Four State Senate and 27 House seats were on the ballot in Philadelphia. In a heavily Democratic city like this one, the most serious contests in many cases came during the May primaries. Democrats who prevailed in those contests headed into the general election strongly favored.
Incumbents marched smoothly to victory across the city.
In the First Senatorial District, State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo easily outdistanced Republican challenger Ron A. Reilly, a public school teacher.
In the Seventh District in West Philadelphia, Sen. Vincent J. Hughes trounced Republican Edward P. Bevans.
On the House side, the picture was much the same.
In the Northeast, unofficial returns showed Republican incumbents Dennis M. O'Brien of the 169th District, John Perzel (172d), Chris R. Wogan (176th) and George T. Kenney Jr. (170th) handily defeating their Democratic challengers. In the lower Northeast, Republican John Taylor (177th) bested Democrat Anthony W. Farnon Jr.
In other House races, Democratic incumbents W. Curtis Thomas of the 181st District, Rosita Youngblood (198th), Michael Horsey (190th), Babette Josephs (182d), Harold James (186th), Andrew Carn (197th), Alan Butkovitz (174th), John Myers (201st), Mark Cohen (202d) and Kathy Manderino (194th) won handily.
Also reelected were Democrats Dwight Evans (203d), William Rieger (179th), Bill Keller (184th), Robert Donatucci (185th), James Roebuck (188th), Anthony H. Williams (191st), Frank Oliver (195th), Michael McGeehan (173d) and LeAnna Washington (200th).
A couple of races generated keen interest. In the Fifth Senatorial District, Salvatore faced a spirited challenge from an articulate underdog, Mills, who built his campaign around the assertion that Salvatore had abandoned his constituents.
``He spends more time in Florida than he does Harrisburg,'' Mills said. ``He thinks he owns that job.''
Salvatore has spent 12 years in the House and another dozen in the Senate. He is a beer distributor, a World War II veteran, and manufacturer of his own root beer, Hank's.
Before the final results were tallied last night, Salvatore said he was confident about his chances. He said that if his constituents believed he had forgotten them, he would happily accept defeat.
Salvatore said he had been a productive lawmaker and planned to introduce legislation this week to allow video poker at volunteer fire departments and other ``licensed establishments.''
The proceeds, he said, would be used to reform the property tax structure and to enroll more senior citizens in the PACE prescription-drug program.
``We have to generate a new funding stream, because if we don't, we can't do the things we want to do,'' Salvatore said. ``The pie is only so big.''
In Mills' campaign office in Bridesburg, a dozen supporters watched returns on television. None was smiling.
Mills said the defeat was a surprise. ``I thought we ran a good campaign, but we weren't particularly well financed,'' he said.
In the 175th House District, incumbent Marie A. Lederer swamped Republican Anthony Radocaj, a neighborhood leader from Bridesburg. Soon after the polls closed, Lederer, 69, kissed and hugged supporters as she arrived at a campaign party in the basement of Holy Name Church on East Gaul Street.
``I think it's a mandate from the people,'' she said. ``My office of state representative is the closest to the people. They come to me with every kind of problem - city, state and federal. I vote for their benefit. I don't represent large corporations and insurance companies. I represent the people.''
STATE HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA 169th District (100% of the vote) Michael McGuigan (D) - 5,071
*Dennis M. O'Brien (R) - 14,401
170TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) Steven J. Gilber (L) - 317
*George T. Kenney, Jr. (R) - 12,859
Michael J. Rowley (D) - 6,300
172D DISTRICT (100% of the vote) Michelle McMenamin (D) - 9,429
*John M. Perzel (R) - 13,439
173 DISTRICT (98% of the vote) John L. Boyle (R) - 3,417
*Michael P. McGeehan (D) - 14,068
174TH DISTRICT (100% of the vote) *Alan Butkovitz (D) - 16,171
Marie D. Cantwell (R) - 4,533
Joseph M. Sabatina (L) - 790
175TH DISTRICT (100% of the vote) *Marie Lederer (D) - 12,715
Anthony N. Radocaj (R) - 4,470
176TH DISTRICT (100% of the vote) William J. Fox (D) - 7,496
*Chris Wogan (R) - 13,843
177TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) Anthony W. Farnon, Jr. (D) - 5,619
*John J. Taylor (R) - 9,868
179TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) Jon Mirowitz (R) - 1,273
*William W. Rieger (D) - 11,179
180TH DISTRICT (97% of the vote) *Benjamin Ramos (D) - 11,320
181ST DISTRICT (91% of the vote) John J. Featherman (L) - 484
Sam A. Sam (R) - 1,091
*W. Curtis Thomas (D) - 14,487
182D DISTRICT (100% of the vote) Thomas C. Baggio (R) - 4,695
*Babette Josephs (D) - 17,600
184TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) *William Keller (D) - 12,734
Michael Mikstas (R) - 3,903
185TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) *Robert C. Donatucci (D) - 12,063
Anthony Giordano (R) - 4,256
186TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) Wallace D. Delaney (R) - 1,651
*Harold James (D) - 16,808
188TH DISTRICT (97% of the vote) Kelly Dutton (R) - 769
*James R. Roebuck (D) - 15,309
190TH DISTRICT (97% of the vote) *Michael Horsey (D) - 15,494
Gus E. Lacy, Jr. (R) - 905
191ST DISTRICT (98% of the vote) Francis X. Hardy (R) - 1,682
*Anthony H. Williams (D) - 12,373
192D DISTRICT (100% of the vote) *Louise Williams Bishop (D) - 19,199
194TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) *Kathy Manderino (D) - 15,745
Joseph J. McCarthy (L) - 744
195TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) *Frank L. Oliver (D) - 16,416
David C. Thomsen (R) - 1,510
197TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) *Andrew J. Carn (D) - 18,542
Sundai Mtunda (R) - 735
198TH DISTRICT (100% of the vote) Edwin H. Hopton Jr. (R) - 2,476
*Rosita C. Youngblood (D) - 18,711
200TH DISTRICT (98% of the vote) Thomas J. Cullen (R) - 2,675
*Leanna M. Washington (D) - 20,343
201ST DISTRICT (100% of the vote) Joseph Louis Messa (R) - 720
John Myers (D) - 18,404
202D DISTRICT (95% of the vote) Gail L. Abrams (R) - 2,365
*Mark B. Cohen (D) - 14,092
Terrence W. Zellers (L) - 163
203D DISTRICT (97% of the vote) *Dwight Evans (D) - 17,333
John Paul Mugford (R) - 1,172
*Incumbent.
L-Libertarian
STATE SENATE, PHILADELPHIA
1ST DISTRICT (97% of the vote) *Vincent J. Fumo (D) - 55,719
Ron A. Reilly (R) - 15,097
3D DISTRICT (98% of the vote) Michael G. Floyd (R) - 8,081
Shirley M. Kitchen (D) - 56,883
5TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) Tom Mills (D) - 29,720
*Hank Salvatore (R) - 42,722
7TH DISTRICT (99% of the vote) Edward P. Bevans (R) - 7,945
*Vincent Hughes (D) - 63,668
*Incumbent
