Incumbent State Rep. Jim Gregory easily won the Republican nomination in the 80th District primary Tuesday against state Republican committeewoman Trish Haight, based on unofficial results.

In the fall, Gregory will run for a third term against Democrat Kimberly Capenos, who was unopposed Tuesday.

In Blair County, unofficial results show Gregory outpolling Haight, 8,507 to 2,364.

In Huntingdon County, Gregory received 448 votes to Haight’s 97, according to unofficial results.

The win affirms constituents’ belief in him and justifies his strategy in the recent campaign — which is consistent with his overall legislative work, Gregory said.

“I felt that if I worried about my own campaign and not the negativity of my opponent’s campaign, my positive (approach) would resonate with voters,” he said. “My constituents tell me that my strength is that I listen to them just as much in non-campaign years as in (election) years.”

Haight has no regrets about how she ran, but lamented her inability to effectively communicate her criticisms of Gregory, she said.

“It was hard to get the message out,” she said.

Part of it was a simple lack of time to campaign, she said.

Part of it was the unwillingness of people to answer their doors, largely due to COVID-19, she said.

Then there was the “political machine,” which protected Gregory, she said.

“I tried to inform the public as to (Gregory’s) record,” she said, referencing the allegedly unconstitutional Act 77 voting law of 2019; funding for a University of Pittsburgh medical experimentation program and the Patient Safety Act, which could help improve nurse-patient ratios, she said.

Further, Gregory declined to debate her, she said.

“I ran a positive campaign,” Gregory said, when asked about Haight’s bringing up those campaign criticisms, even after her loss. “The people of my district are tired of negative campaigning.”

Haight never asked him to debate, he said.

Only one organization did, and the date conflicted with a legislative session, he said.

“The voters have spoken,” Gregory said.

It’s time for Republicans to come together to work toward November, he said.

“I’m reaching out my hand to her to join me in that fight,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.