Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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Pennsylvania House of
Representatives
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   January 2, 2024
Session end:   November 30, 2024
Term length:   2 years
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:   $102,844.07/year + per diem
Members
Total:  203
Democrats:  101
Republicans:  101
Other:  0
Vacancies:  1
Leadership
Speaker:   Joanna McClinton (D)
Maj. Leader:   Matthew Bradford (D)
Min. Leader:   Bryan Cutler (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Alongside the Pennsylvania State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Pennsylvania state government and works alongside the governor of Pennsylvania to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

  • All 203 seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were up for election in 2022. Democrats gained a majority, winning 102 seats to Republicans' 101 seats.
  • All 203 House seats were up for election in 2020. The chamber's Republican majority increased from 110-93 to 111-92. Click to read more »
  • Pennsylvania has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and the lower chamber of the state legislature, while the Republican Party controls the upper chamber of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 101
         Republican Party 101
         Other 0
         Vacancies 1
    Total 203

    Changes in party control after the 2022 elections

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2022

    On Nov. 8, 2022, Democrats won 102 seats to Republicans' 101. But three seats that Democrats won were guaranteed to become vacant at the start of the legislative session due to a death and two resignations to assume higher office, giving Republicans a functional 101-99 seat majority. Special elections for all three seats were scheduled for February 2023.

    The chamber elected Mark Rozzi (D) as speaker on Jan. 3, 2023. After being elected, Rozzi announced he would not caucus with Democrats and would be the state's "first independent speaker of the House."[1] He was elected by a vote of 115-85, which included all Democrats and 16 Republicans. Rep. Carl Metzgar was the Republican nomination for speaker; he received 85 votes to Rozzi's 115.[1][2]

    Democrats won all three special elections on Feb. 7, 2023, returning them to a 102-101 majority. On Feb. 28, 2023, Rozzi stepped down as House speaker. Rozzi said he resigned because he had accomplished what he had planned to do during his tenure in the leadership position. He stated he wanted to make way for Joanna McClinton (D) to be elected the first female speaker.[1] Clinton was elected speaker on Feb. 28, 2023, with support from all 102 Democrats and no Republicans.[3]

    On July 19, 2023, Sara Innamorato (D) resigned from office to run for Allegheny County Executive. Her resignation reverted the partisan control of the chamber to a 101-101 tie. The special election for Innamorato's seat was on Sept. 19, 2023. According to WESA, Innamorato's resignation was anticipated to have no practical effect on the chamber, which was scheduled to return from its summer recess on Sept. 26, 2023.[4] Lindsay Powell (D) was elected to Innamorato's former seat in the special election.

