Milne will face Democrat Crowley in fall election
Ted Lesienring
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
It looks like the number of primary races for state legislative seats in the county is down to one, after Ted Leisenring opted to end his challenge to State Rep. Duane Milne in the 167th District, last week.
Milne, first elected in 2006, will take on Democrat Anne Crowley — who lost narrowly to Milne in 2006 and has since served on the Treddyffrin/Easttown Board of Education. Leisenring missed earning the Chester County Republican Committee endorsement by just one vote at last month’s convention.
As of now, the lone primary fight in the county appears to be between Democrats Joshua Young and Josh Maxwell for the 74th District State House — a new Democratic-leaning district in the Coatesville area. The winner will face Republican Harry Lewis, Jr.
Leisenring, who could not be reached for comment, notified Republican Committee members in the 167th that he would end his race — but said he hoped that Milne would do a better job of listening to local Republicans.
State Rep. Duane Milne
“I believe that the results of the convention have been a teaching moment for the incumbent to work more closely with our local committees and respect the election process or face even stiffer opposition in two short years,” he said in the email notice to committee members. “I believe in the Republican party and what it stands for; keeping government small, fostering business development with less regulation and lower taxation, and controlling entitlements that can cripple our economy and school systems. We need to work hard to support all of our Republican candidates as the opposition is strong and getting stronger.”
Following the convention, Milne said that he would be spending time talking to committee people and other Republicans, looking to rebuild bridges and work to address their concerns.
