Democrat Austin Davis defeated Republican Fawn Walker-Montgomery in the special election to replace former state Rep. Marc Gergely (D-Allegheny).
“It’s a mandate that people want an effective state representative who’s going to deliver results,” Davis said according to the Tribune Review.
“Congratulations to Rep.-elect Austin Davis on his important win tonight. With recent court decisions deeming Pennsylvania’s congressional maps unconstitutional, it is critical that we continue to build Democratic strength in the Pennsylvania General Assembly ahead of 2020 redistricting,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Jessica Post said in a statement.
Davis won 74% of the vote while Walker-Montgomery got 26% in an election that had 10.6% voter turnout. In 2016, Clinton received 58% of the vote in the district.
In PA #HD35 tonight, Austin Davis (D) won 74/26 in a seat that only gave Clinton a 58/39 win. Low turnout made for interesting swings. The R, Fawn Montgomery, was from McKeesport, which was the only area (red) that swung against Davis. #papolitics pic.twitter.com/3okTflcmUT
— J. Miles Coleman (@JMilesColeman) January 24, 2018
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10 Responses
Plubius is a lock for “Player Hater of the Year” 2018.
Yes. Because why should the voters be the ones to decide. Let’s all just be good little Germans and leave it to the “players”, its just easier that way. Then again, you might actually try reading what’s written and actually analyzing the results and their real meaning, or lack of such in this case. I’m just saying.
Is that yet another ridiculously gerrymandered district?
No, it’s not. Fitzgerald just decided to push for a coronation by the Committee followed by a quick and early low turn out stealth election so that he could slide in his preference without anyone noticing, instead of scheduling the special along with the primary so that the actual voters could decide. I guess that he really did learn the lesson that putting up primary opponents against incumbent Democrats doesn’t work.
Speaker of the House Turzai (R), set the Special Election date.
A very interesting shape indeed.
With about 10 percent turnout and getting the vote of about 7.5 percent of registered voter does not a mandate make. Particularly after all of his mailers, postcards, lawn signs, door hangers, robo calls and social media posts. No one has yet explained what results David has ever delivered or how effective he has been at anything. There are two winners in this, and neither of these are the citizens of the 35th PA House District. Rich Fitzgerald gets a bought and paid for state Rep. and Davis gets to have his picture in the paper. But, that’s really what all of this was ever about anyway.
Plubius-
It’s a 3.5 to 1 Dem vs Rep district. The outcome was a foregone conclusion regardless of the turnout.
Assuming 10% of D’s showed up and 10% R’s, you’d need about 30% R turnout and still have the low 10% Dem turnout for Walker-Montgomery to have had a chance.
Of course Turzai set the time of the election, thats his constitutional responsibility, and yes, the conclusion was inevitable. The Real point is that the process was short circuited in that the voters were presented with a Democratic candidate with no real experience or credentials save representing Fitzgeralds interests and wishes, instead of being allowed to chose someone to finish the current term, as should have been the case. The other point being that 10 percent turnout and 3000 or so votes can in no serious way be described as being a mandate.
Congrats on winning and I will support you for the general election in November as well.