Unofficial Lehigh County Voter Registration numbers show incumbent Lehigh County Commissioner Percy H. Dougherty, a Republican, garnering 2,012 votes, giving him 56 percent of the vote to challenger Scott Aquila's unofficial 1,572 votes in Tuesday's primary election.

Dougherty will face Democrat Susan Ellis Wild in the November election for the District 2 seat on the county board of commissioners.

Wild garnered an unofficial 1,343 votes in the primary.

Aquila emailed The Press the morning after the primary:

"I would like to thank the voters who came out yesterday to support me," Aquila wrote. "I would especially like to thank those individuals, family and friends that gave their time, effort and financial support to campaign for change in District 2.

"It is a difficult challenge to run against an incumbent with 20 years of name recognition, the deck is stacked against you, but I am proud of the effort and campaign that we put forth.

"[I am] Disappointed with the final outcome, but the campaign was a great experience getting around to speak with and listen to the voters of Alburtis, Lower Ma-cungie, South Whitehall, and Upper Macungie.

"I congratulate and wish Percy well in his upcoming general election."

Dougherty has a Ph.D. in physical geography and geology from Boston University with a specialization in water resources and limestone landforms.

During the campaign he said the most important issue is county spending and controlling taxes.

"If spending increases, our taxes go up; but, if we are more efficient, our taxes stay stable or can even decrease," Dougherty said.

He commented on the primary results via email to The Press.

"All I can say is, thank you to all of my supporters who believe in me because of my background, leadership, community involvement, and the proven results of my years of experience as a county commissioner."

Wild also emailed The Press the morning after the primary.

"I am pleased and honored by the overwhelming support shown for my candidacy in Tuesday's election," Wild wrote. "Across Lehigh County's Second District, voters indicated a desire to end the bitter partisanship that has plagued our county and threatened the very essence of what has made Lehigh County strong for over 200 years: High-quality education, a strong agricultural sector, well-equipped police, safe bridges and roads, and balanced budgets.

"I look forward to the next few months of meeting the voters of the Second District, listening to their concerns, and working toward victory as we head into the general election. I believe we need to elect commissioners who represent the interests of Lehigh County citizens, and not their own ideological agendas.

"The only way we are going to be able to move forward and keep our vital county services intact is to elect hard-working, reasonable Commissioners in every district.

"I will lead using my advocacy skills of 30-plus years to make sure that Lehigh County's residents are well-served on the board of commissioners.

The District 2 commissioner represents voters in the borough of Alburtis, and Lower Macungie, South Whitehall and Upper Macungie townships.