With 100 percent of Montgomery and Berks County results in, and 82 percent of Chester County results posted by 11 p.m., Rafferty was leading Cozzone with 61 percent of the votes counted to Cozzone’s 38.5 percent.
Rafferty held an easy lead in all three counties, according to unofficial county results, above 60 percent in all three counties.
By 11 p.m., he had amassed 40,443 votes to his name, while Cozzone trailed far behind with 25,305.
Watching Montgomery County results at Copperfield’s Inn with fellow candidate Tom Quigley, who was victorious in his quest to take back the 146th House district seat he lost two years ago, Rafferty appeared confident.
“In Montgomery County I’m far ahead. I do not know yet Chester or Berks County, which bleeds red, but I expect that trend to continue,” Rafferty said.
Rafferty has represented Pennsylvania’s 44th state Senate District since 2003.
A Republican from Collegeville, a precinct there is one of the few he lost in Montgomery County, according to unofficial results.
He is currently chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
Cozzone, a Democrat from Uwchlan, is in her second term as a commissioner in Chester County.
A former state deputy attorney general, the Montgomery County native he helped to successfully write a new $2.3 billion transportation bill that increased funding for state road, bridge and public transportation projects and also sponsored legislation in the Senate to close a loophole in state law that allowed repeat DUI offenders to avoid tougher penalties if they are re-arrested for additional DUIs before conviction of the original offense takes place.
Rafferty also sponsored legislation that passed this past year to toughen arson penalties. The bill was prompted by a series of arsons in Coatesville that resulted in a death and major damage in 2008 and 2009.
Locally, the 44th Senatorial District includes Amity, Douglass (Berks), Union, East Coventry, North Coventry, South Coventry, East Nantmeal, West Nantmeal, East Pikeland, East Vincent, West Vincent, Honey Brook Township, Honey Brook Borough, Warwick, Elverson, Spring City, Collegeville, Royersford, Limerick, Lower Pottsgrove, Lower Providence, Upper Providence, Worcester
In addition to chairing the transportation committee, Rafferty is vice chairman of judiciary, and serves on appropriations, banking and insurance committees in the Senate.
Digital First Staff Writer Jim Callahan contributed to this story
