A victory by Rep. Jamie Barton of East Brunswick Township in Tuesday’s General Election will return the lawmaker to the lower chamber of the legislature in Harrisburg in 2025 as he easily defeated the same opponent he faced in 2022, Tina M. Burns of Tamaqua, to win his second two-year term in the 124th District of the state House of Representatives.

Barton recorded 21,564 votes, compared to Burns’ 7,562. Barton was overwhelmed by the show of support.

“At the risk of sounding cliché, it is so humbling to have the people support me and elect me to serve in the 124th,” he said.

Barton visited a polling site in Tilden Township, Berks County, early Tuesday morning.

“When I saw those lines, it was emotional looking at all those people,” he said. “I was walking through the line, shaking all those hands, and talking to them.”

Voters, he said, waited at least an hour at some polls to cast ballots — but no one seemed to mind.

“It was so nice to hear stories of how we helped them and how they appreciated the services they received from our offices in Hamburg and Tamaqua, and the wonderful staff that I have,” he said. “It really is a team that takes care of and serves the 124th.”

It was similar at every poll he visited, he said.

Barton noted that despite the long lines, ”people were smiling, people were friendly, people were being grateful.”

He said it will be exciting to be able to continue his work.

The district includes parts of Berks County, including the townships of Albany, Greenwich, Maxatawny, Tilden, Upper Bern, Upper Tulpehocken and Windsor and the boroughs of Hamburg, Kutztown and Lenhartsville, and parts of Schuylkill County, including the townships of Delano, East Brunswick, Rush, Ryan, Schuylkill, South Manheim, Walker, West Brunswick and West Penn, and the boroughs of Auburn, Coaldale, Deer Lake, Landingville, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Port Clinton and Tamaqua.

Barton, who became the first non-Tamaqua-affiliated person to represent the 124th Legislative District after winning his first term two years ago, had a sizable win over Burns in the districts in Schuylkill County, winning 11,849 to 2,864, while in the Berks County districts he won by a 2-1 margin, 9,715 to 4,698.

Two years ago, when he defeated Burns by nearly 10,000 votes — 18,228 to 8,336 — he took representation of the district that previously was held by a Tamaquan for 54 years, dating back to 1969 when the late Frank M. Allen headed the district. After Allen’s term, the late William K. Klingaman served as state representative from 1973-85, followed by David Argall, 1985-2009, and Gerald Knowles, 2009-23.

Before being elected to office, Barton was an energy executive. Burns is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran whose career experience includes working as a health care consultant.

116th District

Meanwhile, two other Republicans Tuesday won re-election bids, including Rep. Dane Watro of Kline Township who defeated Democratic challenger Deborah A. Adoff of East Union Township, a retired court stenographer, to gain another two-year term representing the 116th District.

Unofficial totals show Watro collected 14,115 votes, compared to 5,088 for Adoff.

The district includes parts of Luzerne County, and parts of Schuylkill County, including the townships of East Union, Kline, Mahanoy, North Union and Union, and the boroughs of Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Ringtown and Shenandoah.

In the Schuylkill portion of the district, Watro won by a difference of 4,947 to 1,202, while in the Luzerne communities of he district, he was a 9,168 to 3,886 winner.

Watro, a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the former mayor of McAdoo Borough, won his first term in 2022, defeating Democrat Yesenia Rodriguez by a margin of 9,811 to 4,571.

123rd District

Rep. Tim Twardzik of Mrs. T’s Pierogies fame, who first won a seat in the House in the 2020 election, won his third two-year term in a victory yesterday over Democrat Michael Zvalaren III in the 123rd District balloting. The Butler Township resident garnered 19,305 votes, easily outdistancing Zvalaren, who tallied 5,769.

In 2022, Twardzik defeated Democrat Kathleen Laughlin Benyak by a margin of 17,133 to 7,909. In 2020, he defeated Democrat Peter J. Symons.

Before his first election victory, Twardzik retired as the executive vice president and co-owner of Ateeco Inc. - Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Shenandoah, where he helped grow the business founded by his father, Ted, into the community’s leading employer.

Zvalaren is an adjunct professor at the College of New Jersey, and is a kitchen designer.

The district includes parts of Schuylkill County, including Pottsville, the townships of Blythe, and West Mahanoy, and the boroughs of Ashland (Schuylkill County portion), Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Middleport, Minersville, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, Schuylkill Haven and Saint Clair.

All votes are unofficial.

Jill Whalen and Bill O’Gurek contributed to this report.