Democrats said they had won control of the Pennsylvania state Senate, claiming to have flipped enough seats to end more than 30 years of Republican control of the chamber. Unofficial results also showed Governor Josh Shapiro winning reelection in a landslide. If the results hold, the party would have a trifecta in Harrisburg: the governor’s mansion and majorities in both the state House and Senate.
Republicans entered Tuesday’s election with a 27-23 majority in the state Senate. Democrats said as of midnight on election night that they had flipped four GOP-held seats and appeared likely to lose one, for a likely net gain of three. The Associated Press had called only one of the contested Senate races at that point.
In the state House, where Democrats took a narrow majority in 2022, the party also declared victory. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee said the party had expanded its majority, though the AP had not called dozens of House races by midnight.
Republicans had controlled the Senate since 1994. The divided legislature struggled to find common ground, and the number of laws passed over the past two sessions reached historic lows. Democrats used their slim House majority to advance a constitutional amendment to codify reproductive rights, as well as bills to increase state funding for mass transit and legalize recreational marijuana; those measures died in the Senate. Senate Republicans often wielded their authority as a brake, with leaders refusing to move new election legislation so long as Democratic leaders did not agree to pass a constitutional amendment expanding the commonwealth’s voter ID laws.
Shapiro said in a statement: “For the first time in decades, Pennsylvanians used their power tonight to flip the state Senate so that we can deliver even more results for our communities. Now, with a Democratic trifecta, we’ll be able to get even more stuff done — from raising the minimum wage and lowering costs, to giving survivors their day in court, to building more housing and codifying abortion rights.”
Shapiro and legislative leaders promised to raise the minimum wage, codify reproductive rights, and fund mass transit. The new legislative session officially begins next year, with new members sworn in on Jan. 5.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Ending divided government in Pennsylvania removes a major obstacle to Governor Shapiro’s agenda and allows Democrats to pass a unified legislative program.
- State policy on wages, reproductive rights, and education funding is likely to shift sharply after a decade of gridlock.
- It provides a major data point about the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential election in this key swing state.
Background
Pennsylvania had a divided state government since 2022, when Democrats won a slim House majority after a redistricting cycle. Republicans held the Senate since 1994. This division led to historic lows in legislation passed, with each chamber’s priorities dying in the other.
What to Watch
- The official certification of results and the final margin in both chambers.
- The first bills introduced by the new Democratic majority in the Senate.
- Any Republican strategy to contest the results or use procedural rules to block the majority.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPennsylvania Democrats say a Senate win could give the party full control.Spotlight PA: “Democrats say they have won control of the Pennsylvania Senate for the first time in more than three decades, giving the party a trifecta”
- SupportedThe party says it flipped four seats and won Senate control for the first time in more than three decades.Spotlight PA: “Democrats say they have won control of the Pennsylvania Senate for the first time in more than three decades”
- SupportedDemocrats said they had won Senate control, ending more than 30 years of Republican control.Spotlight PA: “Republicans have led the state Senate since 1994.”
- SupportedUnofficial results showed Josh Shapiro winning reelection in a landslide.Spotlight PA: “Unofficial results also show Democrat Josh Shapiro winning his reelection bid in a landslide against Republican Stacy Garrity.”
- SupportedIf the results hold, Democrats would control the governorship and both legislative chambers, giving them a trifecta.Spotlight PA: “With control of both chambers and the governor’s mansion, Shapiro and legislative leaders have promised to raise the minimum wage”
- SupportedRepublicans entered Tuesday’s election with a 27-23 Senate majority.Spotlight PA: “Republicans entered Tuesday’s election with a 27-23 majority in the legislature’s upper chamber.”
- SupportedAs of midnight, Democrats said they had flipped four GOP-held seats, appeared likely to lose one, and were on track for a net gain of three.Spotlight PA: “As of midnight, Democrats said the party had flipped four GOP-held seats. The party appeared to be on track to lose one seat, for a likely net gain of three seats.”
- SupportedThe AP had called only one of the contested Senate races by midnight.Spotlight PA: “The Associated Press had only called one of those contested races as of midnight.”
- SupportedDemocrats declared victory in the state House, and the DLCC said the party had expanded its majority; the AP had not called dozens of House races by midnight.Spotlight PA: “Democrats also declared victory in the state House, with the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee claiming the party had expanded its majority in the chamber. As of midnight, the Associated Press had not called dozens of state House races.”
- SupportedShapiro said, in a statement, “For the first time in decades, Pennsylvanians used their power tonight to flip the state Senate so that we can deliver even more results for our communities.”Spotlight PA: ““For the first time in decades, Pennsylvanians used their power tonight to flip the state Senate so that we can deliver even more results for our communities,” Shapiro said in a statement.”
- SupportedShapiro said, “Now, with a Democratic trifecta, we’ll be able to get even more stuff done — from raising the minimum wage and lowering costs, to giving survivors their day in court, to building more housing and codifying abortion rights.”Spotlight PA: ““Now, with a Democratic trifecta, we’ll be able to get even more stuff done — from raising the minimum wage and lowering costs, to giving survivors their day in court, to building more housing and codifying abortion rights.””
- SupportedThe divided legislature struggled to find common ground, and the number of laws passed in the past two sessions reached historic lows.Spotlight PA: “Lawmakers have struggled to find common ground even on issues with bipartisan agreement, like data center regulations or legalizing recreational marijuana. That has led to historic lows in the number of laws passed in the last two sessions.”