| Election name | 2005 Lehigh County Executive election |
|---|---|
| Ongoing | no |
| Previous election | 2001 Lehigh County Executive election |
| Previous year | 2001 |
| Election date | November 8, 2005 |
| Next election | 2009 Lehigh County Executive election |
| Next year | 2009 |
| Nominee 1 | Don Cunningham |
| Party 1 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular vote 1 | 33,263 |
| Percentage 1 | 61.60% |
| Nominee 2 | Jane Ervin |
| Party 2 | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular vote 2 | 20,721 |
| Percentage 2 | 38.37% |
| Before election | Jane Ervin |
| Before party | Republican Party (United States) |
| After election | Don Cunningham |
| After party | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 2005 Lehigh County Executive election was held on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Republican County Executive Jane Ervin ran for re-election to a second term. She narrowly defeated engineer Kevin Ryan in the Republican primary, winning 53-47 percent, and advanced to the general election, where she was opposed by former Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham, the Democratic nominee. Cunningham defeated Ervin in a landslide, winning 62 percent of the vote to Ervin's 38 percent, largely over voter frustration at a 70 percent property tax hike, enabling him to become the first Democratic County Executive in county history.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Don Cunningham, former Pennsylvania Secretary of General Services, former Mayor of Bethlehem[2]
Republican primary
Candidates
Declined
- Andy Roman, County Commissioner[5]
References
- ^ Hartzell, Dan (November 9, 2005). "Cunningham ousts Ervin". The Morning Call. p. A1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Hartzell, Dan (March 6, 2005). "Cunningham joins race for Lehigh executive". The Morning Call. p. B1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Hartzell, Dan (December 9, 2004). "Ervin wants to lead Lehigh for second term". The Morning Call. p. B1. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Hartzell, Dan (May 6, 2005). "GOP challenger campaigns on the bottom line". The Morning Call. p. B4. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Hartzell, Dan (February 20, 2005). "Roman will not run for Lehigh executive". The Morning Call. p. B4. Retrieved July 10, 2025.