Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2020

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png

U.S. House • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Local judges • Local ballot measures • How to run for office
Flag of Pennsylvania.png


2020 Pennsylvania
Senate Elections
Flag of Pennsylvania.png
GeneralNovember 3, 2020
PrimaryJune 2, 2020
Past Election Results
201820162014
201220102008
2020 Elections
Choose a chamber below:


The partisan makeup of the Pennsylvania State Senate did not change following the 2020 elections. Twenty-five seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 28 seats, Democrats held 21, and a third-party legislator held one. The chamber's Republican majority did not change, remaining at 28-21 with one third-party legislator. In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained a net five seats, leaving the Republican Party with a 28-21 majority with one third-party legislator.

Ballotpedia identified four of the races as battlegrounds. Republicans held three of these districts, while Democrats held one. The four battleground districts were District 9, District 15, District 37, and District 49.

This race had the potential to influence the trifecta status of the state. Pennsylvania had been under divided government since 2014 when Democrats took control of the governorship, breaking the state’s Republican trifecta that began after the 2010 elections. In order to achieve a trifecta, Democrats needed to flip at least five seats to take control of the State Senate and 10 seats to take control of the House.

Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans held a majority in more chambers than Democrats. There was a Republican majority in 59 chambers and a Democratic majority in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.

Pennsylvania's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Pennsylvania, the state legislature is responsible for congressional redistricting. Congressional maps are subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative district maps are drawn by a commission comprising state legislators.

For detailed campaign finance information for the elections in this chamber, click here.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Pennsylvania modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: The mail-in ballot receipt deadline for the general election was extended to November 6, 2020. Drop boxes were made available to return ballots. The state provided prepaid return postage for all mail-in and absentee ballots.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Explore Election Results site ad border blue.png

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
Pennsylvania State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 21 21
     Republican Party 28 28
     Independent 1 1
Total 50 50

Districts

See also: Pennsylvania state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Candidates

General election

   font-size: 16px !important;

} .thirdpartyname:not(:first-child) { padding-top: 5px; } .thirdpartyname { margin:0; } .candidate:last-child { padding-bottom: 5px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .candidateListTablePartisan td { font-size: 12px !important; vertical-align: top; }

 }




Primary election

The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[1]

   font-size: 16px !important;

} .thirdpartyname:not(:first-child) { padding-top: 5px; } .thirdpartyname { margin:0; } .candidate:last-child { padding-bottom: 5px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .candidateListTablePartisan td { font-size: 12px !important; vertical-align: top; }

 }




Campaign finance

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2020/Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The Pennsylvania State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

  • Democrats needed to gain five seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.

Why was it a battleground?

  • Seats flipped in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, control of three seats (12% of the chamber) changed hands.
  • Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Pennsylvania State Senate a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[2]


Battleground races

Pennsylvania State Senate
Battleground races
Republican seats
Republican Party District 9
Republican Party District 15
Republican Party District 49
Democratic seats
Democratic Party District 37

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified four battleground races in the Pennsylvania State Senate 2020 elections, three of which were Republican-held seats and one of which was held by a Democrat. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

  1. In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
  2. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
  3. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
  4. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.

Republican PartyDistrict 9

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Thomas Killion (incumbent)
Democratic Party John Kane

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in the previous state legislative election. Thomas Killion (R) was first elected in 2016, where he received 51.4 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 2.8 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 15

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party John DiSanto
Democratic Party George Scott

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in the previous state legislative election. John DiSanto (R) was first elected in 2016 where he received 51.7 percent of the vote and defeated incumbent Rob Teplitz (D) by 3.4 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Democratic PartyDistrict 37

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Pam Iovino (incumbent)
Republican Party Devlin Robinson

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in the previous state legislative election. Incumbent Pam Iovino (D) was first elected in 2019 in a special general election after the previous officeholder, Guy Reschenthaler (R), was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House on November 6, 2018. Iovino received 52 percent of the vote and defeated D. Raja (R) by 4 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 49

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Daniel Laughlin (incumbent)
Democratic Party Julie Slomski

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in the last state legislative election. Incumbent Daniel Laughlin (R) was first elected in 2016 where he received 53.4 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sean Wiley by 3.4 percentage points.

