Democratic and Republican committees have chosen candidates to run in the Pennsylvania State Senate District 37 special election. Pam Iovino (D) and D. Raja (R) are facing off in the general election on April 2. Candidates running for special elections in Pennsylvania are selected by their respective political parties rather than through primary elections.

 

The District 37 seat became vacant after Guy Reschenthaler (R) was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House on November 6, 2018. Reschenthaler had served in the state Senate since 2015. He was last re-elected in 2016 with 60.7 percent of the vote.

 

The Pennsylvania State Senate currently has 28 Republicans, 21 Democrats, and one vacancy. Pennsylvania has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.

 

In 2019, 38 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 15 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.