Democrats just won a majority in the Pennsylvania House

Democrats just won again at the state level after a strong showing in the 2022 midterms, claiming control of the Pennsylvania House.

Democrats followed statehouse takeovers in Minnesota and Michigan by winning all three special elections in the Pennsylvania state House Tuesday. The victory gave him a one-seat majority and ended a conflict for control of the chamber that had been in place since November. It’s upset: Redistricting has made the electoral map more competitive for Democrats, and the Pennsylvania House is rated “leans Republican” ahead of the November election by Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Democrats have not controlled the chamber since 2010.

And it was another moment of reckoning for Republicans in a critical swing state, which also sent two Democrats to the US Senate for the first time in more than 70 years and saw Democrat Josh Shapiro win the governorship by nearly 15 points over his Republican opponent, the election. denier Doug Mastriano.

The results build on the success of Democrats in state capitols in the midterms. The party previously struggled to compete with Republican dominance for more than a decade at the state level. This is the first time since 1934 that the current president’s party has not lost a single chamber of the state legislature. In fact, he got five. Democratic state legislatures currently command more people than Republicans, though the GOP still won more seats in 2022 overall.

All three of the seats Democrats won in Pennsylvania were in traditionally blue Allegheny County. In the 32nd district, Joe McAndrew, previously executive director of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, will replace the late Tony DeLuca, also a Democrat. In the 34th district, Abigail Salisbury, attorney and president of the Swissvale Borough Council, will fill the vacancy left by US Rep. Summer Lee. And in the 35th district, Matt Gergely, finance director for the city of McKeesport, will fill the vacancy left by current lieutenant governor Austin Davis.

With their new House majority, Pennsylvania Democrats will now be able to vote on restrictions on abortion, including a proposal that would limit public funding for health care centers that perform abortions that Republicans are pushing. And they will be able to reject a possible measure on the ballot in 2023 to amend the state constitution to declare “there is no constitutional right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right related to abortion.”

“Voters rejected the radical policies of the Pennsylvania GOP, and with this win … Democrats are ready to hold these MAGA extremists accountable every time,” said Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Democratic Party’s fundraising arm. dedicated to the state legislative race.

Even so, Pennsylvania will have a divided government: Shapiro won the governor’s race, and Republicans retain control of the state Senate. This can limit the scope of what can be done from a policy standpoint, especially since a single defection from the party ranks in the House can derail any Democratic agenda.

Pennsylvania Democrats have managed to set expectations in that regard. He reflected that he would never be able to codify it Roe v. Wade after the decision of the US Supreme Court to overthrow him last year, but he hopes that labor and the economy, he has a real chance to achieve reform because the area is an area of ​​agreement in the caucus and where he may be able to attract some Republicans. voice.

“We’re going to be able to dodge a lot of bullets just by going from defense to offense,” Lee told WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR News station. “We will continue the workers’ rights agenda.”