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Control of the state legislature is at play this Election Day. For years, Republicans have dominated Pennsylvania’s House and Senate. But now, Democrats see a path to take control of both chambers. As WLVR’s Megan Frank reports, suburban voters may be the key deciders.
To gain control of the Pennsylvania legislature, Democrats need to flip just nine Republican seats in the House and four in the Senate. Terry Madonna, pollster at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, says flipping GOP seats won’t be easy.
“The hope for the Democrats is that they will pick up seats in the Philadelphia suburbs and the Lehigh Valley. The Democrats are enthusiastic. The Republicans, on the other hand, are saying, sure, we’ll lose some, but we’re not going to lose nine.”
The party that comes out on top in next week’s election will have significant sway over how the state’s legislative districts are redrawn in 2021 — a process that occurs every 10 years.
Among the seats with the potential to flip is the 131st District, which covers parts of Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery counties. Democrat Kevin Branco is going up against Republican Milou Mackenzie to fill Republican Justin Simmons’ vacant seat.