Tim Barker wins Republican primary for York County District Attorney
Veteran prosecutor Tim Barker, appointed to fill out the term of former York County District Attorney Dave Sunday, has won election to the job he has held since January, defeating his Republican primary opponent, former Spring Garden Township Police Officer and attorney Jack Graybill II.
With 100 percent of the vote reported, Barker had 65.44% of the vote to Graybill's 34.39% percent, according to unofficial returns reported by York County's elections office.
The winner of the primary, barring an unprecedented write-in campaign in the fall election, will be the county's district attorney. No Democrats sought the office.
Barker, who has served in the district attorney's office for 27 years and has served under three district attorneys, was appointed to the position at the beginning of the year, replacing Sunday when he was elected state Attorney General in 2024.
Before being appointed to complete Sunday's term, Barker had been the top deputy in the office for decades, and under Sunday he served as point man for the office's public safety initiatives in addition to prosecuting cases. Now, he is seeking election to a full term in the office. In his time in office, Barker has handled many high-profile cases, including the prosecution of the 1969 York race riot cases in the early 2000s, homicides and, most recently, the investigation into the shooting at UPMC-Memorial.
Previously: The 2 GOP candidates for York County District Attorney focus on the issue of experience
His opponent, Jack Graybill II, also touted his experience. A U.S. Army veteran, Graybill had been a Spring Garden Township Police officer for 15 years – following in his father's footsteps and serving as member of the York County Drug Task Force – before graduating from Widener Law School and going into private practice. Barker campaigned on expanding the office's violent crime initiatives and seeking solutions to the vexing issue of juvenile crime. Graybill also touted his experience as a former police officer and a manager of his law firm, saying he would bring a fresh perspective to the office and the problems it faces, saying, "you can't think outside the box when you've never been outside the box."
Barker countered, "He has no experience as a prosecutor, and I don't think he could identify the box even if it was right in front of him.'
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Barker wins Republican primary for York County PA District Attorney
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