November 08, 2024
Ron Sachs/CNP/Sipa USA
In a repeat of the 2023-2024 session, the Democrats will control the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Republicans will maintain their majority in the state Senate.
The Democrats will hold onto the majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, maintaining the slim margin the party had headed into Tuesday's election.
With the reelection of Frank Burns, the incumbent Democrat from Cambria County, which is east of Pittsburgh, the party will retain control 102-101 over the Republicans. None of the seats — all 203 of which were up for election — ultimately flipped in the election, despite Republican gains elsewhere in the state.
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The GOP swept the row office elections on the Pennsylvania ballot, winning the races for attorney general, treasurer and auditor general. President elect Donald Trump also picked up the state's electoral votes, turning Pennsylvania red after a 2020 blue wave.
Republicans kept their 28-22 majority in the state Senate.
House Democratic leaders attributed their victory to working "on the issues people care about," like reductions in prescription costs for seniors and property tax and rent relief.
"The people returned our caucus to the majority, which is an affirmation of our agenda and a credit to the pragmatic and moderate stewardship of House Democrats and Governor Josh Shapiro," those leaders said in a statement. "We're grateful for this opportunity and ready to continue to help our neighbors."
The U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania, however, remains murky and contentious. The Associated Press called the race for Republican businessman Dave McCormick late Thursday afternoon, but Democratic incumbent Bob Casey has not conceded, citing "tens of thousands of ballots across the Commonwealth still to count." If the candidates finish within a 0.5% margin of one another, the state will conduct an automatic recount.
The latest numbers put McCormick ahead by .6% of votes counted, 49% to to Casey's 48.4%. The Republican filed lawsuits late this week against the Philadelphia Board of Elections to halt the counting of provisional ballots for voters whose mail-in ballots were deemed invalid. The Casey campaign believes those votes will break his way.
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