In a drastic reversal from two years ago, Democrats overperformed in virtually every competitive local race in the Harrisburg suburbs, especially the political bellwether areas of eastern Cumberland County.

In both school board and township commissioners’ and supervisors’ races, Democrats did better than they have in decades, with local campaigns potentially giving the party a much stronger foothold heading into the 2026 state and federal legislative races.

“It’s huge. It makes a statement,” said Mike O’Brien, who won his race for a Cumberland Valley School District board seat representing Hampden Township.

In a township that voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a two-percentage-point margin, O’Brien and fellow Democrat Asheleigh Forsberg trounced Republican Selena Ling in a thr

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