4 Pa. legislative special elections set for May 18

Vote will coincide with scheduled primary

State Rep. Jeff Pyle’s retirement this week will trigger a special election coinciding with the May 18 primary, the Pennsylvania House speaker announced on Wednesday.

Voters in parts of Armstrong, Butler and Indiana counties will decide who serves the remaining year-and-a-half of Mr. Pyle’s term in the 60th District seat.

Mr. Pyle retired on Tuesday, citing health issues. He suffered a stroke in 2020 and has been undergoing cancer treatments.

The 54-year-old Republican had represented the district — stretching from Blacklick in Indiana County, through Kittanning and Ford City, and west to Winfield — since 2005.

Republicans have a significant advantage in the district, outnumbering Democrats in voter registrations by more than 10,000. Mr. Pyle frequently ran unopposed in both his primary and general election campaigns. The last time he faced a Democrat was 2012, when he nearly doubled the vote total of Jo Ellen Bowman.

Candidates for the special election will be chosen by their respective political parties. The GOP will assemble chosen party members from the three counties to vote for their nominee. Democrats will call a special meeting of their State Executive Committee, according to the party’s bylaws.

Three other special elections for seats in the state Legislature will be held on primary day.

Democrat Mariah Fisher, a Ligonier Borough councilwoman, will face Republican Leslie Rossi, small-business owner and operator of the “Trump House,” in the race for the vacant 59th Legislative District seat covering parts of Westmoreland and Somerset counties. The special election was called after the death of GOP Rep. Mike Reese in January.

Bidding for the 48th Senatorial District in parts of Dauphin and York counties are Republican nominee Christopher Gebhard and Democratic nominee Doc Clements, as well as Libertarian Tim McMaster and independent

Ed Krebs, according to media reports. The winner will serve the remainder of Republican Dave Arnold’s term. Mr. Arnold died in January.

And there will be a race for the 22nd Senatorial District spanning Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties. Candidates haven’t yet been chosen. The former seat-holder, Sen. John Blake, a Democrat, resigned earlier this month to take a job with U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.