A political newcomer appears to be outrunning a longtime Harrisburg incumbent in the race for Pennsylvania's 183rd House District, with early returns showing Democrat Deirdre Kamber Todd ahead of Republican Zach Mako in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. The tallies, still unofficial, show Kamber Todd with 1,327 votes to Mako's 642 in Lehigh County, and 2,953 votes to his 1,524 in Northampton County.
The figures come from a vote count published by Times News Online, which has said it plans to provide updates as additional votes are counted. It's worth noting that Pennsylvania's own election-returns site carries a disclaimer stating that displayed results are unofficial and informational until counties complete certification, meaning the current numbers could still shift before a winner is formally declared.
Kamber Todd, an attorney making her first run for state office, has built a 23-year legal career touching business, civil rights, health care, contracts and education law, according to The Morning Call. Times News Online also says she worked for the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Corrections in Harrisburg.
A District Built From Two Counties
The 183rd District stitches together parts of northern Lehigh and Northampton counties, a geography that explains why both county tallies matter so much to the outcome. On the Lehigh County side, the district takes in Lowhill and North Whitehall townships along with Slatington borough; on the Northampton County side, it includes Lehigh Township, where Mako lives, and Walnutport, per the seed vote count.
Mako, the Republican incumbent, is a Pennsylvania National Guard veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom who holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Kutztown University. The seed tally describes him as serving his fourth two-year term, though that figure is disputed elsewhere: The Morning Call described him as running for a sixth term, while Lehigh Valley Public Media reported he had served five terms in Harrisburg. Lehigh Valley Public Media also noted that Mako did not respond to its interview requests this cycle.
A Republican-Leaning District, A Tighter Race Than 2024
On paper, the 183rd has long favored Republicans. The Morning Call reported that the district's registration rolls carry a sizable GOP edge, with 23,568 registered Republicans compared with 16,847 Democrats heading into this election. That advantage helped carry Mako to a comfortable 65.5% of the vote against Democrat Joseph Lenzi in 2024, the same outlet reported.
This year's contest arrived amid a broader wave of competition across the region: Lehigh Valley Public Media reported that all but one of the Lehigh Valley's 11 state House districts were contested this cycle, a sign of how much turnover local Republicans and Democrats alike are bracing for in Harrisburg. Whether that competitive pressure translates into a flipped seat in the 183rd remains to be seen, since the current county-level counts are not yet certified.
For now, the race stands as one of the more closely watched contests to emerge from this corner of the Lehigh Valley, with a first-time candidate holding a lead over an incumbent whose exact tenure is itself a matter of dispute among local news outlets. Final, certified results will determine whether Kamber Todd's early advantage holds once all ballots are counted.