    Members

    Leadership

    The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[5]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 1 Patrick Harkins Democratic December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 2 Robert Merski Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 3 Ryan Bizzarro Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 4 Jake Banta Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 5 Barry Jozwiak Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 6 Bradley Roae Republican December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 7 Parke Wentling Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 8 Aaron Bernstine Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 9 Marla Gallo Brown Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 10 Amen Brown Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 11 Marci Mustello Republican June 4, 2019
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 12 Stephenie Scialabba Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 13 John Lawrence Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 14 Jim Marshall Republican December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 15 Joshua Kail Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 16 Robert Matzie Democratic December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 17 Tim Bonner Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 18 K.C. Tomlinson Republican April 6, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 19 Aerion Abney Democratic April 26, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 20 Emily Kinkead Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 21 Lindsay Powell Democratic October 2, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 22 Joshua Siegel Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 23 Dan Frankel Democratic December 1, 1998
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 24 La'Tasha Mayes Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 25 Brandon Markosek Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 26 Paul Friel Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 27 Daniel Deasy Jr. Democratic December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 28 Rob Mercuri Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 29 Tim Brennan Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 30 Arvind Venkat Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 31 Perry Warren Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 32 Joe McAndrew Democratic February 21, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 33 Mandy Steele Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 Abigail Salisbury Democratic February 21, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 35 Matthew Gergely Democratic February 21, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 36 Jessica Benham Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 37 Mindy Fee Republican December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 38 Nick Pisciottano Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 39 Andrew Kuzma Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 40 Natalie Mihalek Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 41 Brett Miller Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 42 Dan Miller Democratic June 4, 2013
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 43 Keith Greiner Republican December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 44 Valerie Gaydos Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 45 Anita Astorino Kulik Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 46 Jason Ortitay Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 47 Joe D'Orsie Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 48 Timothy O'Neal Republican June 5, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 49 Ismail Smith-Wade-El Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 50 Bud Cook Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 51 Charity Grimm Krupa Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 52 Ryan Warner Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 53 Steven Malagari Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 54 Greg Scott Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 55 Jill Cooper Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 56 George Dunbar Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 57 Eric Nelson Republican April 5, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 58 Eric Davanzo Republican April 6, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 59 Leslie Baum Rossi Republican June 7, 2021
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 60 Abby Major Republican June 7, 2021
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 61 Liz Hanbidge Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62 James Struzzi II Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 63 Donna Oberlander Republican December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 64 R. Lee James Republican December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 65 Kathy Rapp Republican December 1, 2004
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 66 Brian Smith Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 67 Martin Causer Republican December 1, 2002
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 68 Clint Owlett Republican June 5, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 69 Carl Metzgar Republican December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 70 Matthew Bradford Democratic December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 71 James Rigby Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 72 Frank Burns Democratic December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 73 Dallas Kephart Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 74 Dan Williams Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 75 Mike Armanini Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 76 Stephanie Borowicz Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 77 H. Scott Conklin Democratic December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 78 Jesse Topper Republican February 10, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 79 Louis Schmitt Jr. Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 80 James Gregory Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81 Richard Irvin Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 82 Paul Takac Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 83 Jamie Flick Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 84 Joe Hamm Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 85 David Rowe Republican September 17, 2019
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 86 Perry Stambaugh Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 87 Thomas Kutz Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 88 Sheryl Delozier Republican December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 89 Rob Kauffman Republican December 1, 2004
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 90 Paul Schemel Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 91 Dan Moul Republican December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 92 Dawn Keefer Republican December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 93 Mike Jones Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 94 Wendy Fink Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 95 Carol Hill-Evans Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 96 P. Michael Sturla Democratic December 1, 1990
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 97 Steven Mentzer Republican December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 98 Tom Jones Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 99 David H. Zimmerman Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 100 Bryan Cutler Republican December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 101 John Schlegel Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 102 Russell Diamond Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 103 Patty Kim Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 104 Dave Madsen Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 105 Justin Fleming Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 106 Thomas Mehaffie Republican December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 107 Joanne Stehr Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 108 Michael Stender Republican June 5, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 109 Robert Leadbeter Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 110 Tina Pickett Republican December 1, 2000
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 111 Jonathan Fritz Republican December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 112 Kyle Mullins Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 113 Kyle Donahue Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 114 Bridget Malloy Kosierowski Democratic April 8, 2019
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 115 Maureen Madden Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 116 Dane Watro Jr. Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 117 Michael Cabell Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 118 James Haddock Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 119 Alec Ryncavage Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 120 Aaron Kaufer Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 121 Eddie Day Pashinski Democratic December 1, 2006
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 122 Doyle Heffley Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 123 Tim Twardzik Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 124 Jamie Barton Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 125 Joe Kerwin Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 126 Mark Rozzi Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 127 Manuel Guzman Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 128 Mark Gillen Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 129 Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 130 David Maloney Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 131 Milou Mackenzie Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 132 Michael Schlossberg Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 133 Jeanne McNeill Democratic January 2, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 134 Peter Schweyer Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 135 Steve Samuelson Democratic December 1, 1998
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 136 Robert Freeman Democratic December 1, 1998
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 137 Joe Emrick Republican December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 138 Ann Flood Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 139 Joseph Adams Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 140 Vacant
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 141 Tina Davis Democratic December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 142 Joseph Hogan Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 143 Shelby Labs Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144 Brian Munroe Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 145 Craig Staats Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 146 Joseph Ciresi Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 147 Donna Scheuren Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 148 Mary Jo Daley Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 149 Tim Briggs Democratic December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 150 Joseph Webster Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 151 Melissa Cerrato Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 152 Nancy Guenst Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 153 Ben Sanchez Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 154 Napoleon Nelson Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 155 Danielle Friel Otten Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 156 Christopher Pielli Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 157 Melissa Shusterman Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 158 Christina Sappey Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 159 Carol Kazeem Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 Craig Williams Republican December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 161 Leanne Krueger Democratic August 25, 2015
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 162 David Delloso Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 Heather Boyd Democratic June 5, 2023
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 164 Gina Curry Democratic December 13, 2021
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 165 Jennifer O'Mara Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 166 Gregory Vitali Democratic December 1, 1992
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 167 Kristine Howard Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 168 Lisa Borowski Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 169 Kate Klunk Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 170 Martina White Republican April 13, 2015
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 171 Kerry Benninghoff Republican December 1, 1996
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 172 Kevin Boyle Democratic December 1, 2010
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 173 Patrick Gallagher Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 174 Ed Neilson Democratic August 25, 2015
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 175 Mary Isaacson Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 176 Jack Rader Republican December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 177 Joseph Hohenstein Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 178 Kristin Marcell Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 179 Jason Dawkins Democratic December 1, 2014
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 180 Jose Giral Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 181 Malcolm Kenyatta Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 182 Benjamin Waxman Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 183 Zachary Mako Republican December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 184 Elizabeth Fiedler Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 185 Regina Young Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 186 Jordan Harris Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 187 Ryan Mackenzie Republican December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 188 Rick Krajewski Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 189 Tarah Probst Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 190 G. Roni Green Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 191 Joanna McClinton Democratic August 25, 2015
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 192 Morgan Cephas Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 193 Torren Ecker Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 194 Tarik Khan Democratic December 1, 2022
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 195 Donna Bullock Democratic August 25, 2015
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 196 Seth Grove Republican December 1, 2008
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 Danilo Burgos Democratic December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 198 Darisha Parker Democratic December 1, 2020
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 199 Barbara Gleim Republican December 1, 2018
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 200 Christopher Rabb Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 201 Stephen Kinsey Democratic December 1, 2012
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 202 Jared Solomon Democratic December 1, 2016
    Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 203 Anthony Bellmon Democratic December 1, 2022


