Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2024
| 2024 Pennsylvania Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | April 23, 2024 |
| General | November 5, 2024 |
| 2024 Elections |
|---|
| Choose a chamber below: |
General elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate occurred on November 5, 2024. There were 25 state Senate seats up for election. Republicans maintained the 28-22 majority they had before the elections.
Both the Republican State Leadership Committee and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee listed Pennsylvania as a state in which they would prioritize state legislative elections in 2024.[1]
If Democrats gained control of the state Senate and maintained control of the state House in 2024, Pennsylvania would have become a Democratic trifecta. If Republicans maintained control of the state Senate or gained control of the state House, Pennsylvania would have remained a divided government.
If Democrats gained three seats, the chamber would have been tied with 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans, with Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (D) breaking tie votes. If Democrats gained more than three seats, they would have controlled the chamber outright. If Republicans lost fewer than three seats, they would have retained control of the chamber and prevented a Democratic trifecta. Click here to read more about state government trifectas.
Ballotpedia identified six battleground districts. Democrats and Republicans represented three of those districts. Incumbents ran in four of these races, and the other two seats were open, meaning no incumbent ran. Click here to read more about the battleground elections.
Reporter Anna Gustafson wrote before the election, "Democratic lawmakers told the Pennsylvania Independent that they are paying particular attention to three districts in the Senate: the recently redrawn 15th District in central Pennsylvania, the 37th in Allegheny County, and the 49th in Erie County. Each of those districts is currently represented by a Republican. Democrats also said they’re looking to retain control of the 45th in Allegheny County."[2]
Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee communications director Michael Straw said before the election, "While our candidates in these seats have proven records and have put themselves in a strong position, we are taking nothing for granted. As far as offensive pick-ups, ... we see some real opportunities in Western and Southeast Pennsylvania to expand our majority.”[2]
No incumbents lost in the primaries. Click here to learn more.
Pennsylvania was one of 10 states with a divided government. Democrats controlled the governor's office and the state House, and Republicans controlled the state Senate. The last Democratic trifecta in Pennsylvania was 1993. The last Republican trifecta in Pennsylvania was 2014.
The Pennsylvania State Senate was one of 85 state legislative chambers with elections in 2024. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Pennsylvania
General election race ratings
The table below displays race ratings for each race in this chamber from CNalysis.
Battleground elections
Ballotpedia identified the battleground elections below based on media coverage and race ratings. Click on the tabs to view the candidates who ran, a brief description of the race, district partisan history, and Candidate Connection survey responses.
Of the six battleground districts, Republicans represented three and Democrats represented three. Incumbents ran in four of these races, while the other two were in open districts, meaning no incumbents ran. Two of the districts were rated a Toss-Up.
The map below highlights each battleground district colored based on the party affiliation of the incumbent.
| Pennsylvania State Senate battleground elections, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| District | 2020 vote | CNalysis rating |
| Assembly District 5 | Unopposed | Lean Democratic |
| Assembly District 9 | 52.0%-48.0% | Very Likely Democratic |
| Assembly District 15 | 51.6%-48.4% | Very Likely Democratic |
| Assembly District 37 | 52.1%-47.9% | Toss-up |
| Assembly District 45 | 50.0%-50.0% | Likely Democratic |
| Assembly District 49 | 59.8.0%-40.2% | Toss-up |
Race information
Incumbent Jimmy Dillon (D) assumed office in 2022. Joe Picozzi (R) worked in U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R) office and for the Manhattan Institute.[3][4]
District information
Race information
Incumbent John Kane (D) assumed office in 2020. Mike Woodin (R) had a career in finance and served on the Avon Grove School District Board of Directors.[6] This district was named a battleground because the 2020 winner received less than 55% of the vote.
District information
Race information
This race was for an open seat, as incumbent John DiSanto (R) did not run for re-election. Patty Kim (D) was a state representative. She assumed office in 2012. Nick DiFrancesco (R) was a former Dauphin County commissioner and the current county treasurer.[8] This district was named a battleground because the 2020 winner received less than 55% of the vote.
District information
Race information
Incumbent Devlin Robinson (R) assumed office in 2020. Nicole Ruscitto (D) was a teacher.[10] This district was named a battleground because the 2020 winner received less than 55% of the vote.
