Democrat James Malone is projected to win a special election for the state Senate in Pennsylvania in a district that President Donald Trump won by 15 points in November.
The race was too early to call late Tuesday. With 99 percent of the estimated vote counted, Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg, was leading his Republican opponent, Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, by less than 500 votes, according to returns posted by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.
However, Democrats declared victory, with Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, congratulating Malone on his “shocking, historic special election victory in Senate District 36.”
Meanwhile, Parsons wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was “disappointed in the numbers” and that “it appears we will come up a little short.”
Newsweek has contacted Malone and Parsons’ campaigns for comment via email.
People casting their ballots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the presidential election in November, 2024. People casting their ballots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the presidential election in November, 2024. Rebecca Dole/AFP via Getty Images
Why It Matters
The candidates were running to fill a vacancy in northern Lancaster County after state Senator Ryan Aument, a Republican, quit to take a job working for U.S. Senator Dave McCormick.
No matter the result, the Senate will remain comfortably in Republican control. But a Democratic flip would be a significant upset for Republicans after Trump carried the conservative-leaning district with 57 percent of the vote in November’s election.
Democrats suggested the result of Tuesday’s special election was a rebuke to the Trump administration’s agenda, which has included mass layoffs, the dismantling of agencies and sparked fears about cuts to programs including Social Security and Medicaid.
What To Know
Malone told local news station WGAL-TV that the result was because “everyday voters are not liking what they’re seeing in the federal level.”
He said his campaign worked to ensure voters were aware he was running, after Aument had run unopposed in the last election in 2022.
“One of the biggest things we did was go from the ground, reach out to everybody and let them know what we were running, why we’re running,” Malone said. “And I think that made all the difference.”
In a separate special election in western Pennsylvania, Democrat Dan Goughnour beat Republican Chuck Davis to win a seat that became vacant after the death of Democratic state Representative Matthew Gergely in January. Goughnour’s win means Democrats maintain control of the state House by a single seat.
Martin said in a statement that the majority means state House Democrats “can stand up to Trump’s mayhem in Washington, defend Governor Josh Shapiro from constitutional amendments to bypass him in the legislature, and continue to expand job opportunities, strengthen schools, and create safe communities in Pennsylvania.”
He added: “Expanding the Democratic Party begins in the states and down-ballot wins like Rep.-elect Goughnour’s offer a powerful rebuke of Trump and Elon Musk’s MAGA agenda.”
What People Are Saying
James Malone told WGAL-TV: “The everyday voters are not liking what they’re seeing in the federal level. They don’t like the chaos. We want to be sure that we, as Pennsylvania, are standing up for our neighbors and are standing up for our state. Brotherly love is Pennsylvania. And that just proved out through today – kindness over criticism. That’s what we’re trying to do. I think that really is what we’re looking at moving forward.”
Josh Parsons wrote on X late Tuesday: “Obviously we are disappointed in the numbers. We are still reviewing them, but it appears we will come up a little short. We will have a further statement tomorrow. We appreciate all those who worked hard, supported our campaign, and came out to vote today.”
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said in a statement: “In a district that went to Trump by 15 in 2024 and has a 23-point Republican voter registration advantage, Malone’s victory is a loud and clear rebuke to Republicans’ threats to the programs Pennsylvania families rely on – from Social Security and Medicaid to our public schools.
“To protect working Americans, Democrats like Senator-elect Malone are competing everywhere, and in special elections throughout the country, we continue to overperform as voters join us in fighting back against the Trump-Musk agenda. This is a shockwave to the system and the way Republicans have run our government. Republicans everywhere should be afraid.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, wrote on X: “Tonight in Lancaster County, Pennsylvanians rejected a candidate who embraced the extremism and division coming out of DC. In a district carried comfortably by Donald Trump just a few months ago, they chose a better way forward – an embrace of competence, commonsense, and a desire to bring people together.
“Congratulations, James Malone. Looking forward to working with you in Harrisburg to continue delivering results and getting stuff done for all Pennsylvanians.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, wrote on X: “A Pennsylvania State Senate district that Trump had won by 15 points just flipped blue tonight. This is how it’s done. Run everywhere. Run down ballot. Focus on local elections ASAP – from school board to councils to state legislatures. We build from there. Great job PA!”
What’s Next
Malone’s win would shrink the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania state Senate to 27-23.
