Dem
51
GOP
49
Thanks to the resignation of state Rep. Sara Innamorato (D), who quit to run for a county-level position, the Pennsylvania state House was evenly split, 101-101. Innamorato's district, SD-21, is pretty blue, but special elections are always wonky, particularly when they involve such a limited number of voters. In the end, however, the Democrats pulled it out, with former Congressional aide Lindsay Powell winning the seat.
Truth be told, it wasn't even close. For some reason, few outlets are actually reporting the vote tally, but it is easy enough to find on the website of the Pennsylvania Department of State. Powell collected 7,128 votes (65.3%) while her Republican opponent Erin Autenreith tallied 3,795 (34.7%). That landslide-level result might just have been foreshadowed by the fundraising takes of the two candidates; Powell brought in $53,000 while Autenreith collected just $6,000.
We write this up because it's an election, and there was a little bit of drama, but the result is not that consequential. First of all, resignations are common for the Pennsylvania legislature, and when things are so evenly divided, the state house is often at risk of flipping. This is, in fact, the fifth time this session the Democrats have won a special election to retain their majority. On top of that, the Republicans still have a hammerlock on the state Senate (28-22), while the governor is still Josh Shapiro (D). So, the trifecta was not on the line, regardless of the outcome of yesterday's election. (Z)