Democrats said they won control of the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday, a shift that would give Josh Shapiro a Democratic trifecta in Harrisburg for the first time in years. They also declared victory in the state House, setting up a new governing map for next year.
That is why people are searching Did Brian Fitzpatrick Win tonight: the answer is tied to a broader election that could change who sets the agenda in Pennsylvania. Unofficial results showed Shapiro winning reelection against Stacy Garrity, and Democrats said their gains in the legislature would let them press ahead on the minimum wage, reproductive rights and mass transit.
Republicans had entered the election with a 27-23 majority in the Senate, where they have led since 1994. By midnight, Democrats said they had flipped four GOP-held seats and appeared on track to lose one seat, for a likely net gain of three. The had called only one contested Pennsylvania Senate race by that point, even as Democrats were already claiming the chamber.
That gap matters because the party was still waiting for the full board to clear even as it framed the night as a breakthrough. The national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee said Democrats had expanded their majority in the state House, too, though the had not called dozens of House races as of midnight. The picture was moving faster in the political speeches than it was in the official count.
Shapiro said Pennsylvanians had used their power to flip the state Senate and make it possible to deliver more results for communities. He said a Democratic trifecta would allow lawmakers to raise the minimum wage, lower costs, give survivors their day in court, build more housing and codify abortion rights.
The stakes have been clear for some time. Democrats had been trying to win complete control in Pennsylvania by taking the Senate while holding the state House and the governor’s office, after the current era of House control began in 2022 following a redistricting cycle. A divided legislature had often stalled bills in the Senate. Next year’s session begins with new members sworn in on Jan. 5, and that is when the question of whether Democrats really locked in control will turn into actual governing power.
