HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP/ KYW Newsradio) — A Democrat in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives has died, the House Democratic caucus said Sunday night, leaving the chamber deadlocked at a 101-101 partisan divide.
Rep. Matt Gergely, D-Allegheny, died Sunday. He was 45, House Democrats said.
Neither House Democrats or Gergely’s family disclosed a cause, although they said two weeks ago that he had suffered a “medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization” in the days before the chamber convened its two-year session earlier this month.
House Democrats won a one-seat margin in November’s election, the same one-seat margin that Democrats had maintained in the last legislative session. Gergely’s death means the chamber will be tied at 101-101 until a special election is held to fill the seat in the heavily Democratic Pittsburgh-area district.
In the last two-year session, House Democratic majority managed through various vacancies in their ranks, at times bogging down the pace of lawmaking during the two-year legislative session.
In their statement Sunday night, House Democrats said a special election to fill Gergely’s seat will be called by Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, at a later date.
“Matt will be desperately missed in Harrisburg and we know his passing is a tremendous loss to his communities in Western Pennsylvania. Please join us in keeping his wife and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this tragic time,” House Democrats said.
In a statement, House Republicans offered their condolences to Gergely’s family, adding, “While Matt was only in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives a short time, his commitment to his family and community were deeply felt among his peers and he quickly earned friends and respect on both sides of the aisle. His voice and presence will be missed both in Harrisburg and southeast Allegheny County.”
House Democrats said Gergely devoted his life to helping children and working families in Allegheny County. He was elected to the state House after more than a decade of public service in McKeesport.
Gergely graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and worked as city administrator and chief of staff to the McKeesport mayor from 2012 to 2017. He was the McKeesport Area School District business manager from 2017 to 2020, then McKeesport’s chief revenue officer before being elected to the Pennsylvania House in 2023.
He co-sponsored legislation that helps liquor-licensed establishments with staffing shortages, and another bill that protects donated plasma. Both bills have been signed into law.
Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered all flags at commonwealth buildings to fly at half staff.
“Lori and I are heartbroken for Rep. Matt Gergely’s wife Holly, their two young sons, his colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the community he loved and proudly served in his hometown of McKeesport,” Shapiro said. “Matt’s was a life cut way too short. Now, in this moment of mourning, let us come together to honor his legacy, carry on the work that mattered most to him, and look out for his family.”
In a statement, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis added, “Representative Gergely dedicated his entire life to public service. I witnessed his service first hand as a McKeesport school official, city administrator and finally as a state Representative. He was a tireless champion for working families in the Mon Valley.”