Campaign finance


Battleground races map


Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Thomas Killion Ends.png Republican Senate District 9
Pam Iovino Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 37

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

Two incumbents lost in the June 2 primaries, the highest number of incumbents defeated in primaries within the preceding decade. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Larry Farnese Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 1
Daylin Leach Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 17

Retiring incumbents

There were two open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Andy Dinniman Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 19
Joe Scarnati Ends.png Republican Senate District 25


The two open seats in 2020 represented the lowest number of open seats since 2004 when one incumbent did not seek re-election. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Pennsylvania State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 25 2 (8 percent) 23 (92 percent)
2018 25 4 (16 percent) 21 (84 percent)
2016 25 4 (16 percent) 21 (84 percent)
2014 25 5 (20 percent) 20 (80 percent)
2012 25 4 (16 percent) 21 (84 percent)
2010 25 3 (12 percent) 22 (88 percent)

2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The Pennsylvania State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

  • Democrats needed to gain five seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.

Why was it a battleground?

  • Seats flipped in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, control of three seats (12% of the chamber) changed hands.
  • Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Pennsylvania State Senate a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[4]


Redistricting in Pennsylvania

See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.[5]

State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:[5]

  1. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
  2. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
  3. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
  4. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
  5. The first four commissioners appoint a fifth member to serve as the commission's chair. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a commission chair.[5]


The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Further, state legislative districts should "respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township and ward boundaries." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[5]

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Pennsylvania

Generally speaking, there are two types of petition forms that prospective candidates may need to file in order to gain access to the ballot.

  1. Nomination petitions: These are the petition forms used by political party candidates.
  2. Nomination papers: These are the petition forms used by independent and political party designation candidates.

For party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Pennsylvania Election Code, Chapter 14, Article 9

Party candidates for state office must file nomination petitions with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Signature requirements are summarized below (for more information regarding nomination petitions, see "Nomination petitions" below).[6]

Nomination petition signature requirements in Pennsylvania
Office sought Required signatures
U.S. Senator 2,000
U.S. House Representative 1,000
Governor 2,000
Lt. Governor 1,000
State senator 500
State representative 300

Each candidate must file a candidate affidavit with his or her nomination petition. The affidavit must include the candidate's address, election district, the name of the office being sought, a statement verifying the candidate's eligibility for said office, and a statement verifying that the candidate will not "knowingly violate any provision of this act [i.e., the election code], or of any law regulating and limiting nomination and election expenses and prohibiting corrupt practices in connection therewith."[7]

The candidate must also pay a filing fee. Filing fees must be submitted with nomination petitions. Fees are summarized in the table below.[8]

Filing fees in Pennsylvania
Office sought Fee
United States Senator, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, auditor general, attorney general $200
United States Representative $150
State legislator $100

In addition, a candidate for state office must file a statement of financial interests with the state ethics commission. A copy of this statement must be attached to the nomination petition submitted to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, as well.

For other candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Article 9, Part (b) of the Pennsylvania Election Code

Like party candidates participating in the primary, independent, minor political party, and political body candidates for state office (including the Pennsylvania General Assembly) must submit candidate affidavits and statements of financial interests to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Candidates must also pay the same filing fees as primary candidates. Independent, minor party, and political body candidates must also file nomination papers (not to be confused with the nomination petitions party candidates participating in the primary must complete). Candidates filing nomination papers must obtain signatures from electors of the district equal to at least 2 percent of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate in the last election within the district.[9][10] For more information regarding nomination papers, see "Nomination papers" below.[11]

For write-in candidates

Pennsylvania does not require write-in candidates to file paperwork in order to have their votes tallied.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Pennsylvania State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Pennsylvania State Senate Qualified party 500 $100.00 2/18/2020 Source
Pennsylvania State Senate Unaffiliated 2% of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate in the last election within the district $100.00 8/3/2020 Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Under Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[12]
SalaryPer diem
$106,422.33/year$185/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[13]

