Special elections threaten Democratic majority in Pennsylvania House

Of the 203 seats in the state House, Democrats control 101 and Republicans control 100.

Published: May 16, 2023 12:46pm

Democrats may lose control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as the state holds two special elections Tuesday that will determine control of the chamber.

A Republican is expected to win one of the special elections but the other in the Philadelphia suburbs of Delaware County is more competitive, according to The Associated Press.

Of the 203 seats in the state House, Democrats control 101 and Republicans control 100. Republicans already control the state Senate, and if the GOP wins both House races, both chambers would be able to block Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro's agenda.

The more competitive race features Democrat Heather Boyd, a former state and congressional legislative aide who was endorsed by President Joe Biden, and Republican Katie Ford, a veteran, volunteer and therapist. The seat opened when Democratic Rep. Mike Zabel resigned in March after he was accused of sexual harassment by a lobbyist.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

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