Tara Zrinski elected first female Northampton County Executive

Cheers erupted across the room as the final election results appeared on the screen Tuesday night. Northampton County voters elected Tara Zrinski as county executive, making her the first woman to hold the county’s top administrative position.

Zrinski, a Democrat and former county council member, defeated Republican Giovanni after a months-long campaign focused on economic equity, environmental sustainability and government transparency. 

According to unofficial results from Northampton County, Zrinski received 59.03% of the vote, defeating Tom Giovanni who earned 40.91%.

At her watch party at McCarthy’s Pub in Bethlehem, Zrinski thanked her supporters and reflected on the personal connections that defined her campaign.

“I think I really connected with voters and my community, and I think that really made the difference,” Zrinski said. “At the end of the day, going door to door and talking to voters and having all these people in this room — it’s amazing to understand the amount of effort that went into this win.”

Among the crowd was Rep. Steve Samuelson who has represented Bethlehem in the state legislature for 27 years. 

Samuelson said Zrinski’s grassroots campaign was key to her success, and its strength came from its hands-on, countywide approach.  Starting in July, Zrinski was out every weekend meeting residents across Northampton County going door to door.

“The enthusiasm here tonight is incredible, with this wonderful victory,” Samuelson said. “It looks like (Zrinski) is going to win by about a 60-40 (margin), and that’s a huge victory in any race.” 

He also said Zrinski is a highly experienced candidate, having served six years on county council and two as county controller, and that she “will be a phenomenal county executive.”

Samuelson said Zrinski’s record and personal connections helped build trust among voters. Through her eight years in county government, she gained the respect and confidence of people across the community.

“She’ll be a strong advocate for county employees, economic development and environmental protection — all focused on Northampton County’s future,” Samuelson said. 

Shadwick Yoder, the president of the Lehigh Valley Young Democrats, also attended the watch party. Yoder helped re-charter the organization over the summer and said Tuesday’s watch party was one of its first major events.

Yoder graduated from the University of Mary Washington and was a senior in college when President Donald Trump was reelected. He said the night’s turnout represented a shift in optimism among young voters.

“To see turnout like this — people excited and enthusiastic — it shows there’s still an appetite for common-sense, liberal policies in our community,” Yoder said. “It’s inspiring for young folks like myself who want to get involved in government.”

He said his goal is to build connections among young Democrats in the region. He said he found a solid community in college, and he wants to replicate that through the organization. 

Yoder said when people feel they’re part of a group, they’re more likely to be engaged and participative in civic engagement.

“We’re here to elect Democrats, but also to create a community where people enjoy being together and supporting one another,” he said.

Attendee David Holland, who was elected to Northampton County Council, reflected on the night’s turnout and the months of campaigning that led up to it.

Holland, a lifelong Bethlehem Township resident and nursing professor at East Stroudsburg University, centered his campaign on public health, affordable housing and government transparency. 

“Mental health is my specialty,” Holland said. “I want to expand access to crisis care and support efforts like mental health — keeping people out of the corrections systems and treating them as patients, not criminals.” 

He said the energy he witnessed at the polls gave him optimism for the county’s future. Throughout his campaign, he said he’s found inspiration in the people he’s met along the way. 

Holland wasn’t the only one reflecting on civic engagement.

For young voters, Baylee Baker, ‘28, a member of the Lehigh College Democrats, said her organization has spent the semester encouraging students to care more about local elections. 

She said the organization’s main objective has been getting people to understand how much local politics actually affects them. 

“The people on county council and city council make day-to-day decisions that impact everyone, but a lot of college students don’t realize that,” Baker said.

Baker said the watch party offered students a place to meet local leaders and see the tangible impact of their votes. 

She spoke with Zrinski earlier in the night about voting accessibility and wait times on campus. Baker said some people waited over an hour to vote. After speaking with her, Baker said Zrinski has ideas to help fix the problem of long wait times.

As the celebration came to an end, attendees of all ages reflected on what Zrinki’s victory meant for Northampton County. 

For Zrinski, the win was a testament to the work she put into her campaign and her goal to make the county a place where everyone feels valued.

“The amount of support from people at the polls makes you feel like you really touched the community,” Zrinski said. “We’re going to make a difference, because we’re all going to work together.”