Pennsylvania political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D

Presidential politics in Pennsylvania

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Pennsylvania, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 47.5% 2,926,441 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 48.2% 2,970,733 20
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 2.4% 146,715 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 0.8% 49,941 0
     Constitution Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley 0.3% 21,572 0
     - Other/Write-in 0.8% 50,076 0
Total Votes 6,165,478 20
Election results via: Federal Election Commission

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Pennsylvania utilizes a closed primary process. Voters are required to register with a political party to vote in the primary election.[14][15]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Pennsylvania, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[16]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[17] The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.[17] Registration can be done online, in person, or by mail. Prospective voters can register in person at the county voter registration office or at a number of state agencies, including Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers. The Pennsylvania voter registration application is available online and can be mailed to the county voter registration office.[18] On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.[19]


Automatic registration

Pennsylvania practices automatic voter registration.[20]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Pennsylvania implemented an online voter registration system in 2015.[21] Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Pennsylvania does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of the district in which they are registering for at least 30 days before the next election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Pennsylvania does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[22] As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Pennsylvania Department of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Pennsylvania does not generally require voters to present identification while voting. However, a voter who is voting at a polling place for the first time must present identification.[23]

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of October 2024. Click here to ensure you have current information.

Approved forms of photo identification include:
  • Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card
  • ID issued by any Commonwealth agency
  • ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • U.S. passport
  • U.S. Armed Forces ID
  • Student ID
  • Employee ID

If you do not have a photo ID, you can use a non-photo identification that includes your name and address.

  • Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office
  • Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth
  • Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • Firearm permit
  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Current paycheck
  • Government check[24]

Early voting

Pennsylvania voters can cast mail ballots in person. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State's Office of Communications and Press, "Once a county’s ballots are finalized and printed, a registered voter can apply for their mail ballot in person at their county election office, complete it, then submit it all in one visit. Voters should check their county's website to see when they have final ballots available and what hours their election office is open."[25] For more information, visit this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Beginning with the April 28, 2020, primary election, all Pennsylvania voters are eligible to cast absentee ballots. The change came about as a result of SB421, an omnibus election law bill which Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed into law on October 31, 2019.[26][27]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Pennsylvania Department of State, "Election Information: 2020 Presidential Election," accessed February 24, 2020
  2. The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
  3. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  4. The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 All About Redistricting, "Pennsylvania," accessed May 8, 2015
  6. Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.1 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
  7. Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2870 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
  8. Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2873 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
  9. Note: As the result of a court order (Constitution Party v. Cortés (No. 12-2726; E.D. Pa. 2015), political body candidates seeking statewide office may submit signatures totaling 2.5 times the requirement for political party candidates seeking placement on the primary election ballot.
  10. Pennsylvania Department of State, "Third Party Nomination Paperwork," accessed May 30, 2023
  11. Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.2 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
  12. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  13. Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
  14. National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024
  15. Casetext, "25 Pa. Stat. § 299," accessed September 24, 2024
  16. Department of State, “First Time Voters,” accessed March 21, 2023
  17. 17.0 17.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023
  18. Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023
  19. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023
  20. NBC, "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023
  21. The Patriot-News, “Thousands take advantage of new online voter registration in Pennsylvania,” September 2, 2015
  22. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  23. Department of State, "First Time Voters," accessed March 21, 2023
  24. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  25. Janie Valentine, "Email communication with Amy Gulli," September 10, 2024
  26. PennLive, "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf signs historic election reform bill into law," October 31, 2019
  27. Pennsylvania.gov, “Voting in Pennsylvania,” accessed October 1, 2019


Current members of the Pennsylvania State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Joe Pittman
Minority Leader:Jay Costa
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
John Kane (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
Patty Kim (D)
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
Gene Yaw (R)
District 24
District 25
Cris Dush (R)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
Kim Ward (R)
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
Jay Costa (D)
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
Republican Party (28)
Democratic Party (22)