State Rep. Kevin Boyle loses Democratic primary

©Rep. Kevin Boyle | Facebook

(The Center Square) – State Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia, won’t return to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

The embattled lawmaker, first elected to the chamber in 2010, lost his bid for the Democratic nomination in the 172nd legislative district primary to challenger Sean Dougherty on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday, Dougherty leads Boyle with more than 70% of the vote. According to The Associated Press, 99% of votes have been counted.

The news comes one day after the Philadelphia Police Department canceled an arrest warrant it issued for Boyle on April 16 for violating a protection order against his estranged wife.

Law enforcement said the order was no longer valid, though Boyle’s whereabouts remain unknown as of Tuesday.

Boyle’s brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle – who represents Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District – said in a statement shared by multiple media outlets on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, last week that Kevin lives with “a serious mental health condition” that became symptomatic several months ago after two years of recovery.

“Kevin’s mental illness has been a nightmare for us,” Brendan Boyle said. “Like any family who has a beloved member with a serious health issue, we are doing the best we can to help him get better.”

The development comes two months after the lawmaker’s recorded outburst in a bar forced Democratic leadership to rescind his committee chairmanship. The party also threw support behind Boyle’s primary challenger.

Last week, as news of Boyle’s warrant spread, Republican legislators blasted Democrats for allowing him to “vote by designation” – based on a form signed weeks prior – despite his apparent fugitive status.

Although law enforcement canceled the warrant, House leaders are still mulling a process to expel incapacitated lawmakers.