A third Republican has joined the crowded race for the nomination to be Lehigh County’s next executive.
Three Republicans are now in the race for Lehigh County executive. Former Allentown School Board Director Mike Welsh, former state Representative Justin Simmons, and former Allentown police Chief and City Council President Roger MacLean have made bids for the nomination.
Former Allentown School Board Director Mike Welsh is a Lehigh County resident and a small business owner. He is originally from Paoli, Pennsylvania and has spent nearly 40 years with a career in insurance. He is also the former board president of the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum and the Allentown Flag Day Association.
He said in a recent interview, “As a small business owner, I know the challenges that taxpayers and working families are facing in our county. I’m looking forward to fighting tax increases, supporting our local law enforcement, ending our status as a sanctuary county, and restoring common sense to the Lehigh County government.” Welsh’s priority is keeping Lehigh County “out of the hands of out-of-touch, left-wing radicals”.
Former state Representative Justin Simmons served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for a decade. While in the state House, he missed hundreds of votes and ended his bid for U.S. Congress in November of 2017 after a report was made on those missed votes. Later, he said he suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and was seeking treatment, which contributed to some of those absences.
He plans to bring “common sense ideas and needed government reforms” to Lehigh County and give its inhabitants a “new pro-taxpayer voice they deserve”. He promised voters that he will “never sign a budget that increases taxes”, and that he will “always support our law enforcement”.
Former Allentown police Chief and City Council President Roger MacLean entered the race this week. He served as police chief from 2006 to 2013 and was elected to City Council in 2015.
His career at the Allentown Police Department lasted 39 years. Following his retirement, he joined the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator. He was appointed acting mayor in 2018 following the conviction of Ed Pawlowski in a pay-to-play scheme, after which Pawlowski resigned as mayor.
MacLean said of his decision to join the race, “I am seeking the Republican nomination because I believe in time-tested conservative principles: responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, personal accountability, and common-sense solutions that foster growth while preserving our community’s unique character. I’m ready to lead with integrity, transparency, and a deep respect for the values that unite and strengthen Lehigh County.”
