Wednesday, November 04, 2009
By Natalya Bucuy; BucksLocalNews.com

DOYLESTOWN -- David W. Heckler continued the Republicans' dominance over the Bucks County District Attorney's office Tuesday, easily handling Democratic challenger Chris Asplen.

Republicans have maintained control over the office since the 1890s, and ensured they would for the next four years, as Heckler took 57.6 percent of the vote (58,007 votes) to Asplen's 42.4 percent (42,683), according to unofficial Bucks County election results.

As the night went on and the results from the county’s 307 voting districts poured in, Republican supporters grew happy and the positive mood charged through the Bucks County Republican Committee Headquarters in Doylestown. With portraits of presidents Nixon, Reagan, and Bush smiling from the walls, Chairman Harry Fawkes and Vice Chairman Patricia K. Poprik celebrated the victory with fellow Republicans.

“In Bucks County we work together and we win together,” said Poprik, as she was cheered on by the crowd.

Heckler, 62, of Doylestown, accepted the victory with his campaign manager Theresa Farley, who herself won a race for Jury Commissioner Tuesday.

“We got it done,” Heckler said, as he greeted supporters. “The people of Bucks County just got the message through – you can’t buy the Bucks County District Attorney’s office,” mentioning large sums of money spent on Asplen’s campaign.

Heckler announced his retirement from the county’s judge position and the intention to run for DA’s office in February.

“As DA I will forge a new working relationship with the police,” Heckler promised throughout the campaign. “I will seek out the management expertise needed to make best use of every working hour of each staff member and I will lead from the front by being accessible to my staff, to those interacting with my office and to the public.”

On Tuesday he seemed eager to get to work.

"It is a new and exciting responsibility that I can't wait to get started on," he said. "I'll do my best to live up to that responsibility."

Asplen, 46, of New Britain, ran his campaign on the platform of modernizing the techniques and strategies of the D.A.’s office. Praised as being a DNA expert, Asplen worked as a federal prosecutor in Washington D.C.

Asplen was not available for comment.

Heckler takes over for current D.A. Michelle Henry, who was appointed by county judges to finish the term of Diane Gibbons two years ago. She announced in December that she would not seek a full term in the position.

Republicans also swept the county row offices as Edward "Duke" Donnelly beat Wiley Herring Jr., 58,756-38,414, in the sheriff's race; Patricia L. Bachtle beat Jim Prokopiak, 56,719-38,944, in the prothonotary's race; Edward R. Gudknecht beat Robin Rosenthal, 55,323-41,053, in the recorder of deeds race; Raymond F. McHugh beat Harry Heinzl, 56,455-38,668, in the county controller race and Farley defeated Debra E. DeBlasio, 55,161-39,440, in the jury commissioners face.

All results are unofficial as of BucksLocalNews.com deadline. For updated results, visit www.buckscountyelections.org.