Bartolotta tops Buchtan in Senate GOP primary

The incumbent won on the strength of an impressive showing in Washington County.

Republican voters in Pennsylvania’s 46th Senatorial District handed incumbent Sen. Camera Bartolotta another primary victory Tuesday night, rejecting challenger Al Buchtan’s outsider campaign centered on political reform and fighting government corruption.

With all precincts reporting, Bartolotta secured victories in Washington and Beaver counties to offset Buchtan’s win in Greene County.

In Washington County, Bartolotta earned 9,460 votes to Buchtan’s 7,600, with 131 write-in votes cast. In Beaver County, Bartolotta narrowly defeated Buchtan 282 votes to 256, with two write-in votes recorded. Buchtan carried Greene County with 2,047 votes to Bartolotta’s 1,600.

Buchtan also ran to be a member of the Republican State Committee in Washington County, earning 8,857 votes, or 11.77%.

Bartolotta celebrated Tuesday night at Bella Sera in Canonsburg alongside friends, family, campaign staff and supporters.

“I feel good,” she said as results came in. “I think that we have really, really worked so hard for months now, knocking on doors all over the whole district. Every spare minute I’ve had, I’ve been out knocking on doors.”

She will face Democrat Evan Snyder in the fall.

Bartolotta was first elected in 2014 and became the first Republican to win the seat since 1927. A Monongahela resident and business owner, she serves on the Senate Republican leadership team as Majority Caucus Secretary.

Throughout the campaign, Bartolotta emphasized her legislative accomplishments, constituent accessibility and bipartisan approach to governing.

“My most important accomplishment has been delivering real results that people in the 46th District can feel in their daily lives,” Bartolotta said during an interview prior to the election. “Whether I’m in a union hall, a school, a farm field, a small business or a VFW, I hear the same core message: people want to be heard, respected and fought for.”

Tuesday night, Bartolotta credited direct voter outreach and personal conversations with constituents as key factors in her victory.

“You have to go directly to the people, close your mouth and open your ears, and listen to what their issues are,” she said.

Bartolotta criticized what she described as misinformation and outside political spending that intensified during the closing weeks of the race.

“The lies that have just been pumped out and recirculated without any fact checking — it’s really a shame,” she said. “People were duped and taken advantage of.”

She said voters ultimately responded to her legislative record and willingness to work across party lines.

“I have a record that is extremely clear, very transparent, very easy to read,” Bartolotta said. “I’ve gotten 11 really meaningful bills across the finish line.”

Bartolotta also defended bipartisan negotiations in Harrisburg, arguing governing requires compromise.

“You absolutely have to negotiate,” she said. “You have to talk to the other side, and it can’t be us or them all the time.”

During the campaign, Bartolotta highlighted several bills she has helped pass during her time in office, including Tierney’s Law, which strengthened protections for survivors of domestic violence, legislation expanding workers’ compensation coverage for first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress injuries, and legalization of rideshare services statewide.

She also pointed to ongoing efforts to redevelop blighted properties, revitalize former industrial sites and support projects such as the Lighthouse Electric Campus in Washington.

A win for her, she said, is a win for her entire district.

“The big message is I listen. I’ve always listened, and I represent everyone in the district,” she said. “Meeting people where they are is something that every single elected official should do and I plan to continue to do that.”

Buchtan, a Greene County businessman making his first run for state office, centered his campaign on criticism of government spending, taxes and what he described as entrenched corruption in Harrisburg.

Buchtan repeatedly tied rising costs to what he described as corruption within government, including the influence of lobbyists and unchecked state spending.

He offered plans to make the state more business-friendly in order to keep residents and generate additional tax revenue without increasing taxes and pledged to increase transparency through quarterly town halls and local advisory committees throughout the district.

Despite the loss, Buchtan said Tuesday night he believes the campaign accomplished its broader goal and confirmed he does not plan to seek office again.

“Like I said in my speech, it’s a win for me no matter what,” Buchtan said. “We’ve changed the dynamics, the trajectory and how politics is done in this area forever. We’ve exposed corruption.”

Buchtan plans to return to work at his business or possibly retire, adding that he believes the campaign exposed what he described as “the swamp” and establishment politics within the Republican Party.

“We’ve exposed how the establishment plays this game,” he said. “The Republican Party’s exposed for what they did to me, as far as the lawsuits and the flyers and the money they spent against me. My own party. That’s something I still can’t wrap my head around.”

Buchtan also referenced legal battles surrounding his candidacy during the campaign, saying the outcome set precedent for future races.

“There’s a lot of things that happened in this campaign that have never happened before,” he said. “From day one when we started this race, it’s already changed everything.”

The 46th District includes all of Greene and Washington counties, along with portions of Beaver County, including Hanover and Independence townships and Frankfort Springs Borough.

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