The 2020 elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 3, 2020, with 25 of 50 districts being contested. Primary elections were held on June 2, 2020.[1] The term of office for those elected in 2020 began when the Senate convened in January 2021. Pennsylvania State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every two years.[2] The election coincided with the 2020 United States presidential election, United States House of Representatives elections, and the entirety of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
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All odd-numbered seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate 26 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain No election | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republicans have controlled the chamber since the 1994 election (26 years).
A special election for the 48th senatorial district was held on January 14 following Republican State Senator Mike Folmer's resignation after being arrested for possession of child pornography.[3] Democrats selected Lebanon Valley College associate professor Michael Schroeder as their nominee, while Republicans nominated Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold.[4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | David Arnold | 18,234 | 68.70 | |
Democratic | Michael Schroeder | 9,950 | 35.30 | |
Total votes | 28,184 | 100.00 | ||
Republican hold |
Source | Ranking | As of |
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The Cook Political Report[5] | Lean R | October 21, 2020 |
Affiliation | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats before | Seats up | Seats won | Seats after | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 20 | 1,636,593 | 50.87 | 28 | 15 | 15 ( ) | 28 | |
Democratic | 24 | 1,580,922 | 49.13 | 21 | 10 | 10 ( ) | 21 | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 ( ) | 1 | |
Total | TBD | 3,217,515 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 25 | 50 |
Six district races had winning margins of less than 15%:
District | Winner | Margin |
---|---|---|
District 9 | Democratic (flip) | 3.9% |
District 13 | Republican | 11.26% |
District 15 | Republican | 3.46% |
District 19 | Democratic | 14.90% |
District 37 | Republican (flip) | 4.14% |
District 45 | Democratic | 0.06% |