Lynch, who has not held office before, has built his campaign about being a megaphone for conservative talking points and issues. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. The county has arranged for COVID-19 testing sites. The John Birch/Tea Party/right wing extremist playbook is always the same: Start with local offices like school boards, take them over and use that as the launch point for higher office. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Thats proof the county can trim down its reserve fund, and that more cuts may be feasible in the future, he said. Lots of voters likely selected Lynch simply because they vote straight Republican, Borick speculated. Steve Lynch is representative of how they do that. Steve Lynch, a Republican, spoke at a rally on Sunday. Subscribe to receive new posts about Lehigh Valley politics. At the same time, he supports mask rules at county properties, saying public places needed to remain accessible to those with health concerns. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. 2K followers 500+ connections. https://t.co/17mUxv0Sre. He said some physical evidence would be turned over to reporters but none had been seen as of Monday night, making it difficult to verify anecdotal claims as the clock ticks down to the voting deadline. Lets have that, he said. If local police wont act, then @TheJusticeDept should. Northampton Countys machines malfunctioned in 2019 due to errors by manufacturer ES&S. He suggested that forcing school board members to resign over a rule designed to help public safety would make men men again: Men, where are you? In the May 17 primary, county Republican voters will elect seven people to serve on the state GOP committee. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Theyll have badges. Tom Wolf and federal officials of closing churches and businesses but allowing rioters to burn American cities in protests over the summer. All rights reserved (About Us). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I asked. Lynch, 42, said Friday that he does not believe Biden fairly won the 2020 presidential election and advocated for redoing the vote. Smell the coffee! Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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During the campaign, Lynch alluded to forcefully overthrowing the Northampton Area School Board while generally coming across as a noxious candidate who dealt in conspiracy theories and did little to show he had even a basic understanding of how county government works. Breezy at times too.. Mostly cloudy with a shower possible late. "I'm going in with 20 strong men. At least one of them said she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He also said he does not believe Joe Biden fairly won the 2020 presidential election. Thank you for reading Armchair Lehigh Valley. Lynchs presence shows her goals arent just talk. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The first half of Lynchs approximately 20-minute assembly dealt with comments made by two former Gracedale employees who spoke at a recent county council meeting. (Lynchs) rhetoric which resonates with a core of Republicans does not translate to the middle, Borick said. McClure did issue an executive order in March 2020 restricting some ICE actions in the county courthouse after a man was taken into federal custody without presenting a warrant. The district previously had an optional mask requirement in place before the board voted to make face masks mandatory last week. And some of that might be a factor. Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610-820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com. Former Contributor at WFMZ. Speaking to a crowd at a political rally in Harrisburg, Lynch is seen in a video ranting about his opposition to school mask mandates and issuing the rally cry of: Make men men again!. Giving them the research and the data. Afterward Lynch questioned the validity of the vote in a Facebook post. Steve Lynch put out a YouTube video the next day claiming he did not intend to incite . His newcomer status hasn't stopped a local blog, Community Research Opposing Hate, from alleging he's a far-right extremist who harassed peaceful Black Lives Matter . CORRECTION: Gloria Lee Snover, Mary Barket, Nancy Dienel, Craig DeFranco, John Brown and Linda Stubits presently represent the county on the State Committee. Lynch has suggested that board members supporting masks in school be given an option: "they can leave or they can be removed." County Council member Ron Heckman, himself a graduate of Northampton Area HS, called Lynch's remarks . After receiving social media criticism, Steve Lynch put out a YouTube video the next day claiming he did not intend to incite violence or physical intimidation. The first Republican candidate entered the Northampton County executive race Friday afternoon, appealing to the new brand of Republicans by echoing the grievances and talking points of former President Donald Trump. Republican Steve Lynch (right) gets his sound system prepared for a press conference at Gracedale Nursing Home in Nazareth on Monday. Steve Lynch, the Republican candidate for Northampton County executive, said during a recent speech that he would bring "20 strong men" to the meeting, remove the board and reverse the district's . Im going in with 20 strong men, and Im going to speak to the school board, and Im going to give them an option. Lynch said Tuesday he is running for the committee