State Sen. John Blake Resigning to Work for US Rep. Matt Cartwright

Blake’s resignation will lead to a special election in the district he has represented for a decade.

SCRANTON — A state senator has announced plans to resign his seat to join the office of a fellow Democratic congressman representing northeastern Pennsylvania.

State Sen. John Blake is to begin his new role in the office of US Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Lackawanna, on March 8. A joint announcement said Blake will work on economic development initiatives in the commonwealth’s 8th congressional district, which includes portions of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne counties.

The Archbald, Lackawanna County, native has represented his Pennsylvania senate district for a decade and previously worked in the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Cartwright, a five-term congressman from Moosic, recently became the chairman of the house appropriations subcommittee that oversees more than $70 billion in federal spending.

Blake’s resignation leads to a special election in his district. According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, state Reps. Marty Flynn and Bridget Kosierowski confirmed they will seek the Democratic nomination.

Blake’s district hasn’t been held by a Republican in more than 50 years.

Gov. Tom Wolf recently named Kosierowski, who is in her second term, to a legislative coronavirus task force he formed last week. Flynn, a former professional boxer, is entering his sixth term in the state house. 

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will set the date of the special election for that seat.

Blake won reelection in 2018 by 22 points over Republican Frank Scavo, who has recently made news when a photo appeared to show him inside the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.