District information
- As of Oct. 4, 2024, CNalysis rated Senate District 37 as Toss-up. According to that analysis, former President Donald Trump (R) would have won the district under the current map by a margin of 1.3 percentage points in 2020.[11]
Race information
This race was for an open seat, as incumbent James Brewster (D) did not run for re-election. Nick Pisciottano (D) was a state representative. He assumed office in 2020. Jen Dintini (R) owned a security business.[12] This district was named a battleground because the 2020 winner received less than 55% of the vote.
District information
Race information
Incumbent Daniel Laughlin (R) assumed office in 2016. Jim Wertz (D) was a news broadcaster and production manager and the former chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party.[14]
District information
- As of Oct. 4, 2024, CNalysis rated Senate District 49 as Toss-up. According to that analysis, President Donald Trump (D) would have won the district under the current map by a margin of 2.4 percentage points in 2020.[15]
Candidates
General election
Primary
Party control
| Pennsylvania State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 27 | |
| Vacancy | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 |
Campaign finance
- See also: Campaign finance
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
One incumbent lost in the general elections. The average number of incumbents defeated in general elections from 2010 to 2022 was also one.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Dillon |  Democratic |
Senate District 5 |
Incumbents defeated in primaries
No incumbents lost in primaries. This was less than the average of 0.7 incumbent defeats per cycle from 2010 to 2022.
Retiring incumbents
Three incumbents did not file for re-election in 2024.[16] This was lower than the average number of retirements (four) in even-year elections from 2010 to 2022. The incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| John DiSanto |  Republican |
Senate District 15 |
| Mike Regan | Republican |
Senate District 31 |
| James Brewster | Democratic |
Senate District 45 |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Pennsylvania. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Pennsylvania in 2024. Information below was calculated on April 16, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
There were 228 state legislative seats up for election in 2024 in Pennsylvania. Across those, 17 incumbents (six Democrats and 11 Republicans) did not file to run for re-election. That was the fewest number of retirements since Ballotpedia began tracking this data in 2010. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of retirements per cycle was 26.6. In 2022, 38 incumbents did not run for re-election (nine Democrats and 28 Republicans) .
The total number of contested primaries (with more than one candidate) was also a decade-low. In 2024, there were 36 contested primaries (16 Democratic and 20 Republican) out of a possible 456, a rate of 7.9%. This was the lowest number since Ballotpedia began tracking these data in 2010. The next lowest year was 2016 when 49 primaries had more than one candidate, a rate of 10.7%. In 2022, there were 81 primaries (35 Democratic and 46 Republican) for a rate of 17.8% contested primaries.
Pennsylvania state legislative primaries took place on April 23, 2024.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 2010 to 2024.[17]
| Open Seats in Pennsylvania State Senate elections: 2010 - 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2024 | 25 | 3 (12 percent) | 22 (88 percent) |
| 2022 | 25 | 5 (20 percent) | 20 (80 percent) |
| 2020 | 25 | 2 (8 percent) | 23 (92 percent) |
| 2018 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2016 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2014 | 25 | 5 (20 percent) | 20 (80 percent) |
| 2012 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2010 | 25 | 3 (12 percent) | 22 (88 percent) |
Legislative referrals
- See also: Legislative referral
A legislative referral, or legislatively referred ballot measure, is a ballot measure that appears on the ballot due to a vote of the state legislature. A legislative referral can be a constitutional amendment, state statute, or bond issue.
As of the 2024 election, a simple majority vote was required during two successive legislative sessions for the Pennsylvania State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 102 votes in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Pennsylvania State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
At the time of the 2024 election, Republicans held a 28-22 majority in the Senate, and Democrats held a 102-101 majority in the House. Democrats needed to win four Senate seats to be able to pass legislative referrals without Republican votes. Republicans needed to win one House seat to have the same ability.
Process to become a candidate
Generally speaking, there are two types of petition forms that prospective candidates may need to file in order to gain access to the ballot.
- Nomination petitions: These are the petition forms used by political party candidates.
- Nomination papers: These are the petition forms used by independent and political party designation candidates.