position to make some real solid changes in the GOP and bring back the Republican Party to constitutional principles.. Snover is also seeking a spot on the state committee and said she will relinquish her duties as party chair. He was among 20 people from the county who filed candidate petitions with the Pennsylvania Department of State by Monday's deadline. At a Sunday rally against masks and vaccines, aspiring Pennsylvania politician Steve Lynch issued an ultimatum to school board members who vote to require masks. More than 70,000 total votes were cast in the election, which means more than 2,000 people who voted in the election didnt vote for McClure or Lynch. Instead, McClure has invested $6 million in preserving farmland and natural spaces as executive, and his proposed 2022 budget would invest another $2 million. Recent county elections have followed national political trends. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. called for 20 strong men to attend school board meetings. He prefaced his remarks with an appeal to men. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. McClure has released at least three mailers and six YouTube videos labeling Lynch as a dangerous insurrectionist and a domestic terrorist. Lynch attended Trumps Stop the Steal rally Jan. 6 that preceded a violent mob storming the Capitol. Steven is related to Knstina Guyette and Charles C Okeke as well as 3 additional people. Part of HuffPost Politics. The chair of the county Republican committee, Lee Snover, also had no comment on the race. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sent a letter to Fox Corporation Chairman, After days of pushback, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) finally broke his silence on the exclusive internal Jan. 6 footage, This story first appeared at ProPublica. The . Its political rhetoric. This past weekend, Steve Lynch, who is running for Northampton County Executive, gave a speech at a Freedom Rally in Harrisburg where he chillingly suggested forcibly removing elected officials who dont do things his way. Steve Lynch, who last year called for "20 strong men" to attend school board meetings to force an end to mask requirements in schools, is seeking election to the Republican State Committee from Northampton County.. Remember, God is at work! A backlash erupted on social media and even received national news attention. On face value, it seems like an unnecessary luxury funded at the expense of taxpayers, but keep in mind that there may be long-term economic benefits that come with a safe, attractive connection between the state park and the thriving Downtown business community. To those statements, McClure said Lynch should have apologized for Lynchs Gracedale mailer. Steve Lynch, the Republican running for Northampton County executive, had this to say Wednesday on his Facebook page: The age of corruption will be coming to an end in Northampton County. One Nation, Under God, Indivisible With Liberty & Justice For All The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They can leave or they can be removed.". He's opposed by Republican challenger Steve Lynch, who has modeled his controversial campaign after Donald Trump. He was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying election results he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Lorde reveals why she doesn't use TikTok, Olly Murs: 'My wedding plays are all over the place! Steve Lynch lost his bid for Northampton County executive to Democratic incumbent Lamont McClure by about 8,000 of the roughly 67,000 total votes. Snover said Friday she was unaware if the unannounced Republican candidates for executive were Trump supporters or more traditional Republicans. He participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nations capitol, wearing a bulletproof vest and shouting, Its going down! He admits he received a visit from the FBI over his role, but no charges were filed. John Brown, the last Republican to hold the county executive seat, now running for county council this year, said Lynch, who lives in the Northampton Area School District, may have a "different style . Isn't that intimidation?" Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Theyre going to want MAGA leaders in all forms of government, Snover said in December. But Lynch garnered more in-person votes than McClure. Unofficial results have a split of three Democrats and two Republicans winning the five seats on Northampton County Council. He attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally where then-President Trump urged his supporters to fight like hell to overturn the election results. Its just rhetoric, Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck said when asked whether he considered Lynchs statement threatening. Its unclear what corruption hes referring to or what phase 2 of his plan consists of. "Why would you say 20 strongmen? Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure is seeking a second term in office. If anyone has a question about me, I would love to have a conversation with them.. Because we had three no-tax-increase budgets, we now know we can pass a tax cut.. They have no idea who they messed with! If the unofficial votes hold up, the elected county council members will be Tara Zrinski (D), Lori Vargo Heffner (D), John Goffredo (R), Ron Heckman (D), and John Brown (R). A more mainstream Republican may have defeated McClure, he said. This past weekend, Steve Lynch, who is running for Northampton County Executive, gave a speech at a "Freedom Rally" in Harrisburg where he chillingly suggested forcibly removing elected officials who don't do things his way. During the aside, Lynch also spoke about his suspicions regarding the 2020 election (I believe that what we saw happen on election night 2020 is not what happened in reality) and would not commit to accepting next weeks county executive vote tallies. If we just focus on the simple solution. Lynch also railed the county executive for immigration policies, eliciting boos from the crowd when he alleged McClure has instructed the county not to comply with U.S. Immigration or Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Its no surprise to anyone who pays attention to county politics that Steve Lynch, the GOP nominee for county executive, lost handedly in Tuesdays election. ", Having worked the crowd into a froth, he put an exclamation point on it. . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. HuffPost reached out to Lynch for comment but he did not immediately respond. Steve Lynch, candidate for Northampton County executive, addresses an anti-masking crowd in Northampton Aug. 31. Gods people are just beginning this march! Do you understand that?" The Bethlehem Township Democrat is finishing his first term as executive and previously served a decade on County Council. I would argue that needing 20 strong men to help you beat up a school board is the exact opposite of being manly. McClure won the mail-in votes in a landslide. But the county delegation increased by one this year because of several factors, including higher Republican voter registration totals, said Lee Snover, who as Northampton County GOP chair oversaw the voter registration effort. Though Joe Biden narrowly carried the county last year, Snover has attempted to mold the party after Trump who won it in 2016. When he does allude to McClure, its usually to criticize him for not fighting what he calls Constitutional violations by state and national figures. Before moving to Stephen's current city of Northampton, PA, Stephen lived in Warminster PA, Emmaus PA and Moorestown NJ. "If it causes violence it's the person who does, they are responsible," he said. "Im going in there with 20 strong men, Im going to speak to the school board and Im going to give them an option. Lets go! Its sad that the leadership of the Northampton County GOP will either ignore this or claim its rooted in liberal MSM bias instead of taking it for what its intended to be: A friendly reminder that the countys voter base is pragmatic and doesnt respond well to extremism. Unofficial results say McClure got 18,467 mail-in votes to Lynchs 3,327 votes. Men, wake up! You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Lynch, who lives in Northampton Borough, was the Republican nominee for county executive in 2021, losing to Democratic incumbent Lamont McClure, who tallied 56% of the vote. Whos ready for phase 2? Lynch said on the Facebook page. Lions are now cirlcing (sic) and we have no care or concern to appease your desire to allow corruption to continue because you refuse to be informed of facts. Men, where are you? According to the Morning Call, Lynch regularly posts conspiracy theory theories on social media, which often mimics Trumps rhetoric that pushes the Big Lie of a stolen election. Fitness Expert & Nutrition Coach. Its telling that other Republicans performed better in Northampton County Council races. To be clear, it was a winnable election for the Republicans. ', Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry was diagnosed with tumor during second pregnancy, Young Sheldon EP Teases Mandys Birth Partner, Plus Watch a Sneak Peek (VIDEO), Justin Bieber cancels remainder of Justice World Tour, Kristen Bell to Star in Erin Foster Comedy Series on Netflix. Among them was Northampton County Republican Committee Chair Lee Snover. View our, We welcome relevant, respectful comments. McClure also identified warehouse proliferation as a threat to the quality of life within the region. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Hes modeled his candidacy after former President Donald Trump, harping on conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, denouncing mask and vaccine mandates and criticizing Gov. The City of Easton recently launched the study in large part because pedestrian access from the Downtown to the D&L Trail and northern end of Delaware Canal State Park is inadequate. Suit up Patriots We are just getting started! Kudos to all the towns for doing a good job communicating the changes. Make men great again, right? Anti-vaccine protesters gathered on the steps of Pennsylvania State Capitol during the Rally for Freedom. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. he asked. 2023 TPM MEDIA LLC. The Republican candidate for Northampton County executive says he stands by his speech made at a rally . A shower possible late and a domestic terrorist requirement in place before the voted! Masks mandatory last week it was a winnable election for the Republicans attended Stop... Among them was Northampton County district Attorney Terry Houck said when asked steve lynch northampton he considered Lynchs statement threatening elect! Or recurring donation, or buy a year 's subscription for an account through one of the vote businesses allowing... Agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy GOP committee his bid for Northampton executive. 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