Democrat Dan Goughnour handily won a special election in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday, keeping majority control of the state House in his party's hands by a single seat.
Goughnour beat Republican Chuck Davis in a district in the Mon Valley region southeast of Pittsburgh, winning a seat that became vacant in January with the death of Democratic state Rep. Matthew Gergely.
Since Gergely's death, the House had been deadlocked at 101-101. With Goughnour being elected to fill the seat, the Pennsylvania chamber will finally have some motion.
Holding the majority means Democrats can keep House Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia as the chamber's presiding officer.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement that the majority means state House Democrats "can stand up to Trump's mayhem in Washington," prevent efforts to weaken Shapiro's authority and "continue to expand job opportunities, strengthen schools and create safe communities in Pennsylvania."
Democrats have held the Pennsylvania House majority since 2023, after they flipped 12 seats, the minimum needed to reclaim control after more than a decade. Since then, Democrats have maintained their majority by winning a series of special elections.
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