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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat wins Pennsylvania special election, handing party control of state House
Democrat Dan Goughnour has won the open Pennsylvania state House seat left vacated by the death of the most recent officeholder, restoring Democrats' narrow majority in the body, Decision Desk HQ projects. Goughnour, who is a member of the McKeesport school board and a police officer, will win over Republican Chuck Davis, the president of the White Oak Borough Council. The result is not a surprise in the Democratic-leaning House District 35, which voted for former Vice President Harris in November with about 58 percent of the vote. The seat has been vacant since January, when the late Rep. Matt Gergely (D) died in office. He had first been elected to the state House in 2023 in a special election to succeed now-Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (D) and was reelected to a full term in November without opposition. Gergely's death reduced the Democrats' 102-101 majority down to an even split with the Republicans, but Goughnour's victory will return the body to the composition it had. Democrats won that majority in the state House for the first time in a decade in 2022 and kept it exactly intact in November. The party has needed to win a few special elections since then to keep the majority. The Democratic National Committee signaled its strong interest in securing this seat with newly elected DNC Chair Ken Martin starting a national tour in McKeesport and campaigning with Goughnour in February. Martin said in a statement that Goughnour will fight for families, and his win allows Pennsylvania Democrats to better stand up to President Trump and defends Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) from Republican legislators pushing constitutional amendments to bypass his power. 'Building the Democratic Party back begins in the states and down-ballot wins like Rep.-elect Goughnour's offer a powerful rebuke of Trump and Elon Musk's MAGA agenda,' Martin said. The state House district is located in Alleghany County in western Pennsylvania, to the southeast of Pittsburgh. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
26-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrat wins Pennsylvania special election, handing party control of state House
Democrat Dan Goughnour has won the open Pennsylvania state House seat left vacated by the death of the most recent officeholder, restoring Democrats' narrow majority in the body, Decision Desk HQ projects. Goughnour, who is a member of the McKeesport school board and a police officer, will win over Republican Chuck Davis, the president of the White Oak Borough Council. The result is not a surprise in the Democratic-leaning House District 35, which voted for former Vice President Harris in November with about 58 percent of the vote. The seat has been vacant since January, when the late Rep. Matt Gergely (D) died in office. He had first been elected to the state House in 2023 in a special election to succeed now-Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (D) and was reelected to a full term in November without opposition. Gergely's death reduced the Democrats' 102-101 majority down to an even split with the Republicans, but Goughnour's victory will return the body to the composition it had. Democrats won that majority in the state House for the first time in a decade in 2022 and kept it exactly intact in November. The party has needed to win a few special elections since then to keep the majority. The Democratic National Committee signaled its strong interest in securing this seat with newly elected DNC Chair Ken Martin starting a national tour in McKeesport and campaigning with Goughnour in February. Martin said in a statement that Goughnour will fight for families, and his win allows Pennsylvania Democrats to better stand up to President Trump and defends Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) from Republican legislators pushing constitutional amendments to bypass his power. 'Building the Democratic Party back begins in the states and down-ballot wins like Rep.-elect Goughnour's offer a powerful rebuke of Trump and Elon Musk's MAGA agenda,' Martin said. The state House district is located in Alleghany County in western Pennsylvania, to the southeast of Pittsburgh.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania voters will break deadlock with special election for House vacancy this week
The Brief A special election will determine if Democrats hold onto a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. It will fill a vacancy created in a district southeast of Pittsburgh in January, when the Democratic incumbent died. The candidates are McKeesport Police Officer Dan Goughnour, the Democrat, against longtime volunteer firefighter and current White Oak Borough Council President Chuck Davis, the Republican. HARRISBURG, Pa - Voters in a western Pennsylvania district will determine Tuesday if Democrats will hold onto a bare one-vote majority and keep control of the state House of Representatives. The chamber has been tied at 101 to 101 since incumbent Rep. Matt Gergely, an Allegheny Democrat, died in January. What we know A Democratic win would keep Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia as the chamber's presiding officer. But if Republicans pull off a win in the Democratic-leaning district, they will be able to replace McClinton and install their own members as committee chairs. The race will provide a glimpse of voter sentiment in the state that Republican President Donald Trump won narrowly in November. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris easily won the state House district last year and a GOP flip would be a major upset. The special election pits Democrat Dan Goughnour against Republican Chuck Davis. Goughnour is a police officer who supervises detectives and serves on the school board in McKeesport. Davis is a fire chief who also serves as president of the White Oak Borough Council. Dig deeper There's also a special election on Tuesday for a vacancy in the state Senate created when Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, quit to take a job working for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick. Republican Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons is running against Democrat James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg. No matter which candidate wins, the Republican majority in the state Senate will not change. The Source Information from this article was provided by the Associated Press.
Boston Globe
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Voters will break 101-101 deadlock with special election for Pennsylvania House vacancy
The race will provide a glimpse of voter sentiment in the state that Republican President Donald Trump won narrowly in November. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris easily won the state House district last year and a GOP flip would be a major upset. Advertisement The special election pits Democrat Dan Goughnour against Republican Chuck Davis. Goughnour is a police officer who supervises detectives and serves on the school board in McKeesport. Davis is a fire chief who also serves as president of the White Oak Borough Council. There's also a special election on Tuesday for a vacancy in the state Senate created when Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, quit to take a job working for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick. Republican Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons is running against Democrat James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg. No matter which candidate wins, the Republican majority in the state Senate will not change.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's what to know about Pennsylvania's special elections
Voters in Pennsylvania are heading to the polls Tuesday to fill one vacant state House seat that will likely hand Democrats back their majority, as well as a vacant state Senate seat. The elections are taking place in House District 35, to replace former state Rep. Matt Gergely (D) following his death in January, and in Senate District 36, to replace former state Sen. Ryan Aument (R), who stepped down from his seat in December to become the state director for Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick (R). The state House race is the more consequential one. Pennsylvania Democrats maintained their narrow 102-101 seat majority in the state House following the November elections, but Gergely's death made it a 101-101 split. The district is located in Allegheny County in the western part of the state, to the southeast of Pittsburgh. Democrat Dan Goughnour, who is a member of a local school board and a police officer, is favored to win the race over Republican Chuck Davis, the president of the White Oak Borough Council and a volunteer firefighter. Gergely won a special election for the seat in 2023 with 75 percent of the vote and ran unopposed for reelection last year, The Associated Press reported. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the district with about 58 percent of the vote in November. For the state Senate seat, Republican Josh Parsons, a Lancaster County commissioner, is the favorite over Democratic East Petersburg Mayor James Malone. The district leans conservative, with President Trump taking 57 percent of the vote and McCormick winning 56 percent in November, the AP reported. Aument was unopposed during his last election in 2022. The GOP currently enjoys a 27-22 majority in the state Senate, with the one vacancy. Democrats have needed to defend their narrow state House majority in a few special elections since winning a majority for the first time in a decade in 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
