Democrats won both special elections last Tuesday, flipping a Republican-held state Senate seat in Lancaster County and maintaining control of the lower chamber with a victory in Allegheny County. The party now holds a 102-101 majority in the state House, while Republicans retain a 27-23 edge in the Senate.

The surprise of the night came in Senate District 36, where Democrat James Malone defeated Republican Josh Parsons by 482 votes despite a strong GOP voter registration advantage. Higher turnout in blue-leaning suburban precincts and a decisive mail ballot edge drove the upset. The seat, vacated by Republican Ryan Aument earlier this year, will be up again in 2026.

In House District 35, Democrat Dan Goughnor defeated Republican Charles Davis by a comfortable, 30-point margin to retain party control of the seat vacated by the death of Rep. Matthew Gergely last year.

The results suggest strong Democratic energy ahead of the statewide judicial races this fall and next year’s midterms, while modest Republican gains hint at a continuing political realignment among working-class and suburban voters.