Republican Josh Parsons concedes Pennsylvania special election
FAILURE? GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M SUSAN SHAPIRO THAT BREAKING NEWS? THE DEATH OF A WOMAN FOUND MONDAY IN THE BACK OF HER SUV IN LANCASTER COUNTY HAS NOW BEEN RULED A HOMICIDE. NEWS EIGHT’S CAITLYN SMITH HAS THE INFORMATION JUST RELEASED FROM THE LANCASTER COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE. THE LANCASTER COUNTY CORONER SAYS 61 YEAR OLD HAYAN REGINA AHN OF OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND, WAS STRANGLED AND THAT THE MANNER OF DEATH IS HOMICIDE. NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE FOUND THE WOMAN’S BODY MONDAY AFTERNOON IN A VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF THE SIEGEL MANOR APARTMENTS THAT’S ON FRUITVILLE PIKE IN MANHEIM. HER SON, 31 YEAR OLD KEVIN REGINA AHN, IS CHARGED WITH ABUSE OF A CORPSE. HE WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY. WE ARE STILL CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS STORY BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU. CAITLIN. THE LANCASTER COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS SAYS THAT JURY SELECTION FOR THE JERRY BAGENSTOS MURDER TRIAL HAS BEEN CANCELED TODAY BECAUSE BAGGENSTOSS IS HOSPITALIZED. PRESIDENT JUDGE LEONARD BROWN’S OFFICE TELLS US THAT BAGENSTOS WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL THIS MORNING BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF COURT PROCEEDINGS. THE 70 YEAR OLD IS ON TRIAL FOR THE MURDER OF HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, MARIANNE, IN 1984. SHE WAS REPORTED MISSING IN JUNE OF 1984, JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE A SCHEDULED CUSTODY HEARING FOR THE CHILD SHE HAD WITH JERRY. SHE NEVER SHOWED FOR THAT HEARING, AND HE WAS GRANTED CUSTODY. HE WAS ARRESTED FOR HER MURDER IN 2022, EVEN THOUGH HER BODY WAS NEVER FOUND. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE MADE INCONSISTENT STATEMENTS ABOUT WHERE HE WAS ON THE DAY SHE DISAPPEARED. SO FAR, FIVE JURORS HAVE BEEN SEATED FOR THE TRIAL. NO OTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED ABOUT BAGENSTOS, HIS CONDITION. A LEBANON COUNTY MAN IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AFTER POLICE SAY HE SHOT AND PISTOL WHIPPED HIS EX WIFE. ACCORDING TO CHARGING DOCUMENTS, THE VICTIM CALLED POLICE AROUND 515 LAST NIGHT AND SAID SHE HAD BEEN SHOT AT A HOME ON SEVENTH STREET IN NORTH LEBANON TOWNSHIP. THE DOCUMENTS SAY SHE WAS SHOT IN BOTH LEGS AND BOTH ARMS. POLICE SAY DARRELL LONG DROVE AWAY FROM THE SCENE, BUT THE 62 YEAR OLD LATER TURNED HIMSELF IN TO STATE POLICE, WHO SAY HE CONFESSED TO THE SHOOTING AND PISTOL WHIPPING IN COMMITMENT. 2025 COVERAGE THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE 36TH DISTRICT SENATE SEAT IN LANCASTER COUNTY WAS WON BY A DEMOCRAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME. EAST PETERSBURG MAYOR JAMES MALONEY IS PROJECTED TO WIN THE RACE FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S 36TH DISTRICT. REGISTERED REPUBLICANS ARE IN THE MAJORITY IN THAT DISTRICT, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP WON IT BY 15 POINTS THIS PAST NOVEMBER. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE, POLITICAL REPORTER TOM LEHMAN IS LIVE WITH MORE. WELL, SUSAN, UNEXPECTED IS THE WORD THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING HERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG ON THE RESULTS OF LAST NIGHT’S ELECTION, WHICH APPEAR AT THIS POINT TO HAVE RESULTED, WITH JAMES MALONEY, THE DEMOCRAT, WINNING BY SEVERAL HUNDRED VOTES. THE LATEST NUMBERS COMING IN FROM THE LANCASTER COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, SHOWING THAT JUST UNDER 54,000 VOTES WERE CAST IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO DECIDE WHO WOULD SUCCEED FORMER REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR RYAN ALMOND, A REPUBLICAN. THE CURRENT NUMBERS SHOWING MALONEY APPEARS TO HAVE NARROWLY DEFEATED REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE JOSH PARSONS. AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, BY JUST HUNDREDS OF VOTES IN THIS CASE, ONE LANCASTER COUNTY STATE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME IT IS A BIG SURPRISE. I’M GOING TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED AND PLEASANTLY SURPRISED, BUT SURPRISED. AND I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS THAT IF WE WORK HARD, WORK SMART, WE CAN BE READY FOR THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO SAY STEVE BULLOCK MALONEY’S WIN TIGHTENS THE MARGIN TO 27 REPUBLICANS TO 23 DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE SENATE, WHICH IS A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY CHAMBER. THE WIN ALSO COMES AT A TIME AS DEMOCRATS SUCCESSFULLY RETAINED ANOTHER SEAT IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE HOUSE LAST NIGHT, HOLDING THEIR NARROW ONE SEAT MAJORITY IN THAT CHAMBER. