Published November 19. 2022 07:45AM
by MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG - Democrats won a suburban Philadelphia state House race Friday, giving them barely enough seats to take the chamber majority after 12 years, although two of their reelected incumbents also won higher offices and a third died in October.
The Associated Press called the race Friday for the seat representing Montgomery County for Democrat Melissa Cerrato. Republican Rep. Todd Stephens conceded late Thursday.
Her win means Democrats flipped a net of 12 districts, the precise number they needed to control the House at the start of the 2023-24 session in January.
But there’s uncertainly because of the October death of Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, and because two other Allegheny County Democrats who won new House terms, Reps. Austin Davis and Summer Lee, also were elected as lieutenant governor and to Congress.
Lee’s swearing-in to Congress is set for Jan. 3, the same day the Pennsylvania House starts its new session. Davis and Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro will be inaugurated Jan. 17. Republicans maintained majority control of the state Senate, although their margin dropped by one seat to 28-22.
In another close race in the Philadelphia suburbs, Democrat Mark Moffa conceded in a statement on Facebook late Thursday, stepping aside for Republican Joe Hogan to keep what has been a GOP seat.
A Democratic margin of 102-101 drops to 101-99 for Republicans when the three vacancies are counted, at least until special elections are scheduled for early next year.
FILE - Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf delivers his budget address for the 2022-23 fiscal year to a joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. More than one-quarter of state lawmakers whose seats are up for election across the U.S. are guaranteed to be gone from office next year - a statistic almost certain to grow when the votes are counted from the November general election. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)