July 29, 2015
There seem to be a record number of special elections being held this year, most of which will occur in August. Here’s an update of where we can expect to see new faces in the General Assembly this fall.
Next Tuesday, August 4, special elections will be held to fill the seats vacated by Rep. Glen Grell (R-Cumberland) and Rep. Joe Hackett (R-Delaware). Grell resigned from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in order to take a position as the Executive Director of the Public School Employees Retirement System; Hackett, to return to a career in law enforcement in his home county. Vying for Grell’s seat are Bob Charles (Democrat) and Greg Rothman (Republican). The makeup of the 87th legislative District is heavily Republican, and Rothman will likely cruise to victory on Election Day. Hackett will be replaced by either Democrat Leanne Krueger-Braneky or Republican Paul Mullen. Hackett’s seat is more in the middle when it comes to voter registration; however, Krueger-Braneky lost to Hackett by nearly 12 points in 2014 and her opponent, Paul Mullen, has the backing of several large labor unions. In what will likely be a low turnout election, the support of labor is critical and might help Mullen turn out his supporters.
The following week, on August 11, special elections for three House seats will be held in Philadelphia due to the resignations of Rep. John Sabatina, Rep. Ron Waters and Rep. Michelle Brownlee, all Democrats. Sabatina’s seat is now vacant since he was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate to replace now Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack. Former Rep. Ed Neilson (Democrat) and Timothy Dailey (Republican) will face off to replace Sabatina. Rep. Ron Waters and Rep. Michelle Brownlee each resigned after entering guilty pleas in a Philadelphia “pay to play” case. Democrat Joanna McClinton and Republican Charles Wilkens are running to replace Waters, and Democrat Donna Bullock and Republican Adam Lang are contenting for the seat formerly held by Brownlee. Few surprises are expected in these races, and all three will likely remain in Democratic control come election day.
Finally, expect yet another special election to be held in November. On municipal Election Day, November 3, Republican Guy Reschenthaler and a yet-to-be named Democrat will face off to replace Senator Matt Smith (D-Allegheny). Smith resigned this summer to become the President of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. The local Democratic Party is expected to name its candidate this coming weekend. This race will likely be expensive for both sides and is sure to heat up in the coming weeks.
So six new faces are expected in the General Assembly before the year is through. As soon as we know who they are, you’ll know who they are. Stay tuned to this blog or follow us on Twitter @BuchananGov for updates.