Democrats have swept the Pennsylvania House special elections, which implies that they now control the chamber after going through months of dispute with the Republicans. The Democrats managed to win the races in the Pittsburgh area in the general election that took place in November, where they claimed a majority of 102-101- which was their first in close to 10 years.
But with two of the members moving towards a higher office, and another perishing shortly before the election took place, the Republicans were effectively outnumbering the Democrats, which forces the sides to strike a power-sharing deal. The deal is over now, with the Democrats firmly controlling the body after having capped off an impressive reordering of the politics of the Commonwealth.
Democrats Have Gained Control of The Pennsylvania House
Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, had been elected in a landslide the previous year, along with US Senator John Fetterma who had filled the Pennsylvania House seat that was previously held by Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican. By securing a win in the House, the Democrats will definitely be enjoying a far greater influence that will allow them to craft the all-important budget law of the state.
The victories are also indicative of the marker ahead of the elections in 2023 when the state will be quite an important presidential battleground. When the session at the State House began the previous month, a bunch of Republicans, which included members of the leadership, joined the Democrats in their bid to elect Mark Rozzi as the speaker.
Although the Democrats will now be controlling a majority of the Pennsylvania House seats in the chamber, it is still pretty unclear whether Rozzi, Joanna McClinton, or someone else will be wielding the gavel. In the 32nd district, Joe McAndrew, a Democrat, will be replacing Rep. Tony DeLuca, a longtime state representative- who expired in October but went on to win 86% of the November vote.
