PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The latest salvo was fired Thursday in the battle between two Pennsylvania House party leaders who each have staked a claim on being the legislative body’s majority leader. It involves the scheduling of special elections that will likely give the Democratic Party the eventual advantage.
Republican Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, issued writs of election for the Allegheny County-based 34th and 35th House districts for May 16, concurrent with the day of the 2023 Pennsylvania primary elections.
Cutler was sworn in as “majority leader” on Monday, five days after Democratic “majority leader” Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, was sworn in the same role.
After her ceremony, she declared special elections for Feb. 7.
Democrats won 102 seats in this year’s midterm election, enough to hold a majority in the 203-member House chamber. But three of those Democrat-won seats are currently vacant. Rep. Tony DeLuca won weeks after his death. Former Reps. Summer Lee and Austin Davis won, but resigned to assume higher posts, Congress and lieutenant governor respectively.
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Based on historic voting patterns, Democrats are likely to win those three seats again. Until those elections, though, Republicans have a 101-99 majority.
“It is unfortunate we had to arrive at this conclusion today, but the illegitimate and illegal writs of election issued last week by the leader of the minority party in the House, with the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of State, forced this continued action and the ongoing litigation over those writs,” Cutler said.
“The only reason for the GOP leader to delay the special elections in Districts 34 and 35 in Allegheny County until the May primary is to deny those voters their right to representation in Harrisburg, and to empower the House Republican Caucus to play politics and ram through extremist policies,” McClinton spokeswoman Nicole Reigelman said Thursday.
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“Rep. Cutler was the first to act, and while flawed, chose to set the special election to fill the vacancy that occurred on Dec. 1 in District 32 on Feb. 7. For what can only be understood as an attempt to disenfranchise, Rep. Cutler has filed writs for the vacancies that occurred on Dec. 7 – 7 days after the original vacancy – in Districts 34 and 35 for May 16, 98 days after the original date of Feb. 7.”
McClinton claimed that Republicans set a precedent for her actions in 2004 when then-Rep. Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, became the House’s presiding officer in early December of that year to schedule a special election.
Timing for which party holds the majority could be significant in the first few months of 2023, especially if the GOP can pass constitutional amendments that would go before voters and bypass the veto pen of Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro.
Jim Melwert contributed to this report.