‘Political earthquake’: How progressive Dems surprised many with State College races
Even Divine Lipscomb couldn’t quite believe it.
The Democratic candidate for State College’s Borough Council, who spent much of his youth in prison before turning his life around, admitted he was stunned Tuesday night staring at the county’s website, which told him he secured one of three seats in his party’s primary election. He couldn’t relax until Wednesday morning, when the congratulations finally started pouring in.
The unofficial results to the municipal primary election came as a surprise to many in the borough. It marked a “political earthquake,” as council President Jesse Barlow put it, as the borough’s four most progressive Democratic candidates — three for council, one for mayor — overwhelmingly won their party’s respective races. Current Councilman Evan Myers said it was an unprecedented, progressive sweep he hadn’t seen in 50 years.
“I think the community is saying that we are not supposed to be as divided as we are,” Lipscomb said. “We need to make sure everyone is heard and everyone is welcome.”
In the mayoral race, progressive Ezra Nanes (1,690 votes) defeated Jim Leous (851) by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. On council, Gopal Balachandran led the way with 1,663 votes as of Thursday morning, followed by projected winners Lipscomb (1,434) and then Richard Biever (1,191).
Barring the election of Republican candidate Jacob Werner or a write-in come November in blue State College, it would be the first time taking elected public office for all four of the projected primary winners, who won’t be confirmed as such until the Board of Elections certifies final results on June 8. (Biever’s spot is technically not yet guaranteed as mail-in ballots postmarked Tuesday can still be received Friday, but a change in the overall winners remains unlikely.)
The new Democratic council candidates swept the established and experienced candidates, all of whom previously served on Council. Mayor Ron Filippelli (933), Councilwoman Katherine Yeaple (1,123) and former Council President Catherine Dauler (843) all trailed.
“The community has spoken with a resounding voice and said, ‘We want what you want, and we want your vision for this,’ ” Nanes said. “And so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to put plans in place so that we hit the ground running.”
Balachandran, Biever and Lipscomb were all supported by Central PA United, a group that works closely with the PA United PAC. Nanes was not a member of the group, but all four publicly supported one another with several calling each other friends.
The quartet also shared similar platforms. They want a strong Community Oversight Board for the police, increased funding for mental and health services (a majority of whom have expressed a willingness to reallocate, or defund, part of the police budget to make that happen), and a move toward greater economic equity, such as emphasizing affordable housing. Most would also like to see State College become friendlier to bicyclists and pedestrians.
“We ran because we care about this community, we love it, and we want to see it become even better — even more inclusive and an even better place to live and raise a family,” said Balachandran, who has two school-aged children. “We come from different areas, but we share that kind of prime vision.”
There wasn’t just a singular reason for the newcomers’ wins. Anecdotally, other Pennsylvania races saw similar results — such as Pittsburgh’s incumbent mayor losing in an “upset” — and felt that signaled Democrats were moving further left. Others saw social issues, such as the police killing of George Floyd, as contributing factors. More still felt an enlivened base and mail-in ballots played a role, as at least 20% more State College Democrats turned up to vote in this municipal election compared to the last one.
Jenna Henry, an elections co-coordinator with Central PA United, was more succinct in her reasoning.
“We outworked our competition, point blank,” said Henry, who lives in the borough.
Central PA United organized about 140 local volunteers, from 18-year-old high schoolers to 75-year-old retirees. They estimate they knocked on about 2,600 doors, made 13,000 phone calls and sent 4,500 texts. Nanes’ campaign adopted a similar approach, knocking on doors and reaching out to the community. Nanes also spoke at a number of events, such as the Earth Day rally on Penn State’s campus.
Most of the new State College Democratic candidates boast a voice that’s historically gone unheard in Happy Valley. Balachandran is believed to soon become the first Indian American to serve on borough council, while Lipscomb is believed to be the first African American. Nanes, who’s addressed his Jewish heritage, has made it a point of repeatedly stressing that all voices should be heard.
Biever, a white small-business owner, acknowledged he’s not coming from a marginalized perspective. But he still shared an optimism over the fact that “the traditionally underrepresented voice will be heard.”
“Who doesn’t want fairness? Who doesn’t want equity?” he added. “You can’t be against those things. Now, you might quibble on the policies, but the basic underlying structure of our platform, it’s really kind of inarguable.”
Nanes stopped short of saying he was surprised by Tuesday’s results. Although he didn’t deny butterflies during his watch party at Cafe 210, he felt this was the way State College voters were headed.
Those voters spoke loudly Tuesday, he added. And he said neither he, nor the fellow council candidates, plan to stop listening.
“We have an opportunity here, a moment of unity, where there is this great consensus about what we want to achieve,” he said. “And now is the time to heal, to come together. ... My message to everybody is, look, I respect you and I appreciate your efforts and your commitment to this community.
“And I want to work with you to build our future together.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 10:06 AM.
