Election Day is upon us and the presidential campaign described as “long, unusual and often ugly” by The New York Times will soon draw to a close. In Pennsylvania, candidates from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia are likely out canvassing to shore up last minute votes, as the ripple effect from the presidential race could render typical political or geographic strongholds not quite so strong this year. The presidential election is likely to affect races down-ticket, and it’s possible we’ll see some upsets tonight. Below are the races that, according to PennLive, are the hotly contested races for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
HD-10 (Lawrence County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Jaret Gibbons (D)
- Challenger – Aaron Bernstine (R)
Rep. Jaret Gibbons was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2006 and currently serves as the Democratic Chairman of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee. This seat trended Republican until Gibbons’ election 10 years ago.
HD-49 (Washington County); Open seat – Rep. Peter Daley (D)
- Alan Benyak (D)
- Bud Cook (R)
Retiring Rep. Peter Daley, who currently serves as Democratic Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee, has been a familiar face in the capitol since his election in 1982. His retirement puts this seat up for grabs in today’s election.
HD-50 (Greene County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Pam Snyder (D)
- Challenger – Betsy Rohanna McClure (R)
Rep. Pam Snyder is just wrapping up her second term in office, and Greene County could be feeling the effects of the presidential race, putting her in a close election.
HD-51 (Fayette County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Tim Mahoney (D)
- Challenger – Matt Dowling (R)
Rep.Tim Mahoney is working towards a full decade in the State Legislature, having been first elected in 2006. With this election putting typical strongholds into flux, Mahoney could find himself in a tough race.
HD-58 (Westmoreland County); Open seat – Rep. Ted Harhai (D)
- Mary Popovich (D)
- Justin Walsh (R)
Democratic Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, Ted Harhai, announced his retirement earlier this year, after serving in the legislature since 1999. Westmoreland County, in Western Pennsylvania, could see some changes in representation due to the presidential race.
HD-76 (Clinton County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Mike Hanna (D)
- Challenger – Stephanie Borowicz (R)
This race is particularly interesting because Rep. Mike Hanna currently serves as the Democratic Whip, a leadership position in the caucus. His loss could have a ripple effect on the leadership team, as well as the whole House Democratic Caucus. Like the rest of the western part of Pennsylvania, it’s possible the effects presidential election will trickle into Clinton County.
HD-150 (Montgomery County); Open seat – Rep. Mike Vereb (R)
- Linda Weaver (D)
- Michael Corr (R)
After four terms in the general assembly, Rep. Mike Vereb announced his retirement this year. While Vereb held this seat for eight years, “Montco,” in the southeastern corner of the state, could get swept up in the race for the White House.
HD-156 (Chester County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Dan Truitt (R)
- Challenger – Carolyn Comitta (D)
Rep. Dan Truitt faces the Mayor of West Chester, Carolyn Comitta. Like Montgomery County, this area could be part of the changing demographic due to the presidential election.
HD-165 (Delaware County); Open Seat – Rep. Bill Adolph (R)
- Elaine Paul Schaefer (D)
- Alex Charlton (R)
Rep. Bill Adolph represented the people of Delaware County for nearly 30 years. During that time, he rose to the position of Appropriations Chairman. Given that things are topsy-turvy all over the Commonwealth, this seat could be up for grabs.
HD-170 (Philadelphia County)
- Incumbent – Rep. Martina White (R)
- Challenger – Matt Darragh (D)
Rep. Martina White was the victor in a 2015 special election to fill the vacancy created by the election of Rep. Brendan Boyle (D) to Congress.
SD-9 (Delaware County)
- Incumbent – Sen. Tom Killion (R)
- Challenger – Marty Molloy (D)
After serving 13 years in the House of Representatives, Sen. Tom Killion was elected in 2016 to replace retired Sen. Dominic Pileggi. Killion faces election just six months after being sworn in as State Senator, and presidential trends could make this seat a toss-up.
SD-15 (Dauphin County)
- Incumbent – Sen. Rob Tepltiz (D)
- Challenger – John DiSanto (R)
Closing out his first-term as a state senator, Sen. Rob Teplitz, who serves as Democratic Chairman of the Local Government Committee, is running to keep the seat that represents our Capitol City of Harrisburg. His district includes the typically democratic city and republican outlying areas, putting the district in the mix for a potential upset.
SD-19 (Chester County)
- Incumbent – Sen. Andy Dinniman (D)
- Challenger – Jack London (R)
For years the 19th Senate District in Chester County was represented by Republicans. This year, Democrat incumbent Sen. Andy Dinniman, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, finds himself in a hotly contested race and could feel the effects of hot race for the oval office.
SD-49 (Erie County)
- Incumbent – Sen. Sean Wiley (D)
- Challenger – Dan Laughlin (R)
Finally, in Erie, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, Sen. Sean Wiley, finds himself in a tight race for re-election after serving one term in the state senate. This race has been costly for both sides and will be a hot one to watch on election night.
For more information on the candidates and races: http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/11/13_legislative_races_to_watch.html#0
Be on the lookout for updates from BIR throughout Tuesday night on our blog (buchanangovernmentrelations.com) and our Twitter (@BuchananGov).