Benninghoff withdraws from GOP leader race in Pa. House
HARRISBURG — With House Republicans expected to elect their new leadership Tuesday, current House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, eliminated some of the drama by taking himself out of the running.
His announcement, shared with other House Republicans by email around 10 a.m. Monday, presumably clears the way for House Speaker Bryan Cutler, RLancaster, to take the post of Republican leader in the House — as the Speaker’s gavel will likely go to House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton after Democrats won 102 of the 203 House
seats in the election earlier this month.
In that email, Mr. Benninghoff said his decision is intended to be a unifying move.
“This year I again listened to retirement speeches, many of which mentioned optimism and joy at the opportunity to spend more time with family. I do not want to wait until I retire or regret it when I am dead that I was not able to do the same,” Mr. Benninghoff said in a statement provided by his office.
“Over the last two-and-ahalf years as Majority Leader, I have spent a tremendous amount of time on the road attending fundraisers, supporting members in their districts, and helping to raise the profile of the House Republican Caucus. Stepping aside now opens the door for someone else to step up to a position of responsibility and inject new ideas into the caucus.”
Democrats are poised to take majority control of the chamber for the first time since 2010 — a surprising development spurred by more favorable maps due to redistricting and what turned out to be a blue wave on Election Night with Democrats also winning the race for governor and electing a Democrat in the U.S. Senate.
The Democrats’ path to the majority became clear on Thursday though when incumbent Republican Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, conceded defeat in his re-election bid against Democrat Melissa Cerrato in the 151st District. With Ms. Cerrato’s victory, Democrats will hold at least 102 of the 203 seats in the chamber.
But while Democrats won the most seats in the election, they don’t hold a clear majority because their 102seat caucus includes a district where the Democratic candidate – Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny — is deceased but won anyway. Until a special election can be held to determine DeLuca’s successor, both Democrats and Republicans will have 101 members.