HARRISBURG — Two lawyers competing for the Democratic nomination for the state Commonwealth Court waited Wednesday for the votes to be counted, while several veteran members of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives celebrated their nominations for local offices in their home districts.

Returns from all but eight of the state’s 9,239 precincts showed Doylestown lawyer Kathryn Boockvar leading Pittsburgh lawyer Barbara Behrend Ernsberger by 3,174 votes out of more than 614,690 cast in the Commonwealth Court contest.

Under state law, if the margin of victory is 0.5 percent or less of the total votes cast, it would trigger an automatic recount unless the trailing candidate waives that right. Based on the latest totals, the margin would be 0.516 percent — not small enough to force a recount.

Also too close to call was the race for the Republican nomination for Philadelphia mayor between Karen Brown, a former teacher endorsed by the city GOP, and real-estate agent John Featherman. Incumbent Mayor Michael Nutter easily won a Democratic contest.

In other primary-election activity, state Rep. Dennis O’Brien, a former House speaker serving his 17th two-year term, was picked as one of five Republican at-large nominees to the Philadelphia City Council.

In Allegheny County, third-term Rep. Chelsa Wagner defeated two opponents for the Democratic nod for controller.