Pennsylvania's Special Elections: A Crucial Political Battle
Alright, let’s talk about what’s happening in Pennsylvania’s state legislative special elections. This is big because these elections could shake things up politically, especially in the state House, where Democrats and Republicans are currently tied at 101 seats each. That means the outcome of this race could determine which party holds control.
So, here’s the situation. Two legislative vacancies are up for grabs, one in the state House and one in the state Senate. First, in District 35, which is in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, voters will choose a new representative to replace the late Democratic Rep. Matt Gergely. He sadly passed away in January, and his seat has been empty ever since. Running for the seat, we’ve got Democrat Dan Goughnour, a McKeesport school board member and police officer. On the Republican side, there’s Chuck Davis, the president of the White Oak Borough Council and a volunteer firefighter. And let’s not forget the Libertarian candidate, Adam Kitta.
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Now, let’s move over to the other race. In the state Senate, three candidates are battling it out for the seat left vacant by Republican Ryan Aument, who stepped down to take a job in U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s office. The candidates here are Republican Josh Parsons, who’s a Lancaster County commissioner; Democrat James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg; and Libertarian Zachary Moore.
Historically, the Democratic Party has had strong support in the District 35 House seat. In 2023, Matt Gergely won a special election with a massive 75% of the vote and ran unopposed in 2024. Also, in the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris, on the Democratic ticket, carried the district with about 58% of the vote. Former President Donald Trump, who won the presidency for a second term, did well in some parts of the district, but those areas made up less than a third of the total vote.
On the Senate side, the GOP has historically dominated this district. Republicans are expected to have a strong showing, but Democrats and Libertarians are still pushing to flip the seat or at least make the race competitive.
Bottom line? These elections are more than just filling empty seats. They could have a major impact on the balance of power in Pennsylvania, especially in the House, where every single seat matters. We’ll have to wait and see how voters decide, but one thing’s for sure—these special elections are worth watching closely.
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