On March 2, Republicans from counties represented by Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District selected state Rep. Fred Keller as their nominee for a special election taking place on May 21.

 

Keller was selected from a field of 14 candidates after four rounds of voting at the party’s convention. He will face college professor Marc Friedenberg, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the special election.

 

The previous incumbent, Tom Marino (R), resigned on January 23 to take a job in the private sector. He beat Friedenberg 66-34 in the November 2018 general election.

 

In 2018, Democrats picked up two U.S. House districts in special elections: Conor Lamb (D) won in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District in March 2018, and Mary Gay Scanlon (D) won Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District in November 2018.

 

Heading into the special election, Pennsylvania’s U.S. House delegation has nine Democrats and eight Republicans.