HARRISBURG, Pa. — The goals for Pennsylvania’s Republican legislative leaders include implementing stricter voter ID laws, imposing limitations on abortion, and altering election processes to enhance their chances of succeeding in judicial elections. Conversely, Democratic legislators wish to raise the state’s minimum wage and expand civil rights protections for LGBTQ individuals.
Both parties find their proposals struggling to gain traction in a closely contested General Assembly.
In just a month, Pennsylvanians will cast their votes to influence the political landscape by electing representatives for all 203 House districts and half of the Senate’s 50 seats. Currently, Democrats hold a slight edge in the House with a one-seat majority, while Republicans dominate the Senate with 28 seats, ensuring their control.
For Democrats to achieve a balance in the Senate, they need to flip three seats, creating a 25-25 deadlock. This would empower Democratic Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis to break ties only on procedural matters, without affecting the final votes on legislation. The party aims to unseat Republican incumbents in key areas such as Harrisburg, Erie, and the Pittsburgh region while ensuring their own current members retain their positions.
As legislative races unfold nationwide, the outcomes are poised to redefine party dominance in various state legislatures, impacting legislation on pivotal issues, including reproductive rights, gun laws, and transgender identities. Control over state legislatures has gained heightened significance particularly after recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have reduced federal oversight and increased state authority.
Typically, only a handful of House races are deemed competitive, primarily those situated in the Philadelphia suburbs and other dispersed locations across the state.
In the last election cycle, Democrats benefited from redistricting efforts, successfully flipping a net total of 12 seats and reclaiming a majority after years of struggle in the legislature. A rule in the state House connects majority control to election outcomes rather than filling vacancies, allowing Democrats to maintain their majority, even following resignations that narrowed their margin to 101-100. Recently, Democrats filled those vacancies on September 17, with their candidates facing no opposition in the upcoming General Election.
This fall, an astonishing number of House districts feature a sole candidate on the ballot.
Among the Republican targets in the House is Rep. Frank Burns, a Democrat from Cambria County, who has withstood Republican challenges in the heavily GOP-concentrated Johnstown area. Another target is freshman Democrat Rep. Jim Haddock, who won a tight race in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties by a narrow margin of about 4 percentage points two years ago.
Democrats are also looking to unseat GOP Rep. Craig Williams of Delaware, who recently lost a bid for the party’s attorney general nomination. Additionally, Rep. Valerie Gaydos, outside of Pittsburgh, is considered relatively vulnerable.
In a notable shift, Democratic Rep. Nick Pisciottano has decided to run for the state Senate, vacating his Allegheny County seat. Republican Rep. Jim Gregory fell short in the primaries to Scott Barger, who now runs unopposed in a Blair County district. Meanwhile, Brian Rasel from the Republican party faces no opposition in his bid to succeed Republican Rep. George Dunbar of Westmoreland.
Democratic Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta will run unopposed for re-election, but he also has his sights on the auditor general position, raising the potential for a tie between the two parties after ballots are tallied.
The most anticipated Senate races currently involve Republican incumbents Sen. Dan Laughlin from Erie and Sen. Devlin Robinson from Allegheny. In Dauphin County, Republican Sen. John DiSanto is stepping down after significant redistricting changes affected his district. The race to succeed him pits State Rep. Patty Kim, a Democrat, against Republican Nick DiFrancesco, the Dauphin County treasurer.
Furthermore, Democrats are tasked with defending a potential opening for a Senate seat in Pittsburgh due to the retirement of Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster. Pisciottano is contending with Republican Jen Dintini, a local security business owner, for Brewster’s position.
