The victory is important for Gov. Josh Shapiro, who will maintain key support in the Legislature before he runs for reelection in 2026.
WASHINGTON—The Democratic Party will retain control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after their nominee, Dan Goughnour, was elected for District 35 in a special election on March 25.
The Pennsylvania State House is currently deadlocked between Democrats and Republicans, who have 101 seats each, following the death of state Rep. Matthew Robert Gergely, a Democrat.
The special election in the district—located in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area of Allegheny County, covering the towns of Munhall, McKeesport, and Lincoln—is the 102nd and decisive vote in the body.
Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in presidential elections.
Goughnour, a captain in the McKeesport Police Department and member of the area’s school district, captured 63.37 percent of the vote.
His Republican opponent, former firefighter Charles “Chuck” Davis, received 34.97 percent.
The voter turnout for the district was approximately 25 percent.
District 35 has always elected a Democrat to office since its creation in 1969, although the margin of victory has fluctuated.
“The top issues in this district, and my priorities, are the cost of living, supporting our public schools, and strengthening public safety by increasing funding for first responders … that’s what my work in Harrisburg will focus on as well,” Goughnour told The Epoch Times in a statement.
“We held the House!” the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee (PAHDCC) wrote on social media.
The PAHDCC appeared to take a leading role in Goughnour’s campaign, with staff from the organization being deployed to hold key positions and the organization running Goughnour’s social media presence.
His election means that Democrats will retain their majority in the House, thereby denying Republicans bicameral control of the Legislature.
The GOP currently has a two-seat majority in the Pennsylvania Senate.
On the same day that Goughnour was elected, a special election was held in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for state Senate District 36.
In that race, Democrat nominee James Malone was elected in an upset victory, flipping the seat previously held by a Republican in an area that voted heavily for President Donald Trump in the 2024 general election.
By Arjun Singh and Stacy Robinson
