AVOCA – State Rep. Jim Haddock has defeated Luzerne County Council Member John Lombardo, winning his reelection bid for a third term.
Lombardo contacted Haddock to concede a little after 9:30 p.m., both candidates confirmed.
With all Lackawanna and Luzerne County precincts reporting in the 118th district reporting, Haddock had won 16,767 votes, or nearly 62% of the total cast, leading Lombardo, who received 10,427 votes.
Dozens of supporters filling Boozer’s Sports Bar in Avoca at an election-night watch party erupted in cheers when Haddock, a Democrat from Pittston Twp., arrived around 10 p.m. to deliver a victory speech.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to the people of the 118th district who stood behind me one more time and really catapulted us to the top,” Haddock said. “I owe you all a debt of gratitude.”
Lombardo, the Republican nominee in the race, held his election watch party at Dooley’s Pub in Old Forge, with around two dozen attendees at his watch party at around 8:30 p.m.
“I’m happy to be able to continue serving on Luzerne County Council,” Lombardo said to The Citizens’ Voice on Tuesday night after his concession. “It’ll be an honor to continue working for all the residents of Luzerne County.”
Haddock, a former mayor of Avoca who was first elected to the state House in 2022, centered much of his campaign on his experience.
In his victory speech, Haddock thanked all the organizations that supported him, singling out the support he received from teachers and labor unions that supported him.
“Myself, the governor, the Democratic House works hard for education,” Haddock said. “We work hard for our friends in unions.”
Lombardo, a 33-year-old Pittston resident, is currently serving as a firefighter in the Pittston Fire Department and as a volunteer fire captain, something he often noted in his campaign.
“I’m somebody that, as a first responder, who doesn’t look at his service in politics through the lens of being a Democrat or Republican,” Lombardo said before results came in Tuesday. “I want to serve you….
State Rep. Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., celebrates his reelection at his election night watch party at Boozers Sports Bar in Avoca on Nov. 3, 2026. (CHRISTOPHER DOYLE/STAFF PHOTO)
Luzerne County Council Member John Lombardo, a Pittston resident and the Republican nominee for the 118th state House district, at his election-night watch party on Nov. 3, 2026 with supporter Marcia Roney of Dupont. Lombardo conceded the race a little after 9:30 p.m. on Election Day (CHRISTOPHER DOYLE/STAFF PHOTO)
Luzerne County Council Member John Lombardo, a Pittston resident and the Republican nominee for the 118th state House district, his election-night watch party on Nov. 3, 2026. Lombardo conceded the race a little after 9:30 p.m. on Election Day (CHRISTOPHER DOYLE/STAFF PHOTO)
State Rep. Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., celebrates his reelection at his election night watch party at Boozers Sports Bar in Avoca on Nov. 3, 2026. (CHRISTOPHER DOYLE/STAFF PHOTO)
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State Rep. Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., celebrates his reelection at his election night watch party at Boozers Sports Bar in Avoca on Nov. 3, 2026. (CHRISTOPHER DOYLE/STAFF PHOTO)
The race in the 118th House District, like many state and federal races throughout the country, centered on affordability. Both candidates said residents they spoke with when canvassing homes and speaking at events expressed anxieties over the cost of living and asked what could be done to lower prices.
Haddock said that voters largely blamed inflation on federal dysfunction, citing the war with Iran that President Donald Trump launched earlier this year. He said he has worked in the General Assembly to offer tax breaks to people in need, such as seniors, widows, and working families.
“We work for working families to make things affordable,” Haddock said.
Lombardo said the reasons for his defeat were “multi-faceted,” partly attributing it to opposition to President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings have plummeted nationwide, turning out some voters against all Republicans.
He also said some powerful donors in the commonwealth withdrew support they committed his campaign after a Republican defeat in a special elections earlier this year, functionally abandoning the 118th district to the Democrats.
Haddock raised over $85,000 in the last reporting cycle of the campaign and received almost $205,000 in in-kind contributions, principally from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, according to campaign finance records. Lombardo received more than $39,000 in the last reporting period and noted he received just $5,531 in in-kind contributions, mostly from the House Republican Campaign Committee.
“I was one of the sacrificial lambs of this election cycle,” Lombardo said. “And I won’t forget that.”
The victory of Haddock in the 118th district was part of a trend of Democratic victories across the commonwealth, with Democrats projected to expand their state House majority and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti projected to defeat U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Dallas Twp.
“Locally, we have put a check on our illustrious president,” Haddock said.