Daryl Metcalfe

Daryl Metcalfe will continue to represent the residents of the 12th District of the state House after they re-elected him by an overwhelming margin Tuesday.

Metcalfe, a Republican who lives in Cranberry Township, defeated Democratic Party challenger Christian Rieger, also of Cranberry.

According to unofficial election results, Metcalfe won 67.75 percent of the vote to 31.98 percent for Rieger. Metcalfe had the majority of the vote in all 22 precincts, with 23,011 votes. Rieger garnered 10,863 votes.

The 12th District includes most of southern Butler County including Cranberry, Adams, Forward, Middlesex, Penn and Clinton townships and Seven Fields, Mars, Callery and Valencia boroughs.

Elected in 1999, Metcalfe won his 10th term in office.

“I’m honored and blessed with the support that the majority of the residents of the 12th legislative district have shown me again,” he said Tuesday night.

Metcalfe said he saw one of the bigger voter turnouts of his tenure when visiting polling places during the day and was hopeful for Republican victories on the state and national races.

“This is certainly a historic election. It certainly was an exciting day to be out with so many of my constituents,” he said. “I’ve never seen lines like I’ve seen today. It was great getting to talk to so many constituents on a beautiful fall day.”

Metcalfe said he plans to continue to fight for the platforms that he has run on since his first campaign including lowering taxes, limiting government and protecting individual rights.

He is in favor of privatizing liquor sales and opposed to new government regulation of business including natural gas drilling regulations and raising the minimum wage.

He voted against the 2016-17 state budget and said he anticipates another battle with Gov. Tom Wolf this coming year over tax increases.

He defeated Mars School Board Member Gordon Marburger, who also ran two years ago as a write-in candidate, in the April primary election.

Rieger, an attorney, was a newcomer to politics who was uncontested in the primary election.

Rieger Tuesday night congratulated Metcalfe on maintaining such a large base of supporters.

“We want to congratulate Representative Metcalfe. It’s not easy to be in office for as long as he has and maintain such a broad base of support,” he said.

Rieger thanked his supporters and said he was proud to have run an entirely positive campaign, during which he made connections and friendships in the community.

“I wanted to build relationships and get involved in my community and the results tonight don’t change that at all,” he said, adding that he hopes to continue to serve the public either through volunteer work or by running for office again.