There will be a contested race for the office of district attorney in Lebanon County during the general municipal election on Nov. 4.
On Friday, May 23, the Lebanon County Elections Board unanimously approved challenger Michael J. Light II to appear on the Democratic ticket after he received 263 write-in votes for that party’s nomination during the primary election on May 20.
Read More: Low turnout 2025 municipal election went smoothly for county; full results
Two-term incumbent district attorney Pier Hess Graf defeated Light in Tuesday’s primary election, receiving 8,902 votes (70 percent) to Light’s 3,755 (30 percent) for the Republican nod. Graf also received 69 write-in votes for the Democratic nomination.
Read More: District Attorney Pier Hess Graf announces reelection campaign
Light, who currently is the county’s senior public defender, filed a petition with the elections board on Thursday, May 22, announcing his wish to be the Democratic nominee for district attorney in the general municipal election this fall.
The petition he filed with the Lebanon County Elections Board, redacted to remove personal information.Light’s petition notes the various ways his name was listed as a write-in candidate and the votes received for each iteration:
- Michael Light II – 97
- Michael J. Light II – 88
- Michael Light – 53
- Mike Light – 13
- Michael J. Light – 12
Light’s petition also states that he is the only registered attorney in Pennsylvania and Lebanon County with that name.
Following the election Tuesday, Light told LebTown via a telephone interview that he believed he should be on the Democratic ticket based on voters’ desires if he received 100 write-ins. Light’s petition, citing case law, further notes that “write-in votes listed for candidates may be counted so long as the voter’s intent is clear and there’s no sign of fraud.”
Lebanon County solicitor Matt Bugli told the elections board, which consists of the three County Commissioners, that state law allows election officials to interpret the voting public’s intent in counting a write-in vote.
Bugli reminded the elections board that no one filed nomination petitions on the Democratic side for the office of district attorney, adding that 100 signatures or write-in votes were necessary to obtain the Democratic nomination for that and other row offices.
“As you’ll see in the computation, there are several variations of the voter writing in different names, however, none of the variations get to 100. However, accumulated variations exceed 100,” Bugli said. “So as a result of this, the guidance and the election code from the Department of State and also through case law is that the Board of Elections has the authority to ascertain the intent of the voter and then vote to accumulate if it finds that the votes for those different variations are, in fact, for the same person.
“I was on the phone with the Department of State on Wednesday. They verified, they said, ‘Oh, yeah, we just actually put out guidance on this.’ So I have the guidance, too. It’s really how they intended to vote, what the voters want, and that the board probably has to go with it.”
County Commissioner Mike Kuhn said during the meeting it appeared voters were “trying to vote for the same person.” County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz said she remembered reading that he was the only Michael Light, to which Bugli affirmed that he is the only Michael Light in Pennsylvania who is a registered attorney.
Following the unanimous vote, Bugli told the elections board that a letter will be sent to Light to provide the opportunity for him to accept or reject that nomination.
“I will be accepting that nomination. I really appreciate the Democrats who voted for me, definitely appreciate the Republicans who voted for me, and now I need to concern myself with the independents who, unfortunately, are not able to vote in primaries,” Light said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon with LebTown.
Graf sent out a press release the day after the primary election about her win over Light.
“First of all, I want to thank the voters for the faith they have placed in me to continue to keep our community safe as the county’s chief law enforcement officer,” Graf wrote. “It is an incredible honor to serve the community where I was raised and live with my family. I love Lebanon County and want to ensure that everyone can live, work, and raise their families in a safe and thriving community. I pledge to continue serving our community in a manner that reflects our values and commitment to the rule of law and order.”
Light told LebTown on Friday morning, prior to the elections board meeting, that he had considered conceding the DA race to Graf but had a change of heart following a statement he allegedly overheard Graf make in Central Court. Lebanon County’s Central Court is held each Thursday with multiple cases coming before various district justices in the large auditorium of the county municipal building.
Light said he heard Graf saying she was headed to court to watch a local attorney “f*** up” his case. The attorney was representing defendant Veronika Rodriguez in a highly publicized court case held last week that was being prosecuted by Graf’s office.
Graf said during a telephone interview Tuesday morning that she did not make that comment.
“No, I said I was headed up stairs to go watch the trial because that is my job to do,” Graf said. “And I’ve had no conversation with attorney Light and I couldn’t even tell you. … Outside of actual court, we don’t speak.”
Graf added that she’s looking forward to the race in the fall, and asked voters to look at what really matters for the office of district attorney.
Concerning a separate issue, LebTown asked Light about a Facebook post he made 13 years ago where he dropped his own expletive about the Democratic party.
On Wednesday, the day after Light told LebTown his name might appear on the Democratic ticket if he received at least 100 write-in votes, a text message was sent to Democratic voters highlighting a social media post Light made following the 2012 presidential election.
The text message about the Facebook post was sent to Lebanon County Democratic voters. At the top of the message before Light’s original post, it reads:
“Dear Lebanon County Democrats
So this is your candidate for DA? You wrote in the Republican who LOST to be your candidate! You should be embarrassed and ashamed.”
Below Light’s original post it notes that the text message was sent by the Lebanon County Republican Committee.
Bill Bova, chairman of the Lebanon County Republican Committee, confirmed the committee did send the message to registered Democratic voters in Lebanon County.
“Yeah, the text was sent out by the Lebanon County Republican Committee, really, for an awareness,” said Bova. “Really, it was for informational (purposes). I don’t know that Democrats want a Republican running as their DA choice. But really, it was to let people know that this has happened.”
Bova added that the purpose of sending the message was to “start a conversation” and that he “believes it did.”
Light said he does not have a track record of making those kinds of statements on social media, which he said were not reflective of the person he is today.
“That Facebook post came out 13 years ago. I was in law school. I was in my 20s. And since then I am a completely different person. For what’s worth, I do apologize,” said Light, who added that he believes the message is the Republican Committee’s attempt to get him not to run on the Democratic ticket.
Light wrote later in a post on his campaign page that he “was young, politically immature, and frustrated that my candidate (Romney) didn’t win. That frustration turned into a comment I regret today.”
LebTown asked Light why he believed 263 Democratic voters decided to write in his name on their primary election ballot.
“I wish I had some data on that. My best guess, speculation about that would be, they want somebody who is neutral – and that is really me,” Light said. “I know I am a Republican, I’ve always been a registered Republican and usually vote Republican in most areas.”
But, he added, being a Republican is something that Democratic voters were willing to overlook.
“I am not politically tied to the Republican Committee in Lebanon County. I am not politically tied to the Democratic Committee in Lebanon County. I am a person who wants to try and make things better for everybody” Light added.
Bova said he didn’t know what motivated Democrat voters to write-in Light’s name on the Democratic ticket during the primary, adding voting is always a personal matter.
Graf’s press release said Republican voters prefer her while also noting her margin of victory over Light. She called it “a resounding victory” and providing her “a clear path to another successful term in office.”
Graf ends her press release by stating: “For reference, in Lebanon County, a Democrat has not won a contested county-wide election in over 50 years. Lebanon County’s voter registration clearly favors Republicans who hold a solid registration advantage.”
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Keep local news strong.
Cancel anytime.
Monthly Subscription
🌟 Annual Subscription
- Still no paywall!
- Fewer ads
- Exclusive events and emails
- All monthly benefits
- Most popular option
- Make a bigger impact
Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages
An informed community is a stronger community. LebTown covers the local government meetings, breaking news, and community stories that shape Lebanon County’s future. Help us expand our coverage by becoming a monthly or annual member, or support our work with a one-time contribution. Cancel anytime.
