Tight state Senate race in Bucks County may head to court

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania state Senate contest in suburban Philadelphia where the six-term Republican incumbent leads a Democratic challenger by about 75 votes may be heading to court.

Democratic Rep. Tina Davis sued Monday in a bid to force Bucks County to count what her lawsuit says are at least 216 absentee ballots received after the legal deadline.

Her lawsuit wants a county judge to declare that deadline to be unconstitutional and order the absentee ballots to be counted.

Among the reasons cited in her lawsuit is that absentee voters can receive a ballot too late to return it before the deadline, which was Nov. 2. Her lawsuit says there's no compelling interest in depriving voters of a meaningful opportunity to vote in Nov. 6's election.

Republican Sen. Robert Tomlinson is seeking a seventh four-year term in office.