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Gaughan Edges out Tonkin in Tight Race for Pike County District Attorney

PIKE COUNTY — The race for district attorney in Pike County was a contentious one and unofficial results show the challenger came out on top. Republican i...
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PIKE COUNTY -- The race for district attorney in Pike County was a contentious one and unofficial results show the challenger came out on top.

Republican incumbent Ray Tonkin may have lost the primary to challenger Kelley Gaughan, but he says it’s too soon to tell if he’s out of the race completely.

His supporters gathered at the Boathouse Restaurant in Pike County and for hours waited as the returns slowly trickled in.

Then, after midnight, they learned Gaughan had declared victory and Tonkin had lost on the Republican side.

Tonkin is seeking a third term and seemed to pin his hope on the prosecution of Eric Frein, the man charged with killing one Pennsylvania State Trooper and wounding another.

Tonkin says it’s not over yet. He will wait until Friday to see if he has won a Democratic write-in effort.

“It was a hard-fought race. We’re seeing that through the numbers coming in,” Tonkin said.

Kelly Gaughan, a defense attorney from Milford, opposed Tonkin. Gaughan earned the endorsement of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 46.

At this point Gaughan feels confident that she will win the election in the GOP primary.

She would be moving on to take over an important case, in the prosecution of Eric Frein.

“I take the Frein case very seriously. I give serious consideration to running even in light of the Frein matter. I'm fully confident myself and my office will be able to fully prosecute the case,” Gaughan said.

“She had the endorsement of PA State Troopers association and the lodge. That was done for a reason. They believe she is the best candidate for the job,” said retired State Trooper John Clader.

“I want to thank every single person who was supportive of me in this and I want to thank all the voters who turned out to support me today,” said Gaughan.

It's still not clear whether the write-in campaign on the Democratic ticket could pit both incumbent and challenger against one another once again in the general election.

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