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE REACTION COMING UP LATER TODAY, AS WELL AS SOME MORE OF THE IMPLICATIONS. YOU’RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR ON WHAT REPUBLICANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN A SURPRISE FOR THEM AS WELL. COMING UP LATER TODAY HERE ON WGAL, BUT FOR NOW AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG, TOM LEHMAN, NEWS EIGHT. AND OUR COVERAGE OF THE RACE CONTINUES AT WGAL.COM. THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH MALONEY IS ON OUR HOME PAGE. OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WGAL APP AND WATCH ON THE GO. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS UPHELD A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FIREARM REGULATION ON GHOST GUNS. IT REQUIRES SERIAL NUMBERS, BACKGROUND CHECKS AND AGE VERIFICATION TO BUY KITS TO BUILD THE HARD TO TRACE WEAPONS. THE HIGH COURT HANDED DOWN THE 7 TO 2 OPINION THIS MORNING. GUN GROUPS CHALLENGING THE RULING HAD ARGUED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVERSTEPPED ITS AUTHORITY. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING WHETHER TO DEFEND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S RESTRICTION ON GUN SILENCERS AS PART OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S ORDER TO REEVALUATE POLICIES THAT COULD LIMIT SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS. SILENCERS OR SUPPRESSORS ARE LEGAL IN 42 STATES, BUT STRICT RESTRICTIONS ON ACQUISITION HAVE BEEN IN PLACE SINCE THE 1930S UNDER THE NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT. SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS ADVOCATES SAY THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE PROTECTED BY THE SECOND AMENDMENT. EFFORTS TO SAVE THE HISTORIC KLINGLE HOUSE ON THE GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD ARE STALLED UNTIL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE. THE KLINGLE HOUSE, WHICH WAS DAMAGED IN THE BATTLE, HAS DETERIORATED SINCE IT WAS REPAINTED WITH MODERN PAINT AS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. INTERNAL SCAFFOLDING AND OUTSIDE SUPPORTS ARE HOLDING UP THE HOUSE FOR NOW. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TELLS NEWS EIGHT THE WORK WILL RESUME WHEN FEDERAL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE. THE PRIVATE GETTYSBURG FOUNDATION IS ALSO RAISING MONEY FOR REPAIR OF THE KLINGLE HOUSE. LOOKING LIVE FROM OUR SKYCAM NETWORK, IT’S A LITTLE COOL OUT THERE TODAY. A LITTLE BIT OF CLOUDS THERE IN THE SKY. METEOROLOGIST MIKE SUSKO JOINS ME NOW WITH MORE ON THE FORECAST. A LITTLE BREEZY OUT THERE, TOO, MIKE. YES, SUSAN IT IS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE WINDS, WE’RE ALSO TRACKING SOME SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE ON STORM TEAM LIVE RADAR NETWORK THERE. AND IT’S MOSTLY UP IN PARTS OF MIFFLIN AND JUNIATA COUNTY AT THE MOMENT. BUT YOU’RE LOOKING OUTSIDE CARLISLE, AND WE’RE SEEING A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS. AS SUSAN MENTIONED, THOUGH, IT IS KIND OF WINDY OUT THERE. WINDS ARE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AT 17MPH, AND THAT’S LEADING TO A RATHER CHILLY DAY, ONLY AROUND 46 RIGHT NOW. KEEP IN MIND WE SHOULD BE IN THE MID 50S THIS AFTERNOON FOR AVERAGES, AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET THERE TODAY. IN FACT, TEMPERATURES ONLY GOING UP. MAYBE ANOTHER COUPLE OF DEGREES. IT’S 46 IN HARRISBURG AS WELL AS YORK. GETTYSBURG AT 45, IN LANCASTER, 37 IN LEWISTOWN. CHECK OUT THE SUSTAINED WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AROUND 15 TO 22MPH RIGHT NOW. SO IT IS DEFINITELY A WINDY DAY, AND IT’S GOING TO STAY THAT WAY HERE AS WE GO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS ONLY AROUND 48 THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. AND