THE STATE SENATE. I THINK PEOPLE IN LANCASTER COUNTY SENT A MESSAGE THAT THEY WANT A STATE SENATOR WHO SHARES THEIR VALUES. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AUSTIN DAVIS SAID HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE DEMOCRATS PICK UP A WIN IN LANCASTER COUNTY TUESDAY NIGHT. BUT DAVIS BELIEVES JAMES MALONE HAD AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE THAT SPURRED HIM TO A NARROW WIN IN A DISTRICT WHERE MOST VOTERS ARE REPUBLICANS. AND I THINK THEY’RE LOOKING FOR LEADERS WHO ARE GOING TO WORK FOR THEM, NOT SPECIAL INTERESTS AND NOT EXTREMISTS. MALONE’S WIN WON’T WRESTLE CONTROL OF THE SENATE AWAY FROM REPUBLICANS, WHO NOW HOLD A 27 TO 23 ADVANTAGE OVER DEMOCRATS. BUT LANCASTER COUNTY STATE REPRESENTATIVE NIKKI RIVERA BELIEVES MALONE’S WIN COULD HELP ADVANCE DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES. THAT’S VERY EXCITING TO ME. YEAH, I THINK AS WE SEE MORE LEVEL HEADEDNESS, ENTER POLITICS AND LESS EXTREMISM, WE’LL GET MORE THINGS DONE. I THINK IT WAS SHOCK AND DISAPPOINTMENT. STATE SENATOR AND PA GOP CHAIRMAN GREG ROTHMAN SAYS REPUBLICANS WERE NOT AS WELL ORGANIZED FOR THE SPECIAL ELECTION AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. WE CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. AND I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. THIS IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EVERY VOTE. WE HAVE TO USE EVERY LEGAL METHOD POSSIBLE TO GET OUT VOTES AND NOT EMPHASIZING MAIL IN VOTING. AND AND EARLY VOTING WASN’T A MISTAKE. ROTHMAN SAYS THAT REPUBLICANS TOOK THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GRANTED. HE SAID THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. RIVERA, THOUGH, SAID SHE BELIEVES THAT RECENT EVENTS IN WASHINGTON DID HAVE A FACTOR IN THE RESULTS THAT WE SAW YESTERDAY IN MALONE’S NARROW WIN, AGAIN, LESS THAN 500 VOTES OVER REPUBLICAN COUNTY COMMISSIONER JOSH PARSO
Lawmakers react after Democrats pick up Lancaster County state Senate seat
Updated: 7:55 PM EDT Mar 26, 2025
While most lawmakers in Harrisburg on Wednesday were stunned by the results of Democrat James Malone’s narrow special election win, state Rep. Nikki Rivera was not among them.In fact, the Lancaster County Democrat and supporter of Malone on the campaign trail said she really wasn’t very surprised at all that Malone won a Republican-majority Senate district.”He’s a great guy. He’s a great man of character and leads by example,” said Rivera, D-Manheim.But around the capitol, most lawmakers and leaders said Malone’s close win over Republican County Commissioner Josh Parsons was a shocker, particularly because the district hasn’t elected a Democrat in some time. In very recent history, President Donald Trump won the district by 15 percentage points last year as he secured a second, non-consecutive term in the nation’s top office.”I was surprised — pleasantly surprised, but surprised,” said Rep. Izzy Smith Wade-El, D-Lancaster. “I hope the message that people take away from this is that if we work hard, work hard, work smart, we can be ready for the right circumstances.Also shocked, albeit less enthusiastically, was state Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland County, who also serves as chairman of Republican Party of Pennsylvania.Rothman said the results showed that no election can be taken for granted and Republicans needed to be better organized in supporting Parsons’ bid for state Senate.”We can’t let that happen again. I take responsibility for that. This is the Republican Party. We have to fight for every vote. We have to use every legal method possible to mobilize votes, and not emphasizing mail voting and early voting was a mistake,” he said.In a statement, Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, said the results of the race were a perfect example that special elections can be unpredictable.But Ward said there was a silver lining.”The important thing is that Republicans still control the state Senate and remain a strong barrier against far-left legislation being passed and signed into law by the Democrat-controlled House and governor,” she said.Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny County, said there were indications in the days leading up to the election that the upset could occur and believes recent events in Washington D.C. under the Trump administration may have had an impact.Having narrowed Republicans’ control of the state Senate to a 27 to 23 margin, Costa said he believes GOP lawmakers should understand that they can’t simply ignore Democratic policies and proposals.”The closer the margin is in the Senate or House, in my view, it’s easier to find consensus,” he said. “You have an opportunity to work together and get things done.”
HARRISBURG, Pa. —While most lawmakers in Harrisburg on Wednesday were stunned by the results of Democrat James Malone’s narrow special election win, state Rep. Nikki Rivera was not among them.
In fact, the Lancaster County Democrat and supporter of Malone on the campaign trail said she really wasn’t very surprised at all that Malone won a Republican-majority Senate district.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a great man of character and leads by example,” said Rivera, D-Manheim.
But around the capitol, most lawmakers and leaders said Malone’s close win over Republican County Commissioner Josh Parsons was a shocker, particularly because the district hasn’t elected a Democrat in some time.
In very recent history, President Donald Trump won the district by 15 percentage points last year as he secured a second, non-consecutive term in the nation’s top office.
“I was surprised — pleasantly surprised, but surprised,” said Rep. Izzy Smith Wade-El, D-Lancaster. “I hope the message that people take away from this is that if we work hard, work hard, work smart, we can be ready for the right circumstances.
Also shocked, albeit less enthusiastically, was state Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland County, who also serves as chairman of Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
Rothman said the results showed that no election can be taken for granted and Republicans needed to be better organized in supporting Parsons’ bid for state Senate.
“We can’t let that happen again. I take responsibility for that. This is the Republican Party. We have to fight for every vote. We have to use every legal method possible to mobilize votes, and not emphasizing mail voting and early voting was a mistake,” he said.
In a statement, Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, said the results of the race were a perfect example that special elections can be unpredictable.
But Ward said there was a silver lining.
“The important thing is that Republicans still control the state Senate and remain a strong barrier against far-left legislation being passed and signed into law by the Democrat-controlled House and governor,” she said.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny County, said there were indications in the days leading up to the election that the upset could occur and believes recent events in Washington D.C. under the Trump administration may have had an impact.
Having narrowed Republicans’ control of the state Senate to a 27 to 23 margin, Costa said he believes GOP lawmakers should understand that they can’t simply ignore Democratic policies and proposals.
“The closer the margin is in the Senate or House, in my view, it’s easier to find consensus,” he said. “You have an opportunity to work together and get things done.”
