Pennsylvania Election Results: Democrats claim they have enough seats to flip state House
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — While votes are still being counted across the state, Pennsylvania Democrats claimed they will have enough seats to flip the state House.
It would be the first time Democrats have controlled the House since Ed Rendell was governor in 2010. Experts said a split legislature could create a gridlock between both parties.
"This is how democracy is supposed to work. What it means is they're going to have to work with each other to get the bills hammered out," said Luke Sheahan, professor of political science at Duquesne University. "You have one controlled by one party, one controlled by the other. So they've got to meet somewhere in the middle, generally speaking, and that gives the opportunity for one of the parties to really hamstring the other."
Locally, it could change how local governments choose to move forward on controversial issues. For example in 2019, Pittsburgh City Council passed stricter gun control laws after the GOP-controlled legislature wouldn't pass a law at the state level.
It was later struck down on the local level, but experts said it could now happen again.
"I think the city will probably have put its bet on being able to get their legislation through or their city ordinance through, and then kind of counting on Harrisburg not being able to override it," Sheahan said.
That same push could continue with other topics like pro-abortion rights.
"I think we're going to see more laws along those lines, especially in blue states and purple states where they will be trying to codify what Roe did before. So it does kind of give this political energy to the pro-abortion," Sheahan said.
There are still a handful of close races on the other side of the state where votes still need to be counted. Therefore, Republicans called a declaration of victory by Democrats on flipping the state House "premature."