2014 Pennsylvania Senate election

November 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)

All even-numbered seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Joe Scarnati Jay Costa
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since January 2, 2007 (2007-01-02) January 4, 2011 (2011-01-04)
Leader's seat 25th 43rd
Last election 27 23
Seats won 18 7
Seats after 30 20
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 3
Popular vote 883,122 735,709
Percentage 54.51% 45.41%

Results
     Democratic hold
     Republican hold      Republican gain
     No election

President Pro Tempore before election

Joe Scarnati
Republican

President Pro Tempore

Joe Scarnati
Republican

The 2014 elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 4, 2014, with all even-numbered districts being contested. Primary elections were held on May 20, 2014.[1]

Background

The term of office for those elected in 2014 began when the Senate convened in January 2015. Pennsylvania State Senators are elected to four-year terms, with 25 of the 50 seats contested every two years.[2]

Republicans have controlled the chamber since the 1994 election (20 years) but Democrats competed to retake the majority. A net Democratic gain of two seats, combined with a win for their ticket of Tom Wolf and Michael J. Stack III in the 2014 gubernatorial election would have seen Stack become Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and thus cast the tie-breaking vote to give Democrats the majority. Democrats hoped the unpopularity of Governor Tom Corbett would help in their efforts.[3] Instead, the Republicans gained three seats from the Democrats to expand their majority.[4]

Democratic senator LeAnna Washington of the 4th District was the only incumbent to be defeated in the primary elections. She lost to attorney Art Haywood, shortly after she was charged with diversion of services and conflict of interest for illegally using her legislative staff for campaign purposes.[5] She received 13,708 votes (33.82%) to Haywood's 16,113 (39.75%). Brian Gralnick, the director of the Center for Social Responsibility at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, took 10,711 votes (26.43%).

Results overview

Affiliation Candidates Votes Vote % Seats Won Seats After
Republican 21 883,122 54.51% 18 (Increase3) 30
Democratic 20 735,709 45.41% 7 (Decrease3) 20
Independent 1 1,355 0.08% 0 0
Total 42 1,620,186 100% 25 50

Polling

District 10
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chuck
McIlhinney (R)
Steve
Cickay (D)
Other Undecided
Thirty-Ninth Street July 22–25, 2014 400 ± ? 56% 32% 12%
District 40
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Mario
Scavello (R)
Mark
Aurand (D)
Other Undecided
Harper Polling September 21–22, 2014 754 ± 3.57% 51% 34% 15%

Special election

A special election was held on March 18, 2014, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mike Waugh in January 2014.[4]

District Party Incumbent Status Party Candidate Votes  %
28 Republican Mike Waugh Resigned Write-In Scott Wagner 10,654 47.51
Republican Ron Miller 5,951 26.54
Democratic Linda E. Small 5,744 25.61

General election

District Party Incumbent Status Party Candidate Votes  %
2 Democratic Christine Tartaglione Re-elected Democratic Christine Tartaglione 35,405 78.91
Republican John J. Jenkins III 9,464 21.09
4 Democratic LeAnna Washington Lost primary Democratic Arthur L. Haywood III 78,001 81.37
Republican Robin Matthew Gilchrist 16,498 17.21
Independent Ines Reyes 1,355 1.41
6 Republican Robert M. Tomlinson Re-elected Republican Robert M. Tomlinson 45,361 61.84
Democratic Kimberly Yeager-Rose 27,997 38.16
8 Democratic Anthony H. Williams Re-elected Democratic Anthony H. Williams 58,547 100.00
10 Republican Chuck McIlhinney Re-elected Republican Chuck McIlhinney 49,605 58.65
Democratic Stephen George Cickay, Jr. 34,967 41.35
12 Republican Stewart Greenleaf Re-elected Republican Stewart Greenleaf 50,319 63.34
Democratic Ruth S. Damsker 29,123 36.66
14 Democratic John Yudichak Re-elected Democratic John Yudichak 41,980 100.00
16 Republican Pat Browne Re-elected Republican Pat Browne 36,745 62.39
Democratic Walter Felton, Jr. 22,146 37.61
18 Democratic Lisa Boscola Re-elected Democratic Lisa Boscola 54,943 100.00
20 Republican Lisa Baker Re-elected Republican Lisa Baker 51,946 100.00
22 Democratic John Blake Re-elected Democratic John Blake 45,716 68.31
Republican Arthur Joseph Albert 21,213 31.69
24 Republican Bob Mensch Re-elected Republican Bob Mensch 41,885 59.90
Democratic Jack Hansen 28,041 40.10
26 Republican Edwin Erickson Retired Republican Thomas J. McGarrigle 45,910 52.12
Democratic John I. Kane 42,170 47.88
28 Republican Scott Wagner Re-elected Republican Scott Wagner 46,247 64.72
Democratic Linda E. Small 25,205 35.28
30 Republican John Eichelberger Re-elected Republican John Eichelberger 52,042 100.00
32 Democratic Rich Kasunic Retired Republican Patrick J. Stefano 36,670 57.21
Democratic Deberah L. Kula 27,428 42.79
34 Republican Jake Corman Re-elected Republican Jake Corman 46,391 100.00
36 Republican Mike Brubaker Retired Republican Ryan P. Aument 54,058 72.32
Democratic Gary J. Schrekengost 20,686 27.68
38 Democratic Jim Ferlo District moved Republican Randy Vulakovich 58,599 100.00
40 Republican Randy Vulakovich District moved Republican Mario Scavello 38,417 59.88
Democratic Mark D. Aurand 25,739 40.12
42 Democratic Wayne D. Fontana Re-elected Democratic Wayne D. Fontana 53,080 100.00
44 Republican John Rafferty, Jr. Re-elected Republican John Rafferty, Jr. 48,655 61.39
Democratic Kathi Cozzone 30,597 38.61
46 Democratic Tim Solobay Defeated Republican Camera C. Bartolotta 36,697 53.23
Democratic Tim Solobay 32,237 46.77
48 Republican Mike Folmer Re-elected Republican Mike Folmer 54,900 100.00
50 Republican Robert D. Robbins Retired Republican Michele Brooks 41,500 65.66
Democratic Michael T. Muha 21,701 34.34

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State[4]

References

  1. "PA 2014 Election Calendar". Committee of Seventy. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  2. Wikisource:Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 1874/Article 2
  3. "Democrats expect gains in state Senate". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 19, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "2014 General Election". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  5. "Pa. Sen. LeAnna Washington Loses Primary Amid Legal Difficulties". CBS Philly. May 21, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
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