Democrat Dan Goughnour has won the Pennsylvania state House seat that was left open after the previous officeholder passed away. His victory restores the Democrats’ narrow majority in the state House, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Goughnour, a McKeesport school board member and police officer, defeated Republican Chuck Davis, who is the president of the White Oak Borough Council. This outcome was expected since House District 35 leans Democratic. In November, voters in this district supported former Vice President Kamala Harris with about 58% of the vote.
The seat had been empty since January, when Democratic Rep. Matt Gergely passed away. Gergely was first elected in 2023 during a special election and later won a full term in November without any challengers. His death left the state House evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but Goughnour’s win brings back the Democrats’ 102-101 majority.
Democrats first gained control of the state House in 2022 after a decade and managed to hold onto that majority in November. Since then, they have had to win several special elections to keep control.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) put a lot of effort into winning this seat. Newly elected DNC Chair Ken Martin even launched a national tour in McKeesport, where he campaigned with Goughnour in February.
Martin said that Goughnour will fight for families and help Pennsylvania Democrats stand up to President Trump. He also said Goughnour’s win will help protect Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro from Republican lawmakers trying to weaken his power through constitutional amendments.
“Rebuilding the Democratic Party starts with state-level elections, and victories like Goughnour’s send a strong message against Trump and Elon Musk’s MAGA movement,” Martin said.
House District 35 is in Allegheny County, located in western Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
