HARRISBURG, Pa. — As Washington prepares for big changes after the election, state lawmakers in Harrisburg are preparing for another two years of divided government.
Entering Election Tuesday, Democrats held a slim 102-101 seat majority in the State House. That majority did not change after the polls closed.
“In this current political environment, not a lot of folks thought House Democrats would survive this red wave,” Rep. Matthew Bradford (D-Montgomery).
Democrats maintained their majority after Rep. Frank Burns won re-election in Cambria County. House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford said the voters have rewarded the party with what he called a “humble majority.”
“We’ve governed as we said we would; as pragmatists, as moderates, and as people in the governor’s office would say to get stuff done,” said Bradford.
Meanwhile, Republicans entered Election Day with a 28-22 majority in the Senate. Both parties traded the 5th and 15th Senatorial Districts and kept the majority the same.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said voters have continued to back Republicans on issues like the economy.
“We believe [voters] have sent a message to us that is, ‘Let’s be thoughtful about how we move this Commonwealth forward,” said Sen. Pittman (R-Indiana). “They believe in our agenda, which is a pro-growth agenda, pro-law enforcement agenda, and an agenda that gives us opportunities to figure out how to grow our economy."
As Harrisburg prepares for another two years of divided government—lawmakers from both parties say compromise will be needed to get legislation to Governor Shapiro’s desk.
“We figured out a way to make it work the last two years, and I know our majority is committed to figuring out how to move the Commonwealth forward,” said Sen. Pittman.
“It’s about grinding it out,” said Rep. Bradford. “It’s not always going to be pretty, but that’s the difficult work of legislating and governing.”
House Democrats say they will prioritize issues like increasing the minimum wage during the next legislative session. Meanwhile, Republicans say they want to focus on addressing the costs of electricity and energy.