A Republican Wins in Philadelphia!
The 2024 election results were a boon to Republicans nationwide and, in no small part, thanks to Pennsylvania. President-elect Trump and Senator-elect Dave McCormick won the state of Pennsylvania despite not winning Philadelphia County. However, the GOP still secured a victory in the Democratic city of brotherly love that resembled Republican wins across the country.
Republican challenger Joe Picozzi defeated incumbent Democrat state Sen. Jimmy Dillon by a slim margin — 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent — for Pennsylvania’s 5th district located in Philadelphia’s northeast suburb. It marks the first time in almost 30 years that a Republican has won a state Senate seat in the region.
Picozzi, 29, is an Eagle Scout, a graduate of Georgetown University, and the son of a Philadelphia firefighter. Despite being a novice to the campaign side of politics, Picozzi worked a short stint as a scheduler for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy while attending Georgetown.
His credentials as a millennial Republican with TikTok influence earned him support from the state GOP but no official endorsement from the Philadelphia Republicans. Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-one in terms of registered voters, but that didn’t stop Senate President Kim Ward from endorsing him and the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee from supporting him with $700,000 in contributions, according to the campaign finance audits.
Despite the odds, Picozzi’s grassroots campaign, which zeroed in on crime as the primary issue, made a significant impact. His team knocked on over 70,000 doors and engaged with thousands of voters, discussing solutions for public safety and standard conservative approaches to law and order. This local initiative proved to be a game-changer.
Democrats did not take Picozzi seriously as a candidate, which hurt them in the end. Democrats spent only $254,000 on the campaign, most of that during the final weeks. One Democrat told The Philadelphia Inquirer that this was the “most embarrassing” loss of the 2024 election cycle.
Senator-elect Picozzi’s win keeps Pennsylvania Senate Republicans in control with a six-seat majority. It has broader implications for the city at large though. Picozzi’s deputy campaign manager, Sonny Mazzone, spoke of the importance of this campaign, stating it has “potential for a new chapter in Philadelphia.”
It should also signal the potential for the GOP to start investing in races in urban cities and running younger movement conservatives now that Democrats are in the wilderness after their 2024 election loss. If Republicans can win races in Philadelphia, they can win anywhere.
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