Gerlach to host virtual town hall ahead of May 19 House District 22 primary; Tiburcio to canvass

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach will host a virtual town hall Thursday evening ahead of the May 19 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 22nd House District. Her opponent, state Rep. Ana Tiburcio, was invited and said she will not attend.

The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. via Zoom and will also stream on Facebook. Gerlach announced the town hall Wednesday. Residents can RSVP and submit questions through the campaign’s mobilize page at mobilize.us/s/w8wqSS.

Tiburcio, in a statement to Lehigh Daily, said she will be canvassing instead. “I will be busy knocking doors in my district tomorrow evening, and I look forward to speaking directly with voters at that time and in the days to come,” she said.

Asked about Gerlach’s broader claim that she has not accepted debate invitations, Tiburcio said she has received none. “I have not received any formal invite to a debate from any news outlet or organization, nor have I been asked to confirm my availability for any specific date or time,” she said.

The two Democrats are competing for the party’s nomination in the 22nd House District, which covers parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township. The winner is expected to face Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. in November.

The town hall follows a public call for a primary debate. On April 23, Gerlach and Smith issued a joint letter urging civic organizations, media outlets and community groups to host a debate before the primary.

The release accompanying the letter said multiple invitations were extended to Tiburcio and her campaign staff to join Gerlach and Smith as a co-signer, but went unanswered.

In an April 30 statement to Armchair Lehigh Valley, Tiburcio said via email, “I’d be happy to consider any debate proposal. I already debated Mr. Smith once and attended a forum with him and Councilwoman Gerlach.”

Tiburcio and Smith met in a Feb. 12 special election debate organized by Lehigh Valley Public Media at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown.

In her statement to Lehigh Daily, Tiburcio said her campaign is focused on door-to-door outreach and on voters’ concerns about affordability, education and housing. “I am proud to represent my community in Harrisburg, bringing real results to this district in the form of votes to increase minimum wage, instituting paid family leave, and investing in small businesses,” she said.

Tiburcio was sworn in March 23 after defeating Smith in a Feb. 24 special election with about 67 percent of the vote, filling the vacancy left when Josh Siegel resigned to become Lehigh County executive.

A graduate of Dieruff High School, she owns A&M Tax & Services in Allentown and served on the Allentown School Board from 2023 to 2026, stepping down upon her swearing-in. She is the first Latina from the Lehigh Valley elected to the state House.

Tiburcio has the backing of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, which, under its policy, supports incumbents in primaries, as well as state Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Peter Schweyer, both Allentown Democrats.

Gerlach was first elected to Allentown City Council in 2019 after serving eight years on the Allentown School Board. At her September campaign launch, she said she would fight for affordable housing, livable wages and stronger public schools.

She has been endorsed by Siegel, the Pennsylvania Working Families Party, Make the Road Action Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley DSA and Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons, who appeared together at a Feb. 27 endorsement event in Allentown.

The 22nd District has 31,669 registered voters, and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2.5-to-1 ratio, according to state voter registration data.

The primary is Tuesday, May 19. Voters can check their registration status, find their polling place and request a mail-in ballot through the Pennsylvania Department of State at vote.pa.gov.