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Democrats need to win these four seats to take control of the PA Senate

By Sean Kitchen

October 25, 2024

Democrats haven’t had control of the PA Senate since the last time they tied the chamber in 1992. They are eyeing these four races to take control.

Control of the Pennsylvania Senate comes down to four races in next month’s election.

In order for Democrats to control the chamber, they must hold on to one open seat and flip three others in swing districts. This would give Democrats the tie-breaking vote due to Lt. Gov. Austin Davis presiding over the chamber. 

Here is a look at the four races that will determine control of the Pennsylvania Senate.

PA Senate District 15

Democrats have an opportunity to flip the 15th Senate District with State Sen. John DiSanto (R-Dauphin) resigning at the end of the term. 

The 15th district used to include a portion of Dauphin County and all of Perry County, which gave Republicans the advantage under the previous maps, but the district is now completely located within Dauphin County.

State Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), who became the first Asian American to serve in the Pennsylvania House after getting elected in 2012, is running against Dauphin County Treasurer Nick DiFrancesco for the open senate seat. 

Kim has championed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour throughout her time in the House and is looking forward to completing that fight as a state senator. 

PA Senate District 37

Democrats are targeting State Sen. Devlin Robinson’s (R-Allegheny) seat in order to flip the Pennsylvania Senate in the upcoming election. Robinson is a Marine veteran and was first elected in 2020. He is one of two Republican incumbents Democrats are targeting to flip the chamber. 

Robinson was caught on a hot mic last year using a disparaging name for a Philadelphia Fire Department Captain and Task Force 1 manager during a committee hearing.

Nicole Ruscitto, a 27-year public school teacher, was endorsed by Gov. Josh Shapiro earlier this fall and is running on protecting and expanding reproductive rights and abortion access.

Throughout the campaign, Ruscitto has hammered Robinson for voting for a constitutional amendment that would have restricted the right to an abortion.

PA Senate District 45

In order for Democrats to have a chance at flipping the state senate, they will have to hold onto outgoing State Sen. Jim Brewster’s (D-Allegheny) seat. Bewster has served in the Senate since 2010, and is stepping down at the end of the year. 

State Rep. Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny), first elected to the Pennsylvania House in 2020, serves the West Mifflin portion of Allegheny County and is looking to make the jump into the upper chamber later this year. 

Since joining the House, Pisciottano has been an advocate for unions and sponsored bills making it easier for workers to organize.

Jen Dintini is a Plum Borough resident and the Republican nominee running against Pisciottano. She is a first time candidate and is the owner of 3G Security Solutions, a corporate security firm based in Pittsburgh. 

According to a candidate survey conducted by WESA, both Pisciottano and Dintini called for legalizing adult use marijuana and came out in support of reproductive rights. 

PA Senate District 49

Democrats will need to flip State Sen. Dan Laughlin’s (R-Erie) seat if they want to control the Senate. 

Laughlin was first elected to the upper chamber in 2016 and has advocated for marijuana legalization and raising the minimum wage since then. 

Laughlin is currently entangled in two different lawsuits against his opponent, Jim Wertz. 

Wertz was the chair of the Erie Democratic Party and operates the Erie Reader, a local news publication, and was sued by Laughlin for $1 million in August 2022 for writing an article that was critical of Laughlin and former President Donald Trump. 

Laughlin and his wife were then sued by Wertz for allegedly removing hundreds of free copies of the Erie Reader from local markets and convenience stores starting in July 2022. 

 

Author

  • Sean Kitchen

    Sean Kitchen is the Keystone’s political correspondent, based in Harrisburg. Sean is originally from Philadelphia and spent five years working as a writer and researcher for Pennsylvania Spotlight.

CATEGORIES: Election 2024
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