Lehigh County Controller Glenn Eckhart has announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination for Lehigh County executive. He made his announcement recently at Big Woodys, in Allentown.

Eckhart has been a school board member, township commissioner, county commissioner and is currently the Lehigh County controller.

“Now I want to be your county executive,” Eckhart said.

Eckhart has been serving the community for nearly 20 years.

“I truly believe Lehigh County needs a new direction, and that direction has to be built in cooperation between the board of commissioners and the county executive in order to move the county forward. We cannot continue to fight and bicker over minimal issues and hold up progress. My experience as county controller has given me so much more wisdom than probably any candidate ... to be the next county executive.”

Eckhart is asking his opponent to participate in three debates - one on Business Matters, one on Bobby Gunther Walsh WAEB and one with the League of Women Voters.

Vice Chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee Dean Browning attended the event to give his support to Eckhart.

“This year for county executive we have, in my mind, two excellent candidates - Glenn Eckhart and Brad Osborne. I am convinced either of them would make an outstanding county executive. It’s unfortunate we have to go through a contested primary, but it is part of the process,” Browning said.

“I believe I am the best person for the job because I have the experience,” Eckhart said.

“I’ve served six years as a county commissioner and now five years as the county controller. There is no better place to find out what county government does than reviewing all the checks the county has, doing audits on every department, learning how the county works, both within and outside the departments and learning how the departments work together. I just don’t believe anyone else has that level of understanding.”

Eckhart said the county executive and the commissioners need to work well together.

“Being county executive, you share the role in the leadership of county government with the judges, the district attorney, the sheriff, the clerk of judicial records and the coroner. They are all independent elected officials who are hired by the taxpayers to run their department. They give feedback to the county executive on how they want to run their department through the budget process. I have already built a good relationship with most of those folks. I will continue to try and build relationships.”

Regarding the commissioners, Eckart said he served as one for six years. If elected, he wants to have individual meetings with all nine commissioners face to face every two weeks to discuss legislation, issues and more.

“Government has to work for the people, not against the people,” Eckhart said.

“I’m looking forward to being the Republican nominee on May 16 and then in November, I will be elected the next county executive. Thank you all for your support.”