Sean Dougherty unseats State Rep. Kevin Boyle to win Democratic nomination for 172nd Legislative District, AP projects
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sean Dougherty beat seven-term incumbent State Rep. Kevin Boyle on Tuesday night and won the Democratic nomination for the 172nd Legislative District, The Associated Press projects.
Dougherty will face Republican Aizaz Gill in November's general election.
Boyle has represented the district that covers parts of Northeast Philly and Montgomery County since 2011.
Dougherty, the nephew of former Philadelphia union leader John Dougherty, had the backing of the House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Last week, a warrant was issued for Boyle's arrest after he allegedly violated a protection from abuse order by texting his estranged wife. But on Monday, Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner said his office withdrew the warrant after officials learned the protection from abuse order was no longer active.
Krasner said there was a "gap in information" and it wasn't until Monday that officials discovered the protection from abuse order was no longer active.
"The bottom line here is that a detective acted on all of the information he had," Krasner said on Monday. "None of it was false, none of it was fake, none of it was forged, but there was a piece that was missing and ...while I regret that none of us had it earlier, I will say that I didn't want this day to go by having to confirm this morning that the protection order was no longer in effect as of the days in question. I didn't want this day to go by without correcting that fact for the public."
It's unclear when the protection from abuse order expired.
Boyle was arrested and charged in 2021 for harassment and violating a protection order filed by his estranged wife.
Earlier this year, Boyle also made headlines after he went viral for allegedly threatening staff at a Montgomery County bar.
Boyle was seen on camera threatening staff at the Gaul & Co. Malt House on Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, Montgomery County. Police said Boyle was reportedly drunk and possibly under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
Boyle eventually left the bar that night in February and police said he was banned from the establishment.
Brendan Boyle, Kevin's brother who represents Pennsylvania's Second District in Congress, said their family was working to help get Kevin "the medical treatment he needs and to make a full recovery like he did previously."
The recent incidents, like the one at Gaul & Co. Malt House, stuck with voters on Tuesday.
"[Boyle] didn't campaign, Dougherty was all over campaigning. So he was the man for like 12 years, but time for him to go," Brian Coleman, of Fox Chase, told CBS News Philadelphia.
