12th District special election: Unofficial results show Dukes likely winner over Timko

Brandon Dukes, the Democratic candidate, appears to have won the special election for Pennsylvania’s 12th state House District Tuesday, Aug. 18, defeating Republican Scott Timko by 88 votes, according to unofficial election night returns.

According to returns from Butler County Bureau of Elections, Dukes received 8,434 votes — about 50.1%; while Timko received 8,346 votes — about 49.6%. There are an additional 73 provisional ballots which are not reflected in the results. There were 35 write-in votes.

The elections bureau’s director, Chantell McCurdy, said the department is unclear whether the .5% automatic recount trigger applies to a special election and that the bureau is consulting its legal team.