Allegheny County special election date set, results will determine state House control

The dates for three pivotal state House special elections in Allegheny County are set following legal wrangling over who could schedule them and when they would be held.

The outcomes of the races will determine which party controls the state House for the remainder of the two-year session.

The Allegheny County Elections Division announced this week that preparations are underway for the three special elections that will be held on Feb. 7. Voters in the 32nd, 34th and 35th state House districts will choose candidates to fill those seats.

A vacancy in one of the districts resulted from the October death of former state Rep. Tony DeLuca, who represented the 32nd District. The other vacancies were created after former state Rep. Summer Lee, of the 34th District, was elected to Congress and former state Rep. Austin Davis, of the 35th District, was elected to be Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor.

Lee and Davis also appeared on the November ballot as state House candidates in their respective and easily won reelection, as did DeLuca.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg argued for weeks over who could set the special elections and what date they would be held, ultimately leading to lawsuits and eventually a ruling from Commonwealth Court.

With the vacancies, Republicans currently have a narrow majority in the state House, but the three districts in question were won by Democrats in November. If Democrats win the special election races, they would hold a narrow majority.

Last week, a three-judge Commonwealth Court panel ruled in favor of the Democrats’ preference to hold all three elections on Feb. 7. Republicans had requested that the special elections in the 34th and 35th districts be held on the same day as the May primary.

Only voters who are registered in the 32nd, 34th and 35th state House districts can vote in the special elections. The 32nd District includes Oakmont, Penn Hills, Verona and a section of Plum. The 34th District includes Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood and Wilkinsburg, Swissvale, Forest Hills, Braddock and other eastern suburbs. The 35th District includes McKeesport, Homestead, Duquesne, Clairton and other Mon Valley communities.

The 32nd District will see Republican Clayton Walker take on Democrat Joe McAndrew. Walker, of Verona, is an Army veteran and pastor at the Mustard Seed Church. McAndrew, of Penn Hills, is a former staffer for Democratic state lawmakers and former executive director of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

In the 34th District, Republican Robert Pagane will face off against Democrat Abigail Salisbury. Pagane, of Wilkins, is a former police officer. Salisbury is a Swissvale councilwoman who runs a law firm.

The 35th District will see Republican Don Nevills take on Democrat Matthew Gergely. Nevills, of Clairton, is a Navy veteran and small-business owner. Gergely, of McKeesport, works as chief revenue officer for the Mon Valley city.

Democrats are heavily favored in each contest as Democrats have at least a 2-1 voter registration advantage in each district.

The last day to register to vote in the special elections is Jan. 23. Registered voters have until Jan. 31 to apply for a mail-in ballot, and have until 8 p.m. Feb. 7 to return mail-in ballots. Voters choosing not to vote by mail can vote in person at their respective polling places, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 7.

Registered voters who live in the districts can also vote over the counter starting Jan. 18 at the Allegheny County Office Building at 542 Forbes Ave. in Downtown Pittsburgh from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.

For more information, visit the county’s special election page on the county’s website.