Democrat Brandon Dukes flips Pennsylvania House District 12 in special election
BUTLER, Pa. —
Brandon Dukes, a Democrat, won the special election for Pennsylvania House District 12, defeating Republican Scott Timko by fewer than 100 votes to claim a seat held by Republicans since the late 1990s.
“What we did was very big last night and very insightful for other candidates who are running in the state. So, we’re hoping it can carry along with our momentum,” Dukes said.
He added, “Very excited to get to Harrisburg and get to work and bring good things back to the district from Harrisburg.”
In a statement, Timko described the election as “extremely close” and expressed optimism for the general election in November.
“I look forward to November when more citizens will have a chance to make their voices heard in a real general election, not one held in summer as kids are going back to school. This special election was always just a pit stop on the road to November. There is an opportunity in these results to emerge stronger and more unified as a party,” Timko said
Dukes will be sworn in next month. He said his focus during his initial months in office and his campaign will include addressing cost-of-living concerns, public education funding, and infrastructure investments.
Timko told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 Wednesday evening that he has “spoken to Brandon to offer congratulations,” further saying, “with a race so close, we would like to wait until all provisional and military ballots are counted before making the next phone call. Our team is looking forward to the election in November.”
The election was held to replace former state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, who resigned in March.
Eugene DePasquale, chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, highlighted the significance of Dukes’ win.
“The reason why this win is big, beyond just adding one more seat to the Democratic column. There’s just no way a Democrat wins this seat without a very big chunk of Trump voters voting for him. That the math just is impossible without that,” DePasquale said.
Republican state Rep. Aaron Bernstine of District 8 said special elections do not reflect the views of the entire district and pledged his support for Timko in November.
“It’s important people understand the value of having Republicans in the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives. Governor Shapiro has consistently proposed in the House, Democrats have advocated for massive spending increases. This isn’t something that can be afforded. It’s not something that people in Butler County want. We need to make sure we’re making that case to each and every voter,” Bernstine said.