PA-HD35: In 35th District special election, GOP newcomer takes on a longtime McKeesport Democrat
State House District 35 represents many Monongahela Valley communities that are still struggling economically from decades-old economic changes, such as McKeesport, Clairton and Duquesne. But the outcome of a Feb. 7 special election here is one of three that could reshape the map of the entire state.
If Republicans can pick off one of the three open seats in Democratic-leaning districts on Feb. 7, they would gain control of the House of Representatives. Republicans already control the Senate and jointly they can propose constitutional amendments that bypass Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s veto. If Democrats win all three races, they would gain control of the House for only the third session in the last 28 years.
On its face, the election to fill the vacancy left when Austin Davis became lieutenant governor looks like a typical insider vs. outsider race. There’s a Democrat who has spent 20 years working in the public sector, and says his familiarity with leaders in the Mon Valley and Harrisburg are his biggest asset. And there’s a Republican who served in the military and ran a tattoo business who thinks it’s time for political change.
McKeesport Democrat Matthew Gergely is sending out mailings that highlight his support for public schools, unions and reproductive freedom. Clairton Republican Don Nevills is running as a pro-life, tough-on-crime, tax-cutting Republican in a historically Democratic district.
https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2023-01-30/in-35th-district-special-election-gop-newcomer-takes-on-a-longtime-mckeesport-democrat
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