After midterm elections with some surprising results, southwestern Pennsylvania is poised to see a new class of politicians and a different political system starting this year.
Some well-known incumbents and familiar names have disappeared, and several political upstarts are on board, including progressives left behind from the region’s previous status quo. Democrats will gain support in the region and have more representation in Harrisburg and Congress. That includes Democratic Senator John Fetterman, the first to be elected from the Pittsburgh area in over 75 years.
Joining Washington DC’s Fetterman is Summer Lee of progressive firebrand Swissvale, who won the Pittsburgh-centered 12th congressional district contest. She succeeds Democrat Mike Doyle, who has held the seat for 28 years.
Combine that with other local progressive victories, and the Democrats overturn two local state legislative seats, altering the outlook for a region long known for its political dynasties and moderate voices.
Political consultant Mike Mix, who has campaigned for the local Democratic Party dozens of times, said the region’s politics are changing, creating room for more diverse representatives. rice field.
“Being the son of a prominent elected official used to seem like the best way to be successful. It shouldn’t be,” he said. “It seems to be fading away a bit. I think it’s good to see new voices coming to the fore.”
new expression
Having new delegates from southwest Pennsylvania will be a mixed bag in terms of what they can accomplish in Congress, Micks said.
Because the House is under Republican control, Democrats Chris DeLucio and Lee, who won seats in the 17th congressional district, won’t get a majority and have less chance of winning Allegheny County’s priority. Also, according to Mix, the county is losing seniority due to Doyle’s retirement.
But with Republicans now in charge of the House, it could boost a field represented by Rep. Guy Leschenthaler (R-Peters) and Mike Kelley (R-Butler). Leschen Thaler also serves as Chief of Staff, a leading position on the Republican Caucus.
Micks said the biggest change will come to former lieutenant governor Fetterman. Micks said having a senator from western Pennsylvania helps bring more resources and attention to the region. He said he was also impressed by Fetterman’s selection of top staff positions, including chief of staff Adam Gentleson and communications director Joe Calvello.
“It told me that he was serious about legislation and was going to make the system work to maximize what he could bring back to the region,” he said.
Mikus hopes Congress can continue to support the robotics industry in western Pennsylvania and continue to lobby for a hydrogen hub designation. He said Fetterman’s background as a former mayor of Braddock should also help support towns outside of Pittsburgh.
“Fetterman also understands the old steel town that never came back,” Mikus said. “So many communities across the region have not been revived and continue on a path of decline. Their attention and focus is his one asset that Fetterman brings.”
republican invalid
Republicans lose representation as opposed to Democrats gaining seats. Chief among them is the loss of US Senator Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, who did not seek re-election.
Samuel Cheng, an Allentown-based political strategist who worked with Toomey and former Republican Rep. He said he would miss him.
In 2021, Toomey was criticized and even denounced by some local Republicans after he voted to convict President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial after the January 6, 2020 Capitol Riot.
However, Chen said Toomey has a conservative voting record and is a major player in creating conservative legislation. Toomey was the lead author of the 2017 Republican tax cut bill.
Without Toomey in the Senate, Pennsylvania Republicans would lose a valuable voice in Congress, making it harder to achieve conservative priorities, Chen said.
“Toomey sometimes irritated Democrats and Republicans, but he was always realistic about his laws,” Chen said. “Such thoughtful governance is declining in our bodies, especially in the Senate.”
Chen acknowledged that Republicans would feel an emptiness in the state because Democrats control the governor’s mansion, the majority of seats in Congress, and possibly the state capitol. But Republicans said they could bounce back if they looked at how they failed to win swing voters in the midterm elections, rather than focusing on issues driven by the party’s far-right constituency.
“Republicans have a way forward,” he said, “but that’s not the way they’re going now. They need to look at Pennsylvania introspectively.”
left shift
Deluzio replaces the familiar face of Conor Lamb. Aspinwall residents and Navy veterans represent the 17th Congressional District, which includes Beaver County and many Allegheny County suburbs. A native of Pittsburgh politics, Lam was thrust into the national spotlight after an upset victory in 2018.
Deluzio and Lamb share a similar background. Both are in the military and have similar stances on energy and labor policies. Where they differ is that Deluzio strikes a more populist tone.
He is outspoken about chasing companies for price gouging and monopolies. Deluzio also participated in the Progressive Caucuses of the US House of Representatives. Lamb was known for opposing progressives during his four years in Congress.
Delzio said he joined the Progressive caucuses because of his ties to the labor movement. He admitted that the union’s support was the reason he won the race.
“I stand here for the labor movement,” he said. “I fight for the union’s way of life. I don’t care what labels it has.”
Delzio, a former delegate to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, also said he attended the Republican-backed veterans caucus.
“People just want to see jobs coming back to the country,” he said.
Delzio’s win means the district is shifting to the left. Delgio surpassed President Joe Biden in District 17.
Democrats also robbed two suburban state seats in Allegheny County. Dr. Arvind Venkat of Allegheny Health Network won the 30th District seat and Mandy Steele won the 33rd District seat in the Are Kiski Valley. It was part of the first time in a decade that Democrats won more seats in the state legislature than Republicans.
Delzio noted that while local Democrats used to focus on differences between factions, they are now united when it matters most, especially on issues such as voting rights.
“I think what we’re seeing in western Pennsylvania is a more united Democratic Party that came out of the Trump era,” Delgio said. “I’m excited to see where the Democrats are headed in western Pennsylvania.”
Ryan Deto is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. Ryan can be reached via email at rdeto@triblive.com or on his Twitter. .