For party candidates
See statutes: Pennsylvania Election Code, Chapter 14, Article 9
Party candidates for state office must file nomination petitions with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Signature requirements are summarized below (for more information regarding nomination petitions, see "Nomination petitions" below).[18]
| Nomination petition signature requirements in Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | Required signatures |
| U.S. Senator | 2,000 |
| U.S. House Representative | 1,000 |
| Governor | 2,000 |
| Lt. Governor | 1,000 |
| State senator | 500 |
| State representative | 300 |
Each candidate must file a candidate affidavit with his or her nomination petition. The affidavit must include the candidate's address, election district, the name of the office being sought, a statement verifying the candidate's eligibility for said office, and a statement verifying that the candidate will not "knowingly violate any provision of this act [i.e., the election code], or of any law regulating and limiting nomination and election expenses and prohibiting corrupt practices in connection therewith."[19]
The candidate must also pay a filing fee. Filing fees must be submitted with nomination petitions. Fees are summarized in the table below.[20]
| Filing fees in Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | Fee |
| United States Senator, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, auditor general, attorney general | $200 |
| United States Representative | $150 |
| State legislator | $100 |
In addition, a candidate for state office must file a statement of financial interests with the state ethics commission. A copy of this statement must be attached to the nomination petition submitted to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, as well.
For other candidates
See statutes: Article 9, Part (b) of the Pennsylvania Election Code
Like party candidates participating in the primary, independent, minor political party, and political body candidates for state office (including the Pennsylvania General Assembly) must submit candidate affidavits and statements of financial interests to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Candidates must also pay the same filing fees as primary candidates. Independent, minor party, and political body candidates must also file nomination papers (not to be confused with the nomination petitions party candidates participating in the primary must complete). Candidates filing nomination papers must obtain signatures from electors of the district equal to at least 2 percent of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate in the last election within the district.[21][22] For more information regarding nomination papers, see "Nomination papers" below.[23]
For write-in candidates
Pennsylvania does not require write-in candidates to file paperwork in order to have their votes tallied.
Qualifications
Under Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[24] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $106,422.33/year | $185/day |
When sworn in
Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[25]
Pennsylvania political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | _ |
Presidential politics in Pennsylvania
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
 |
Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified. |
Total votes: 6,915,283 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Pennsylvania, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 47.5% | 2,926,441 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
48.2% | 2,970,733 | 20 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 2.4% | 146,715 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.8% | 49,941 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.3% | 21,572 | 0 | |
| - | Other/Write-in | 0.8% | 50,076 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 6,165,478 | 20 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission |
Pennsylvania presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 14 Democratic wins
- 17 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[26] | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | R |
Redistricting after the 2020 census
On February 23, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled to enact a new congressional map.[27] Over a dozen maps were submitted to the supreme court, including the map approved by the legislature. The court ultimately selected the Carter map in a 4-3 ruling, which was submitted by a group of Pennsylvania citizens who were petitioners in a redistricting-related lawsuit. Justices Debra Todd (D), Sallie Mundy (R), and Kevin Brobson (R) dissented.[28] Spotlight PA's Kate Huangpu wrote that the map is "as similar as possible to the current congressional map, with nearly 90% of residents staying in the same district."[28] This map took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 congressional elections.
On February 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-1 to approve new state House and Senate maps.[29] House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R) voted no, while Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R), state Rep. Joanna McClinton (D), state Sen. Jay Costa (D), and chairman Mark Nordenberg voted yes.[29] These maps took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.
2024 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:
- Colorado's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)
- North Carolina Secretary of State election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
- Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District election, 2024
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pluribus News, "Dems, GOP pump millions into legislative elections," September 3, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pennsylvania Independent, "Pennsylvania Democrats haven’t had a trifecta in 31 years. Could that change in November?" June 18, 2024
- ↑ Joe Pecozzi 2024 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Linkedin, "Joseph Picozzi," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Mike Woodin 2024 campaign website, "About Mike Woodin," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Linkedin, "Nick DiFrancesco," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Nicole Ruscitto 2024 campaign website, "Meet Nicole," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Jen Dintini 2024 campaign website, "Meet Jen Dintini," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Jim Wertz 2024 campaign website, "Meet Jim Wertz," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ CNalysis, "Pennsylvania," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.1 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2870 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2873 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Note: As the result of a court order (Constitution Party v. Cortés (No. 12-2726; E.D. Pa. 2015), political body candidates seeking statewide office may submit signatures totaling 2.5 times the requirement for political party candidates seeking placement on the primary election ballot.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Third Party Nomination Paperwork," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.2 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ Progressive Party
- ↑ Pennsylvania Supreme Court, "Order," February 23, 2022
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Spotlight PA, "Pennsylvania Supreme Court picks congressional map put forth by state voters," February 23, 2022
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs nameddr
Leadership
Majority Leader:Joe Pittman
Minority Leader:Jay Costa
Senators
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (22)
Vacancies (1)