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $102,844.07/year$181/day

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[6]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution states:

    Senators shall be at least 25 years of age and Representatives 21 years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State), and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.[7][8]

    Historical party control

    Democrats won a 102-101 majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2022, gaining control of the chamber for the first time since 2008.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Pennsylvania House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 105 101 99 100 99 94 93 102 104 91 93 84 82 93 92 102
    Republicans 98 102 104 103 104 109 110 101 99 112 110 119 121 110 111 101


    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Pennsylvania was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 1993
    • Republican trifecta: 1995-2002, 2011-2014
    • Divided government: 1992, 1994, 2003-2010, 2015-2023

    Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2024
    One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Pennsylvania state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Pennsylvania holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2024

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2024

    Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is April 23, 2024. The filing deadline is February 13, 2024.

    2022

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2022

    Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline was March 28, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, Democrats won 102 seats and Republicans won 101 seats. One seat was won by a Democratic representative who passed away prior to the election.

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 88 101
         Republican Party 113 101
         Vacancy 2 1
    Total 203 203

    2020

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was February 18, 2020.

    In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 109-93 to 113-90.

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 93 90
         Republican Party 109 113
         Vacancy 1 0
    Total 203 203

    2018

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018

    Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on May 15, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018.

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was reduced from 120-79 to 110-93.

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 79 93
         Republican Party 120 110
         Vacancy 4 0
    Total 203 203

    2016

    See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2016

    Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on April 26, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 16, 2016. All 203 seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 119-84 majority. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 121-82 majority.

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 84 82
         Republican Party 119 121
    Total 203 203

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution on when a special election can be held.[16]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Pennsylvania Cons. Art. II, §2

    District map

    See also: Pennsylvania state legislative districts

    The state of Pennsylvania has 203 state House districts. Each district elects one representative.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania

    In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.[17]

    State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:[17]

    1. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
    2. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
    3. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
    4. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
    5. The first four commissioners appoint a fifth member to serve as the commission's chair. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a commission chair.[17]


    The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Further, state legislative districts should "respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township and ward boundaries." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[17]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania after the 2020 census

    On February 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-1 to approve new state House and Senate maps.[18] House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R) voted no, while Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R), state Rep. Joanna McClinton (D), state Sen. Jay Costa (D), and chairman Mark Nordenberg voted yes.[18] These maps took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.

    District map after 2020 redistricting

    Click here to view the map. This map took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.

    2010

    See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania after the 2010 census

    Pennsylvania received its local census data on March 9, 2011. The state had a 3.4 percent growth rate from 2000-2010, which was below the national average of 9.7 percent. The five most populous cities in the state did not follow a trend: Philadelphia grew by 0.6 percent, Pittsburgh decreased by 8.6 percent, Allentown grew by 10.7 percent, Erie decreased by 1.9 percent, and Reading grew by 8.5 percent. The county with the largest rate of growth was Forest County with a 56 percent rate of growth.[19]

    On August 17, 2011, the Commission approved the census data and went to work on a preliminary map, which it passed on October 31, 2011, by a 3-2 vote. Final maps were approved on December 12, 2011, by a 4-1 vote. There was a 30-day window to file appeals, during which 11 were filed. The state Supreme Court overturned the maps on January 25, 2012.

    The commission met on April 12, 2012, to vote in favor of a compromise map, which contained two Senate district splits, and 68 House district splits. On June 8, the commission approved the final plan, which went to the state Supreme Court for final approval.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Pennsylvania by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 Pennsylvania legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 2, 2024, and adjourn on November 30, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 Pennsylvania legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023, and adjourn on December 13, 2023.



    About legislative sessions in Pennsylvania

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[37] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution establishes when the Pennsylvania General Assembly, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to meet. Section 4 of Article II states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the first Tuesday of January each year.

