Rep. Peter J. Daley handily defeats challenger Jeff Baker
For the first time in 22 years, state Rep. Peter J. Daley had competition in the general election, though with results unofficial and incomplete Tuesday night, it appeared as if he handily defeated his Republican challenger. With all but one of the nine precincts counted in Fayette County that are in the 49th legislative district, Daley led challenger Jeff Baker with a tally of 2,050 to 621, a margin of 77 to 23 percent. Those results do not include Baker’s home precinct in Washington Township.
Unofficial results in Washington county with 63 of the county’s 184 precincts reporting, showed Daley with a lead of 3,949 voted to Baker’s 1,909. It was not known at press time which precincts had reported or how many of the Washington County communities in the 49th District still needed to be counted.
The Washington County election result Web site was not operating properly Tuesday evening.
“What I’ve seen in Fayette County, I’m pleased with, because it’s actually above my personal projections,” Baker said. “It’s such a staunchly Democratic area that I knew I had to sell the idea of a Republican candidate.”
Daley was also pleased with the results and the apparent victory that will give him at least two more years in office.
“I’m very enthusiastic about the mandate of the constituency,” Daley said.
“We’re going to continue to work diligently to bring jobs to this district.”
The 49th Legislative District that previously was located almost entirely in the Mon Valley, now includes a strip of municipalities along the southern edge of Washington County that are primarily agricultural. Daley said the economic base in the realigned district is now more agricultural than steel or coal based and he is working on programs to incorporate agriculture into economic development plans.
He is also chairman of the House agriculture committee.