Flynn leads Lake in 22nd Senate District Democratic primary

State Senator Marty Flynn secured a decisive victory in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 22nd Senate District, defeating challenger Jeffrey Lake. The district encompasses portions of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, where Flynn garnered nearly 69% of the overall vote. His victory party was held at Benny's of Downtown in Scranton, attended by enthusiastic supporters including Lackawanna County Commissioner Thom Welby.

A significant theme of the primary campaign was the contentious issue of data center development, particularly in a region described as "rife" with opposition. Jeffrey Lake, a progressive first-time candidate, made his staunch opposition to data centers a central tenet of his platform, accusing Flynn of supporting an "invasion of data centers" and having "dirty-money connections" to developers. Lake advocated for a three-year moratorium on data center construction.

Senator Flynn, a seasoned incumbent, defended his record, stating he is "1,000%" against data centers in neighborhoods and emphasized the importance of local control. While less enthusiastic than Lake, Flynn indicated openness to a shorter moratorium of "180 days (or) a year," a shift Lake attributed to his campaign's pressure. Despite the intensity of the anti-data center movement, it did not translate into a competitive election result for Lake.

Following his loss, Lake expressed that his campaign was still a "win" for having pushed Flynn to alter his public stance on data center moratoriums. Flynn, conversely, credited his win to running a positive campaign based on his record. He is now set to face Republican nominee Sharon Soltis Sparano in the November general election.