CRANBERRY, Pa. — For the first time in more than 30 years, Democrats in Pennsylvania hold the Governor’s Office, State House, and State Senate.
“We now have a responsibility to govern and govern responsibly with this new trifecta, and that is exactly what we will do,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday.
Shapiro was the big winner in Pennsylvania Tuesday night, defeating Republican challenger Stacy Garrity by 22 points.
On Wednesday, he announced some things he wants to get done now that he has full party control in the legislature, including funding mass transit and raising the minimum wage.
“Well, last night’s election showed is that I have a mandate to continue to lead our Commonwealth forward, and now I’ve got a whole lot more partners in progress, a whole lot more GSD Democrats ready to do this work alongside me,” Shapiro said.
Lew Irwin, a political science professor at Duquesne University, said the so-called “blue wave” that delivered Shapiro the trifecta in Harrisburg will likely position him well for a potential run for the White House in 2028.
“He showed that he can win with a big margin. He raised and spent about $70 million, which is a massive amount of money, which shows that he is adept at fundraising,” Irwin said. “And all of those down ballot races that he was seeking to influence went the Democrats’ way.”
Despite the big wins for Democrats across the state and country, southwestern Pennsylvania Republicans performed very well, with only one GOP-controlled state house seat flipping blue, and one Democratic seat returning to GOP control.
“It’s just that those districts are drawn so favorably for those Republican incumbents that even though their vote margins came down, they still safely won reelection,” Irwin said.
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