State Capitol Update
Two key special elections were held on March 25 that have major impacts on the state General Assembly.
The state House has had an open seat in the 35th district since early January when Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) unexpectedly passed away due to a medical emergency. The open seat was significant because the House was deadlocked at a 101 Democrat to 101 Republican tie for over two months. This structure impacts the ability to move legislation within the chamber. Democrat Dan Goughnour (D) easily won the March 25 special election, which will now formally provide Democrats with 102 to 101 controlling majority in the House. It is important to note that this is the same razor-thin majority that the Democrats had during the 2023 – 2024 session, which held in place as a result of the November 2024 election.
The state Senate has had a Republican majority for over 30 years. The November 2024 general election reconfirmed that majority with a 28 to 22 Republican advantage. In December, Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) resigned to pursue a role as the state director for U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, which left an open seat in the 36th Senate district. This district has held a Republican since 1983, and Trump carried it with a +15 victory in November 2024.
The March 25 special election for the open Senate seat produced a surprised outcome, with Democrat James Andrew Malone defeating Republican Josh Parsons by 482 votes. The state Senate will now be realigned with a 27 Republican to 23 Democrat majority.
Both the Senate and the House have the majority of their voting session days scheduled leading up to the June 30th budget deadline. The Senate has 21 session days and the House has 27 session days scheduled over the next three months which is typically the peak of legislative activity during the year. View the link below to access the various bills that the PPA is monitoring and/or engaging on.
