealed as well, with contributions from former Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez ($1,000) and State Senator Lisa Boscola ($5,000). Baratta paid Morganelli son Chris $5,000 for website design.