The 2025 Allentown mayoral election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent mayor, Matthew Tuerk, is running for a second term as mayor.
Background
Matthew Tuerk, the eventual winner, faced three challengers in the 2021 Democratic primary; council members Ce-Ce Gerlach and Julio Guridy and incumbent Mayor Ray O’Connell. Tuerk would win the highly competitive primary by just 121 votes barely beating O’Connell. He would go on to win the mayoral election, by 64.13% in 2021, against Timothy Ramos. Tuerk announced his re-election campaign, in November 2024. Tuerk is the first Hispanic mayor of Allentown, a city with a Hispanic population over 125,000.
Candidates
Democratic primary
Declared
- Matthew Tuerk, incumbent mayor
- Ed Zucal, city councilman
Withdrew
- Cynthia Mota, city councilwoman
Republican primary
Withdrew
- Solomon Tembo, businessman, and Independent candidate for Mayor in 2021
Declined
- Tim Ramos, former mayoral candidate in 2019 and 2021.
Campaign
Democratic primary
Tuerk has touted FBI statistics that showed a drop in crime in Allentown during his first term. He also announced a plan to improve traffic signals, pedestrian walkways and roadways near schools with an aim of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2030. Tuerk also promised to continue to grow tourism in the city, and improve the city's A2 bond rating.
Tuerk is seeing a concerted primary challenge by city councilmen Ed Zucal a retired Allentown police sergeant elected as a Democrat in 2017. Zucal has been highly critical of Tuerk’s tenure at the city’s helm claiming that the quality of life has significantly dropped since he took over as mayor. Zucal also challenged the FBI statistics of not accurately portraying the continuing issue of crime, as well as opposing Tuerk's fiscal management. Another Democratic city coucilwoman, Cynthia Mota, also briefly sought the nomination, running a campaign centered on "inclusion and economic opportunities" but would drop out in March to focus on re-election to the city council.
The NAACP raised allegations that Tuerk has fostered city employees that have used racial slurs, mocking of sexual preferences and identities, verbal attacks and denials of promotions. Zucal has pressed this issue, initiating a vote of no confidence against Tuerk that passed the city council 4-3. In April 2024 the city council approved a $300,000 outside investigation of the allegations and on June 26, council voted 6-1 in favor of allocating $20,000 to sue Tuerk and city finance director Bina Patel due to Tuerk going over the city council's head and hiring their own external investigation. However, in December the council voted 4-3 to suspend the lawsuit.
Republican primary
Solomon Tembo, an Independent candidate in 2021, had filed to run as a Republican, however, provided a Salisbury Township address during his petition, and local Allentown Danielle Scott challenged his eligibility to run for mayor due to not being a resident, as well alleging 110 of his 140 signatures he'd collected weren't valid. A hearing had been scheduled with the Lehigh County Board of Elections, however, Tembo instead withdrew his nomination.
Tim Ramos, the Republican nominee in 2019 and 2021, announced he was considering running again due to people calling him and voicing support for a third run. However, he would ultimately not file a petition meaning there is no Republican candidate this election cycle.
References
External links
- Matt Tuerk (D) for Mayor
- Ed Zucal (D) for Mayor