THEN WE’LL CLEAR THINGS OUT TONIGHT. AND TONIGHT IS LOOKING PRETTY CHILLY. WE’LL DROP DOWN TO NEAR FREEZING ACROSS THE AREA. LEBANON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PIER HESS GRAF SAYS A DOMESTIC-RELATED SHOOTING LAST NIGHT LEFT ONE PERSON WOUNDED AND A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. THE VICTIM IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. THE DA SAYS SHE WILL RELEASE MORE INFORMATION LATER TODAY. A SPA OPERATOR IN YORK COUNTY IS CHARGED WITH PROMOTING PROSTITUTION. CARROLL TOWNSHIP POLICE SAY 60 YEAR OLD QIUMEI WANG OF DILLSBURG IS ON THEIR MOST WANTED LIST. A MAN TOLD POLICE IN SEPTEMBER HE WAS OFFERED SEXUAL FAVORS IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY AFTER GETTING A MASSAGE AT THE GILLIAN SPA. WHILE STAKING OUT THE BUSINESS. POLICE OBSERVED THAT ALL THE CUSTOMERS WERE MEN AND THE WORKERS WERE WOMEN. THEY ALSO NOTED LATE AND INCONSISTENT HOURS OF OPERATION. A SEARCH OF THE SPA IN LATE DECEMBER REVEALED ITEMS INDICATING THAT PROSTITUTION HAD BEEN OCCURRING AT THE ESTABLISHMENT. DEMOCRATS ARE RAMPING UP CALLS FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND RESIGNATIONS AFTER AN ATLANTIC REPORTER REVEALED HE WAS ACCIDENTALLY ADDED TO A GROUP CHAT WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THAT REPORTER SAYS THEY WERE SHARING PLANS TO ATTACK HOUTHI REBELS IN YEMEN. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES ARE DOWNPLAYING THE INCIDENT. TODAY, NBC’S ALICE BARR HAS MORE FROM CAPITOL HILL. THIS DISRESPECT FOR OUR ON CAPITOL HILL. GROWING OUTRAGE OVER THAT SIGNAL. GROUP CHAT BETWEEN TOP U.S. OFFICIALS DISCUSSING SENSITIVE DETAILS OF IMPENDING AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN WITH A JOURNALIST INADVERTENTLY ADDED THIS IS UTTERLY UNPROFESSIONAL. THERE’S BEEN NO APOLOGY WHILE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. PRESIDENT TRUMP OVERNIGHT DOWNPLAYED THE DISCUSSIONS. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, AND THE ATTACK WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER MIKE WALTZ, ACKNOWLEDGING HE CREATED THE SIGNAL THREAD. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. I BUILT THE I BUILT THE GROUP THAT SOMEHOW INVITED THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE’S TOP EDITOR, JEFFREY GOLDBERG. WE’VE GOT THE BEST TECHNICAL MINDS LOOKING AT HOW THIS HAPPENED. GOLDBERG SAYS THE CHAT INCLUDED VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE AND DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH, REPORTING THAT HEGSETH TEXTED INFORMATION, QUOTE, ABOUT TARGETS WEAPONS THE U.S. WOULD BE DEPLOYING AND ATTACK SEQUENCING TWO HOURS BEFORE U.S. STRIKES ON THE IRANIAN BACKED HOUTHIS IN YEMEN. NOBODY’S TEXTING MORE PLANTS. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M DOING. THE ATLANTIC HAS NOW RELEASED ALL THE TEXT, GOLDBERG RECEIVED AFTER REPEATED CLAIMS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP AND TOP OFFICIALS THAT THEY CONTAIN NO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. SO AT A CERTAIN POINT, I JUST FELT, YOU KNOW, LET LET OUR READERS DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES. ALSO ON THE THREAD, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE TULSI GABBARD AND CIA DIRECTOR JOHN RATCLIFFE, WHO FACED A GRILLING IN A SENATE HEARING BOTH DENYING ANY INFORMATION IN THE CHAT, WAS CLASSIFIED. MY COMMUNICATIONS, TO BE CLEAR, IN A SIGNAL MESSAGE GROUP, WERE ENTIRELY PERMISSIBLE AND LAWFUL. THERE WAS NO CLASSIFIED MATERIAL THAT WAS SHARED IN THAT. SO THEN, IF THERE ARE NO CLASSIFIED MATERIAL, SHARE IT WITH THE COMMITTEE. YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS AS CALLS FOR AN INVESTIGATION GROW LOUDER. FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS SAY DETAILS OF PLANNED MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING TIMES, TARGETS AND WEAPONS, ARE BY DEFINITION CLASSIFIED, AND WE’RE EXPECTING TO HEAR MORE QUESTIONING ON THIS WHEN TOP TRUMP INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS TESTIFY AGAIN TODAY, THIS TIME IN A HOUSE HEARING IN WASHINGTON. ALICE BARR, NBC NEWS. A YEAR AGO TODAY, A CARGO SHIP LEAVING THE PORT OF BALTIMORE LOST POWER AND SLAMMED INTO THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE. THE STRUCTURE COLLAPSED IN SECONDS, KILLING SIX PEOPLE. THE CITY OF BALTIMORE AND THE STATE OF MARYLAND TODAY HONORED AND