November 04, 2026
Dan Rainville/USA Today via Reuters Connect
Pennsylvania Democrats have a majority in both chambers of the state legislature after a dramatic 'blue tsunami' in the Tuesday general election.
The Democrats have flipped the Pennsylvania Senate, securing control of both legislative chambers and the governor's mansion for the first time since 1993.
The party claimed victory Wednesday amid what pundits called a "blue tsunami." Democrats wrested four Senate seats from the GOP for an overall 26-24 majority after the Associated Press declared wins for Brian Wrightson (District 40) and Mark Pinsley (District 16) shortly after 9:30 a.m. The party also expanded its existing edge in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 103-100 to at least 111 seats, with four races yet to be called.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) also easily won a second term. The Associated Press called his reelection over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity just minutes after the polls closed Tuesday at 8 p.m.
"We’ve been on a march to the majority since 2018 and with the voters on our side, we have arrived at it this year," state Sen. Vincent Hughes, chair of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, said in a statement. "Finally, the progress working families have been crying out for can be delivered in Harrisburg. We’re anxious to get to work with Governor Josh Shapiro, who was re-elected, and our colleagues in the House, who have expanded their majority."
One of the seats the Democrats flipped was Senate District 6, a large swath of Bucks County. Eileen Hartnett Albillar, the county's clerk of courts, defeated Republican incumbent Frank Farry in that race. Pinsley ousted Jarrett Coleman in nearby District 16, a mix of Bucks and Lehigh counties, while Democratic nominee Chris Thomas beat out Tracy Pennycuick in District 24, which covers parts of Montgomery and Berks counties.
Wrightson also notched a Democratic victory over Republican incumbent Rosemary Brown in District 40, which spans sections of Lackawanna, Wayne and Monroe counties.
The Democratic Party has not held the Pennsylvania legislative and executive branches since Gov. Robert Casey's second term. With a trifecta now in place, Shapiro is promising to "get a lot more stuff done." Several of his longtime targets, including raising the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 and legalizing marijuana, have stalled in the gridlocked Pennsylvania legislature.
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
