WAYNE & PIKE COUNTIES — As with elsewhere in Pennsylvania and the nation, voters in Northeast Pennsylvania voted red on election day, helping elect Republican candidates up and down the ballot. 

Locally, incumbent Representative Jeff Olsommer (R) staved off a challenge from Democrat Robin Skibber (D) for the 139th District seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. And while the race has not yet been called, newcomer Rob Bresnehan (R) has an advantage over incumbent Matt Cartwright (D) in the race for the 8th Congressional District. 

Voters in Wayne and Pike sided with the Republican victors in broader races as well, favoring Donald Trump (R) over Kamala Harris (D) in the race for the White House and helping Dave McCormick (R) unseat incumbent Senator Bob Casey (D). 

Cartwright, the incumbent representative in the 8th Congressional District, first took his seat in 2013. Bresnahan, his challenger, ran off his experience as the CEO of a third-generation family electrical contracting company. 

The unofficial results as of 9 a.m. on November 6 have Bresnahan slightly in the lead across the district, with 50.98% of the nearly 400,000 votes cast in his favor. Wayne County voters favored him by 66.15% to 33.85%, and Pike County voters favored him by 60.06% to 39.94%.  AP News has not yet called this race for either candidate. 

Bresnahan released a statement the night of the election, reading, "I am humbled and honored by the trust the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania have placed in me to serve as their voice in the House of Representatives. I sincerely thank Congressman Matt Cartwright for his many years of service. While we may not always agree on how to best serve, I know he has always acted in what he believes is the best interest of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am eager to get to work for our district, and I give my word that as their Congressman, there will be no R or D next to my name—only N-E-P-A. We will bring back opportunities, stand up for our values, and fight for a brighter future for our communities." 

Cartwright conceded the race in a statement made on Facebook a little before 1 p.m. on November 6. 

"I am so proud of the campaign that we ran, and proud that we gave voice to the issues that matter most to northeastern Pennsylvanians. In this close race, our volunteers and supporters gave their all to make their voices heard," Cartwright wrote. 

He wrote, "I know this is not the result we hoped for, but it has been the honor of my life to represent our community in Congress. I am so proud of everything we've been able to deliver for northeastern Pennsylvania. Thank you for your support, and congratulations to Rob on his win. I wish him the best as he steers northeastern Pennsylvania through the challenges ahead."

Olsommer is the incumbent for House District 139. He won the seat in a special election held this past April, defeating Skibber in that contest and defeating primary challengers to run in the general election. 

67.36% of voters in the district favored Olsommer, with 25,998 casting their votes for him compared to 12,597 voters supporting Skibber, according to the unofficial results as of 9 a.m. on November 6. He took 70.69% of the vote in Wayne County and 65.43% of the vote in Pike County. 

Neither candidate has released a statement as of 9 a.m. on November 6. 

Turnout was high in both Wayne and Pike Counties. 

29,234 voters in Wayne County cast a ballot in the Presidential election, with 78% of registered voters coming out to the polls. For Pike, 34,570 voters turned out, 73% of registered voters.