2018 Pennsylvania Senate election
November 6, 2018
All even-numbered seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Joe Scarnati Jay Costa
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since December 2006[1] January 4, 2011
Leader's seat 25th 43rd
Last election 34 16
Seats won 13 12
Seats after 29 21
Seat change Decrease 5 Increase 5
Popular vote 1,096,954 1,297,494
Percentage 45.51% 53.83%
Results
     Democratic hold      Democratic gain
     Republican hold      No election
President Pro Tempore before election

Joe Scarnati
Republican

 Elected President Pro Tempore

Joe Scarnati
Republican

The 2018 elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 6, 2018, with 25 of 50 districts being contested. Primary elections were held on May 15, 2018.[2] The term of office for those elected in 2018 began when the Senate convened in January 2019. Pennsylvania State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every two years.[3]

Republicans have controlled the chamber since the 1994 election (24 years).

Overview

Republicans have controlled the chamber for 24 years (since the 1994 election). Democrats won five seats but failed to retake the majority despite winning the popular vote by over 200,000 votes. However, in five contests a Democrat ran unopposed with no Republicans appearing on the ballot. Republican senator Randy Vulakovich of the 38th district was the only incumbent to be defeated in the primary elections, losing to Jeremy Shaffer, who in turn lost to Democratic candidate Lindsey Williams in the general election. Two other Republican incumbents – Thomas J. McGarrigle and John Rafferty Jr. – were also defeated in the general election by their Democratic challengers (Timothy P. Kearney and Katie Muth, respectively). In the 10th district, Republican Chuck McIlhinney chose to retire, and his seat was won by Democrat Steve Santarsiero, while in the 12th district, Republican Stewart Greenleaf retired and was replaced by Democrat Maria Collett.

Affiliation Candidates Votes Vote % Seats won Seats after
Republican 20 1,096,954 45.51% 13 (Decrease5) 29
Democratic 24 1,297,494 53.83% 12 (Increase5) 21
Green 1 14,467 0.60% 0 0
Libertarian 1 1,251 0.05% 0 0
Total 46 2,410,166 100% 25 50
Popular vote for 25 Senate seats
Democratic
 
 53.83%
Republican
 
 45.51%
Other
 
 0.65%
Percentage of 25 Senate seats won
Republican
 
 52%
Democratic
 
 48%

Close races

Ten district races had winning margins of less than 15%:

District Winner Margin
District 6 Republican 0.06%
District 10 Democratic (flip) 5.06%
District 12 Democratic (flip) 5.38%
District 16 Republican 2.84%
District 24 Republican 5.82%
District 26 Democratic (flip) 8.58%
District 34 Republican 11.52%
District 38 Democratic (flip) 0.64%
District 40 Republican 12.59%
District 44 Democratic (flip) 3.94%

Controversy

Democrat Lindsey Williams defeated Republican Jeremy Shaffer in the 38th District, a seat previously held by Republican Randy Vulakovich. After the election, Senate Republicans questioned whether Williams met the State-Constitutional requirement to be a "citizen and inhabitant" of Pennsylvania for four years prior to the election, as she claimed to have moved to Pennsylvania exactly four years prior to her election.[4] After weeks of speculation and rumors of the GOP majority planning to refuse to seat her, Senate Majority Leader Joe Scarnati announced that he would recommend that she be seated.[5] This announcement came after Williams provided proof that she had accepted a job in Pennsylvania on November 2, 2014. Ultimately, Williams was sworn in with the rest of the senators without any objection.

Results

District Party Incumbent Status Party Candidate Votes  %
2 Democratic Christine Tartaglione Re-elected Democratic Christine Tartaglione 58,717 100.00
4 Democratic Arthur L. Haywood III Re-elected Democratic Arthur L. Haywood III 110,114 86.58
Republican Ronald F. Holt 17,068 13.42
6 Republican Robert M. Tomlinson Re-elected Republican Robert M. Tomlinson 54,382 50.03
Democratic Tina Davis 54,308 49.97
8 Democratic Anthony H. Williams Re-elected Democratic Anthony H. Williams 86,092 100.00
10 Republican Chuck McIlhinney Retired Democratic Steve Santarsiero 67,438 52.53
Republican Marguerite Quinn 60,935 47.47
12 Republican Stewart Greenleaf Retired Democratic Maria Collett 62,069 52.69
Republican Stewart Greenleaf Jr. 55,742 47.31
14 Democratic John Yudichak Re-elected Democratic John Yudichak 51,521 100.00
16 Republican Pat Browne Re-elected Republican Pat Browne 48,897 51.42
Democratic Mark Pinsley 48,200 48.58
18 Democratic Lisa Boscola Re-elected Democratic Lisa Boscola 65,705 100.00
20 Republican Lisa Baker Re-elected Republican Lisa Baker 67,350 82.32
Green John Sweeney 14,467 17.68
22 Democratic John Blake Re-elected Democratic John Blake 59,249 61.33
Republican Frank Scavo III 37,367 38.67
24 Republican Bob Mensch Re-elected Republican Bob Mensch 54,586 52.41
Democratic Linda Fields 49,558 47.59
26 Republican Thomas J. McGarrigle Defeated Democratic Timothy Kearney 65,660 54.29
Republican Thomas J. McGarrigle 55,287 45.71
28 Republican Scott Wagner Ran for Governor Republican Kristin Phillips-Hill 62,380 62.70
Democratic Judith McCormick-Higgins 37,105 37.30
30 Republican John Eichelberger Ran for U.S. House Republican Judy Ward 63,661 72.87
Democratic Emily Garbuny Best 23,684 27.13
32 Republican Patrick J. Stefano Re-elected Republican Patrick J. Stefano 54,417 65.73
Democratic Pamela Gerard 28,371 34.27
34 Republican Jake Corman Re-elected Republican Jake Corman 49,259 55.76
Democratic Ezra Nanes 39,075 44.24
36 Republican Ryan P. Aument Re-elected Republican Ryan P. Aument 69,851 66.44
Democratic William Troutman Jr. 35,280 33.56
38 Republican Randy Vulakovich Lost Primary Democratic Lindsey Williams 62,361 50.32
Republican Jeremy Shaffer 61,568 49.68
40 Republican Mario Scavello Re-elected Republican Mario Scavello 54,783 55.66
Democratic Tarah Probst 42,396 43.07
Libertarian Adam Reinhardt 1,251 1.27
42 Democratic Wayne D. Fontana Re-elected Democratic Wayne D. Fontana 86,288 100.00
44 Republican John Rafferty, Jr. Defeated Democratic Katie Muth 62,692 51.97
Republican John Rafferty, Jr. 57,943 48.03
46 Republican Camera C. Bartolotta Re-elected Republican Camera C. Bartolotta 55,527 58.80
Democratic James R. Craig 38,908 41.20
48 Republican Mike Folmer Re-elected Republican Mike Folmer 60,357 62.94
Democratic Lois Herr 35,545 37.06
50 Republican Michele Brooks Re-elected Republican Michele Brooks 55,648 65.64
Democratic Sue Ann Mulvey 29,125 34.36

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Member Information, Joseph Scarnati".
  2. ↑ "PA 2018 Election Calendar". Committee of Seventy. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Members of the Senate". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Lindsey Williams was elected to the Pa. Senate, but will she be able to serve?". December 27, 2018.
  5. ↑ "No more drama: Pittsburgh's Lindsey Williams sworn in as state senator". January 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ "2018 General Election: Senator in the General Assembly". Pennsylvania Department of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
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