Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael O’Pake has secured the Republican nomination for District Attorney, defeating challenger John Henry Urbanski in Tuesday’s primary election.
According to unofficial final results — O’Pake received 7,881 votes to Urbanski’s 6,138.
This marks a significant milestone in O’Pake’s political career, as it is his first nomination on the Republican ticket. The longtime prosecutor changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in January.
Upon learning the results of the election, O'Pake said "I want to thank my family, friends, and supporters not for what they did for me in this election, but also in the previous elections. I couldn't of done it without them."
O'Pake also expressed his thank "I also want to thank the voters of Schuylkill County for recognizing the job I've done for the past 7 1/2 years. I've always strived to keep Schuylkill County safe, bring criminals to justice quickly, and bring closure to victims".
O’Pake is now positioned to seek election to a third four-year term in November. He was first appointed to the office in 2017 and won re-election in 2021.