21-05-2025
Primary election 2025 results: Berks county judge
The general election race for a spot on the Berks County Court bench is set.
District Judge Eric Taylor was chosen to represent the Democrats and Berks County Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Lehman was selected to represent the Republicans, each finishing first in a three-way contest for both the Democratic and Republican nominations in the primary election Tuesday.
The candidates will now face each other in the Nov. 4 election to fill a vacancy on the bench left open by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey Sprecher in July 2023.
Taylor captured 11,166 votes in the Democratic primary with Lehman finishing in second place with 6,710 votes and local defense attorney Lauren Marks coming in third with 3,002 votes.
Eric Taylor
Lehman took the top stop in the Republican primary with 9,286 votes with Marks in second place with 8,672 votes and Taylor in third with 4,186 votes.
Vote totals are incomplete and unofficial.
Kathryn Lehman (Courtesy of Kathryn Lehman)
The results, as of Wednesday morning, set the stage for a general election contest between Taylor and Lehman.
Taylor has been serving the communities of West Reading and Wyomissing as a district judge for the past seven years. Despite his satisfaction with his current role, he told the Reading Eagle that he would like to apply his experience and passion for justice at a higher level and tackle different kinds of cases.
Lehman brings to the table nearly 14 years of experience in the legal profession, which includes almost eight years as an assistant district attorney and five years as a public defender. She told the Reading Eagle that her diverse background, which also includes a stint working as a social worker, has uniquely prepared her to carry out the duties of a county judge.
Judges serve for 10 years, then must run for retention to remain on the bench. The position pays $227,411 annually.
