GOP absorbs losses but retains control in state Legislature

HARRISBURG >> Democrats made significant inroads in both chambers of the Pennsylvania Legislature during Tuesday’s election, but Republicans began the day with margins large enough to absorb those losses and still have comfortable governing majorities in both the House and Senate.

A Democratic electoral wave in the Philadelphia suburbs turned at least 12 state House and four state Senate districts from red to blue.

Five House and two Senate districts, all but one most recently in Republican hands, remain too close to call.

Rep. Kate Harper, a nineterm Montgomery County Republican, had survived a series of tough races over the years before losing Tuesday in a district almost evenly divided by party registration.

“It’s too early to drink, but I am eating all the leftover Halloween candy,” Harper said Wednesday. “Those of us from the southeast, call us independent, call us moderate, call us bipartisan, whatever you want. We were in the minority in the Republican caucus, but the middle is where things happen.”

Going into the voting, Republicans were defending majorities of 121-82 in the House and 34-16 in the Senate.

Republican Sens. Tom McGarrigle, of Delaware County, and John Rafferty, of Montgomery County, were defeated, and the son and namesake of retiring Republican Sen. Stewart Greenleaf could not retain his Montgomery County seat. A former state representative, Steve Santasiero, won a Bucks County seat left vacant by the retirement of Republican Sen. Chuck McIlhinney.

Democrat Lindsey Williams is clinging to a narrow lead over Republican Jeremy Shaffer for GOP Sen. Randy Vulakovich’s seat in Allegheny County, as is Republican Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, of Bucks County, over his challenger, Democratic state Rep. Tina Davis.