Democrats are declaring victory in a Tuesday special election for a Pennsylvania state House seat, flipping a district that has supported Republican candidates for decades.
Brandon Dukes, the Democratic candidate, defeated Republican Scott Timko with a lead just shy of 100 votes in the race to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th District, according to Decision Desk HQ. The pair will face off again in the general election this November for a full two-year term in the state House.
GOP state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba’s April resignation sparked the special election. At the time, she told fellow state representatives that she was leaving the post to spend more time with her family.
Pennsylvania’s District 12 — which includes some of Pittsburgh — has not elected a Democrat to the state House in more than 20 years, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. During 2024’s general election, President Trump won the district by 18 points, while Scialabba won her race by 30 points.
Dukes’s victory temporarily broadens Democrats’ slim majority in the state House to 103-100. Less than one-third of registered voters in the district cast a ballot in the Tuesday special election, the Capital-Star reported, leaving the door open for another competitive match-up in November.
In a statement shared with the Capital-Star on Wednesday, Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee spokesperson Bob Bozzuto held out hope for GOP candidates, noting that the general election will likely have “significantly more voter turnout” than the special election.
“The General Election starts today with Scott Timko reaching out to voters, building a winning coalition, and holding Brandon Dukes accountable for his extreme positions that he continues to hide from voters,” Bozzuto told the local outlet.
Still, Democrats celebrated the victory, with former Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) suggesting the race’s outcome indicates of a broader dip in support for the Republican Party.
“This is a big deal: Brandon Dukes just flipped a Pennsylvania state House seat held by Republicans for almost 30 years,” Buttigieg wrote in a Wednesday morning social media post. “His victory in Butler County reflects voters’ readiness for change, and the trust that he has earned in his district. I’m proud to be in his corner.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) similarly labeled Dukes’s victory as a significant win for his party, pointing to the district’s historic support for GOP candidates in presidential and state-level contests.
“Pennsylvanians are rising up and using their power to combat the chaos, cruelty, and corruption — and we’re not slowing down,” Shapiro wrote in a social media post following the Democrat’s victory. “I was proud to back Brandon. Congratulations State Representative-Elect Dukes — I look forward to getting stuff done together.”
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