    Section 4 gives the Governor of Pennsylvania the authority to convene special sessions of the General Assembly either when he judges a special session to be in the public interest, or when a majority of each legislative House requests a special session.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Pennsylvania are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 136 of the 203 members in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and 34 of the 50 members in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Pennsylvania is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    Vetoes can be overridden when the next regular session convenes, provided that an election has not occurred.[38]

    Authority: Article IV, Section 15 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

    "Every bill which shall have passed both Houses shall be presented to the Governor; if he approves he shall sign it, but if he shall not approve he shall return it with his objections to the House in which it shall have originated, which House shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and proceed to re-consider it. If after such re-consideration, two-thirds of all the members elected to that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other House by which likewise it shall be re-considered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that House it shall be a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journals of each House, respectively."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Pennsylvania state budget and finances
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    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[39]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August.
    2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor in October.
    3. Agency hearings are held between December and January.
    4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February. In a governor's first term, the budget proposal is submitted in March.
    5. The legislature adopts a budget by June 30. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.


    Pennsylvania is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[39]

    The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[39]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Pennsylvania state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has 28 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the Pennsylvania Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XI of the Pennsylvania Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Pennsylvania

    The Pennsylvania Constitution provides for one mechanism for amending the state's constitution—a legislative process. However, the state constitution does not mention a constitutional convention process, and the legislature has called constitutional conventions in the past. Pennsylvania requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

    Initiative

    See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

    In Pennsylvania, citizens do not have the power to initiate ballot measures at the state level.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    According to Article XI, the state Legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voters to decide. A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Pennsylvania State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 102 votes in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Pennsylvania State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    When the Legislature finds that a "major emergency threatens or is about to threaten the Commonwealth," a constitutional amendment can be referred to the ballot with a two-thirds vote during one legislative session.



    2025 measures:

    See also: 2025 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

    No measures to list

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: Pennsylvania 2024 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

    See also

    Elections Pennsylvania State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    External links

    Footnotes

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named speaker
    2. AP News, "Democrat voted Pennsylvania speaker, foiling GOP hopes," January 3, 2023
    3. WHYY, "Joanna McClinton elected first female speaker of the Pa. House as Mark Rozzi steps down," February 28, 2023
    4. WESA, "Sara Innamorato resigns from state House to focus on Allegheny County executive bid," July 19, 2023
    5. Pennsylvania House of Representatives, "Officers of the House," accessed June 6, 2014
    6. Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
    7. The Constitution of Pennsylvania, "Article II, Section 5: Qualifications of members," accessed February 3, 2023
    8. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    9. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2012 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    10. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    11. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2008 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    12. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2006 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    13. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2004 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    14. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2002 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    15. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2000 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    16. State of Pennsylvania, "Pennsylvania Constitution," accessed February 15, 2021 (Article II, Section 2)
    17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 All About Redistricting, "Pennsylvania," accessed May 8, 2015
    18. 18.0 18.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dr
    19. Census.gov, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Pennsylvania's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 9, 2011
    20. The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pennsylvania legislature will vote remotely as coronavirus spreads," March 16, 2020
    21. The Inquirer, "S&P threatens to cut Pa. credit rating," July 6, 2017
    22. The Morning Call, "Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to let budget become law," July 11, 201
    23. U.S. News, "Pennsylvania Budget Takes Effect Amid Fight Over Funding It," July 10, 2017
    24. U.S. News, "Pennsylvania Senate Approves Higher Taxes to Balance Budget," July 27, 2017
    25. NBC 10, "Budget Bills Are Ugly But Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Has Little Choice But to Sign," October 28, 2017
    26. The Inquirer Daily News, "Wolf signs bills to balance Pa. budget with gambling and borrowing, hints of veto of education bill," October 30, 2017
    27. The Morning Call, "Pennsylvania's budget still not finished," July 5, 2017
    28. The Inquirer, "PA. budget talks drag on," July 5, 2017
    29. Lehigh Valley, "House, Senate send Pennsylvania budget to Gov. Wolf," June 30, 2017
    30. Penn Live, "New year, old issues: Pennsylvania legislative leaders meet on budget Tuesday," accessed January 6, 2016
    31. Law 360, "Pennsylvania Legislation And Regulation To Watch In 2015," accessed January 22, 2015
    32. Penn Live, "Pa. Senate Prez: Do away with 'obsolete, unsustainable' pensions or face budget crash: Friday Morning Coffee," January 10, 2014
    33. Post-Gazette, "Pennsylvania lawmakers start settling in," January 2, 2013
    34. The Reporter Online, "Triple-dipping loophole in Pa. unemployment law finally closed," accessed December 6, 2013
    35. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    36. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 session dates for Pennsylvania legislature," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    37. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    38. Pennsylvania Code, "§ 9.127. Passage of vetoed bill.," accessed July 3, 2017
    39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023