2014 Pennsylvania Senate election

Last updated

2014 Pennsylvania Senate election
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
  2012 November 4, 2014 (2014-11-04) 2016  

All even-numbered seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
  Joe Scarnati.jpg Jay Costa 2018.png
Leader Joe Scarnati Jay Costa
Party Republican Democratic
Leader sinceJanuary 2, 2007 (2007-01-02)January 4, 2011 (2011-01-04)
Leader's seat 25th 43rd
Last election2723
Seats won187
Seats after3020
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 3
Popular vote883,122735,709
Percentage54.51%45.41%

PAStateSenate2014.svg
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]

Contents

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] [ circular reference ]

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%).

These were the first elections held under new maps drawn using data from the 2010 census. Maps intended for use in the 2012 elections were struck down by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania due to splitting too many counties and municipalities unnecessarily. The court later allowed a new set of maps drawn by Republicans to pass despite accusations of partisan gerrymandering from Democrats, but they were not passed in time to be used for the 2012 elections. [6]

Results overview

AffiliationCandidatesVotesVote %Seats WonSeats After
Republican 21883,12254.51%18 (Increase2.svg3)30
Democratic 20735,70945.41%7 (Decrease2.svg3)20
Independent 11,3550.08%00
Total421,620,186100%2550

Polling

District 10

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chuck
McIlhinney (R)
Steve
Cickay (D)
OtherUndecided
Thirty-Ninth Street [7] July 22–25, 2014400± ?56%32%12%

District 40

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Mario
Scavello (R)
Mark
Aurand (D)
OtherUndecided
Harper Polling [8] September 21–22, 2014754± 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]

DistrictPartyIncumbentStatusPartyCandidateVotes %
28 Republican Mike Waugh Resigned Write-In Scott Wagner 10,65447.51
Republican Ron Miller5,95126.54
Democratic Linda E. Small5,74425.61

General election

DistrictPartyIncumbentStatusPartyCandidateVotes %
2 Democratic Christine Tartaglione Re-elected Democratic Christine Tartaglione 35,40578.91
Republican John J. Jenkins III9,46421.09
4 Democratic LeAnna Washington Lost primary Democratic Arthur L. Haywood III 78,00181.37
Republican Robin Matthew Gilchrist16,49817.21
Independent Ines Reyes1,3551.41
6 Republican Robert M. Tomlinson Re-elected Republican Robert M. Tomlinson 45,36161.84
Democratic Kimberly Yeager-Rose27,99738.16
8 Democratic Anthony H. Williams Re-elected Democratic Anthony H. Williams 58,547100.00
10 Republican Chuck McIlhinney Re-elected Republican Chuck McIlhinney 49,60558.65
Democratic Stephen George Cickay, Jr.34,96741.35
12 Republican Stewart Greenleaf Re-elected Republican Stewart Greenleaf 50,31963.34
Democratic Ruth S. Damsker29,12336.66
14 Democratic John Yudichak Re-elected Democratic John Yudichak 41,980100.00
16 Republican Pat Browne Re-elected Republican Pat Browne 36,74562.39
Democratic Walter Felton, Jr.22,14637.61
18 Democratic Lisa Boscola Re-elected Democratic Lisa Boscola 54,943100.00
20 Republican Lisa Baker Re-elected Republican Lisa Baker 51,946100.00
22 Democratic John Blake Re-elected Democratic John Blake 45,71668.31
Republican Arthur Joseph Albert21,21331.69
24 Republican Bob Mensch Re-elected Republican Bob Mensch 41,88559.90
Democratic Jack Hansen28,04140.10
26 Republican Edwin Erickson Retired Republican Thomas J. McGarrigle 45,91052.12
Democratic John I. Kane 42,17047.88
28 Republican Scott Wagner Re-elected Republican Scott Wagner 46,24764.72
Democratic Linda E. Small25,20535.28
30 Republican John Eichelberger Re-elected Republican John Eichelberger 52,042100.00
32 Democratic Rich Kasunic Retired Republican Patrick J. Stefano 36,67057.21
Democratic Deberah L. Kula27,42842.79
34 Republican Jake Corman Re-elected Republican Jake Corman 46,391100.00
36 Republican Mike Brubaker Retired Republican Ryan P. Aument 54,05872.32
Democratic Gary J. Schrekengost20,68627.68
38 Democratic Jim Ferlo District moved Republican Randy Vulakovich 58,599100.00
40 Republican Randy Vulakovich District moved Republican Mario Scavello 38,41759.88
Democratic Mark D. Aurand25,73940.12
42 Democratic Wayne D. Fontana Re-elected Democratic Wayne D. Fontana 53,080100.00
44 Republican John Rafferty, Jr. Re-elected Republican John Rafferty, Jr. 48,65561.39
Democratic Kathi Cozzone30,59738.61
46 Democratic Tim Solobay Defeated Republican Camera C. Bartolotta 36,69753.23
Democratic Tim Solobay 32,23746.77
48 Republican Mike Folmer Re-elected Republican Mike Folmer 54,900100.00
50 Republican Robert D. Robbins Retired Republican Michele Brooks 41,50065.66
Democratic Michael T. Muha21,70134.34

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State [4]

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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.
  6. Gibson, Keegan (May 8, 2013). "Breaking: Supreme Court Upholds New Pa. House & Senate Lines". PoliticsPA. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  7. Thirty-Ninth Street
  8. Harper Polling