Pennsylvania Democrats Win State House in Truly Unbelievable Way
Pennsylvania Democrats will keep their majority in the state House, eking out an improbable victory after Kamala Harris failed to win the state (and most of the country).
Incumbent Democratic state Representative Frank Burns defeated Republican challenger Amy Bradley on Friday, allowing the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to maintain a slim, one-vote majority in the state House: 102 seats to 101. Burns was able to do this in Cambria County, a district that President-elect Donald Trump has won by at least 30 percent for the last three elections. In 2024, Trump beat Harris in the county by 46 points.
Burns, a conservative anti-abortion Democrat, has drawn the ire of the Pennsylvania GOP for some time now, as his seat was viewed as a vulnerable blue dot in a sea of red. But he was able to maintain his seat thanks to an influx of cash ($3.4 million from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee) and a potent advertising blitz to keep Democrats in control of the state House.
One ad the Burns campaign ran capitalized on his conservative views, stoking anti-immigration based fear and casting Bradley as against Trump’s draconian immigration plans. “President Trump supports secure borders and putting America first. But Amy Bradley doesn’t,” the ad stated menacingly. It was a successful tactic for Burns in his otherwise deep red district.
This win gives Democrats in Pennsylvania and beyond at least one thing to smile about in a despair-filled election cycle. The rest of the state was dominated by Republicans, as Trump won nationally, incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey lost to Republican Dave McCormick, and two blue congressional seats were also lost.