Democrats say they have won control of Pennsylvania's state House for first time in more than a decade
Joanna McClinton, a Democratic state representative from Philadelphia, is on track to be the first woman and first Black speaker of the House.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
- Democrats claim they have won a majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
- If confirmed, it would be the first time Democrats have won a majority in the chamber since 2008.
- State Rep. Joanna McClinton is set to be the first woman and first Black speaker of the House.
It was supposed to be a "red wave," but midterm elections that typically hand a huge defeat to the party that controls the White House instead appears to have given Democrats in Pennsylvania control of the state House of Representatives for the first time in more than a decade.
"Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly rejected hatred," state Rep. Joanna McClinton, a Democrat from Philadelphia, said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia.
McClinton, first elected in 2020, is on track to be the first woman speaker of the state house and only the second Black person to hold the position.
"In the birthplace of our nation, in the birthplace of our democracy, it is much more than symbolic that we will finally have a woman that has the gavel in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives at a time where women seem to be under attack in our nation," McClinton said.
The race has not yet been officially called, but state Rep. Jordan Harris said Democrats expect to hold at least a one-seat majority, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
It would be the first time Democrats have won control of the chamber since 2008 and only the second time since 1995.
Democrats also control the governor's office, with state Attorney General Josh Shapiro soundly defeating his far-right opponent, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, in the race to succeed Democratic incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf.
Pennsylvania is considered an important bellwether, with President Joe Biden making frequent visits to the state, which he won by around 80,000 votes in 2020. In the lead up to the 2022 election, former President Donald Trump — who won the state in 2016 — also held two rallies with candidates he endorsed: Mastriano and celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who lost his race for Senate against Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.
Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com