(WHTM) – With the election one week away, Pennsylvania Democrats are giving a lot of green with the hope of seeing blue and expanding their narrow majority in the State House on Election Day.<\/p>\n
Their top target? A once ruby-red seat in Cumberland County.<\/p>\n
Mechanicsburg Borough Councilmember Sarah Agerton is running against veteran Jeff Clark (R) to replace retiring Republican State Rep. Sheryl Delozier, who has served for 18 years, in Pennsylvania’s 88th House District.<\/p>\n
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The district covers Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland and Shiremanstown Boroughs, as well as Hampden and Lower Allen Townships. It’s a growing region in a state<\/a> that has seen some areas shrink.<\/p>\n According to campaign finance records, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee each made in-kind donations worth more than $435,000 to Agerton’s campaign since June, hoping to flip the seat. Most of the money came in around Labor Day when election season heats up.<\/p>\n Campaign finance records show Agerton, who is running for the third time after being defeated twice by Delozier, has raised $639,226.36 during the campaign cycle, while Clark has raised $12,710.86.<\/p>\n “I knew the first race was going to be tough,” Agerton told abc27’s Dennis Owens. “I committed to running multiple times because I knew it was a purple district. And here I am. Third time’s a charm.”<\/p>\n Clark defeated Savannah Martin<\/a>, a former lobbyist<\/a> endorsed by the Republican Party’s power brokers, by 72 votes in the May primary.<\/p>\n “I think that (the party) could have done a little bit more stuff,” Clark, a retired policeman, told Owens.<\/p>\n Clark estimates he’s visited 10,000 front doors in the district trying to spread his message.<\/p>\n “It’s a lot of pressure going forward with this,” Clark said. “They said I’m getting a really good outcome at door knocking. Listen to what the public wants.”<\/p>\n Agerton says she’s also listening and believes the district wants change.<\/p>\n “They want to see, you know, like different policies,” Agerton says. “They want higher minimum wage. They want portable, accessible health care. They like funding for public education.”<\/p>\n Delozier, who has been elected to the seat nine times, says she hopes voters reject Agerton a third time.<\/p>\n “Many times I was not with the Republican caucus because I voted for the 88th,” explained Delozier. “And I pride myself on the fact that I voted with the 88 wanted, not necessarily what the big picture wanted.”<\/p>\n Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026. Pennsylvania voters<\/a> had until Oct. 19 to\u00a0register to vote<\/a> and Oct. 27 to request a mail-in or absentee ballot<\/a>. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., barring a judicial order.<\/p>\n