Heckler wins Bucks D.A. race
Bucks County District Attorney-elect David W. Heckler won the seat by nearly a 3 to 2 ratio over his opponent, Chris Asplen, unofficial final results show.
Heckler, 62, a Doylestown Republican, won the high-profile race by piling up 58,007 votes to 42,683 for Asplen, 45, a Democrat from New Britain.
Heckler's margin of victory roughly mirrored that of other Republican row officers in Bucks, all of whom swept to victory in Tuesday's election.
Heckler, a former prosecutor, state legislator and county judge, ran on a pledge to improve the quality of his staff and to form stronger relations between county prosecutors and area police departments.
Asplen, a former county and federal prosecutor, is an expert on DNA technology who pledged to bring more innovative techniques to the office.
While some officials had hoped that the District Attorney's race would generate a decent turnout, Tuesday's participation was the lowest in a decade for a municipal general election. Only 23 percent of the county's eligible voters went to the polls, unofficial returns showed.
Contact staff writer Larry King at 215-345-0446 or lking@phillynews.com.
