Delco voters will have choices in November

Even if you did not cast a ballot Tuesday - and a whole lot of you did not - voters still earned a small victory.

You will still have a choice come the general election in November.

That is because that bizarre political animal we deal with here in Pennsylvania known as cross-filing failed to deliver the hoped-for results.

In cross-filing a candidate gains enough signatures to appear on the ballot under both parties. You are allowed to cross-file in races for county judgeships, magisterial district judges and school boards.

Here in Delaware County, District Attorney Jack Whelan cannot seek another term as the county's top lawman. So he is running for an open seat on the county bench. He cross-filed in the hopes of winning on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. He won on his own GOP ballot, but fell to Kelly Eckel on the Democratic ballot.

That's a good thing.

That is not an endorsement of Eckel. We like Whelan, appreciate his work as D.A. and think he'll make a fine judge. But we think voters deserve a choice, so we're encouraged by the fact that Eckel rolled to a fairly impressive victory on the Democratic ledger.

Likewise in three contested races for magisterial district judge - including the contentious affair in Norwood-Glenolden - none of the candidates won on both tickets, although all six cross-filed. That again means there will be both a Democrat and Republican on the November ballot.

Choice is good.

You can read our editorial here.

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