REMEMBERED THOSE LIVES LOST. NBC’S JAY GRAY REPORTS FROM BALTIMORE. WELL, THE MAYOR OF BALTIMORE HAS CALLED THIS A HEAVY DAY, A VERY DIFFICULT DAY FOR HIS CITY. IN THIS REGION, YOU CAN SEE THE REMNANTS OF THE KEY BRIDGE JUST BEHIND US HERE. A YEAR AFTER THE TRAGEDY THAT UNFOLDED TODAY. OFFICIALS AS WELL AS FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE VICTIMS GATHERING TO MARK THE DAY AND REMEMBER AND HONOR THOSE LOST. WE REMEMBER THE COLD MORNING IN MARCH THAT CHANGED OUR STATE FOREVER. AND WE REMEMBER THE TEARS THAT WE SHED AND THE UNCERTAINTY THAT WE ALL FELT. WHAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 26TH, 2024 IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE A TRAGEDY BEYOND WORDS. AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS THAT ARE WITH US TODAY, THERE IS LITTLE THAT I CAN SAY TO TRULY BE THE BALM FOR THE PAIN THAT YOU FEEL. THE NTSB CONTINUES ITS INVESTIGATION AND EXPECTS TO RELEASE A FULL REPORT ON THE CRASH. THIS FALL THAT AS LAND AS WELL AS UNDERWATER SURVEYS ARE CONTINUING HERE AT THE SCENE, WITH CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW BRIDGE SET TO BEGIN BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. JAY GRAY, NBC NEWS BALTIMORE NEWS 8, LOOKED AT THE 2024 NATIONAL BRIDGE INVENTORY FOR BRIDGES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. LANCASTER COUNTY HAS THE MOST BRIDGES LISTED AT POOR, WITH 86, FOLLOWED BY YORK COUNTY WITH 72 AND DAUPHIN COUNTY HAS 37. LEBANON COUNTY WITH 30 AND PERRY COUNTY WITH 25. THE REST OF THE COUNTIES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY HAVE 24 OR FEWER POOR BRIDGES. OUR COVERAGE OF THE NATION’S BRIDGES CONTINUES TONIGHT AT SIX. WE’LL HEAR FROM EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX THE BRIDGES. A FOUR VEHICLE CRASH THIS MORNING CLOSED PART OF INTERSTATE 283, IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. THE CRASH HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER 7:00 NEAR THE TURNPIKE INTERCHANGE IN SWATARA TOWNSHIP. THE INTERSTATE WAS BLOCKED SOUTHBOUND FROM EXIT THREE TO INTERSTATE 83 TO EXIT TWO.
Republican Josh Parsons concedes Pennsylvania special election
Updated: 2:32 PM EDT Mar 26, 2025
Republican Josh Parsons has conceded the special election for Pennsylvania’s 36th state Senate District to Democrat James Malone, who secured the seat in an upset win with a margin of 482 votes. Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8. Parsons posted the following statement on X Wednesday afternoon:” Having reviewed the numbers from last night, including the fact that there are not enough provisional or other outstanding ballots to change the overall result, I have called Mayor Malone to congratulate him and wish him the best. “Again, I truly appreciate those who supported us, contributed, or worked hard in our state senate run. I love Lancaster County and feel blessed to know so many wonderful people here in our community.”Historic win for DemsThe last Democrat elected to the state Senate from Lancaster County was John S. Hoover, who won a special election for the seat in 1890. He served one year.In 1890, Benjamin Harrison was president and there were only 44 states. Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii had yet to be added.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —Republican Josh Parsons has conceded the special election for Pennsylvania’s 36th state Senate District to Democrat James Malone, who secured the seat in an upset win with a margin of 482 votes.
Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8.
Parsons posted the following statement on X Wednesday afternoon:
” Having reviewed the numbers from last night, including the fact that there are not enough provisional or other outstanding ballots to change the overall result, I have called Mayor Malone to congratulate him and wish him the best.
“Again, I truly appreciate those who supported us, contributed, or worked hard in our state senate run. I love Lancaster County and feel blessed to know so many wonderful people here in our community.”
Historic win for Dems
The last Democrat elected to the state Senate from Lancaster County was John S. Hoover, who won a special election for the seat in 1890. He served one year.
In 1890, Benjamin Harrison was president and there were only 44 states. Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii had yet to be added.
