In a stunning outcome, Democrat James Andrew Malone defeated Republican Josh Parsons to win the 36th Senatorial District seat in Harrisburg.

President Donald Trump rolled to a +15 victory in the district back in November, but northern Lancaster County voters made a statement heard ’round the Keystone State on Tuesday.

The district has only had four representatives since 1983 – all Republican –  Noah Wenger, Philip Price, Mike Brubaker and Ryan Aument. And the closest race since 2000 was a 23,000-vote victory for Brubaker in 2006.

Aument resigned the seat to become U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s state director.

Malone, mayor of the borough of East Petersburg, defeated Parsons, the chair of the Lancaster County commissioners, by 482 votes or 0.89 percent. Malone received 26,951 votes to 26,469 for Parsons.

“I’m very excited and really, really happy that all the work we put in has paid off,” Malone told WGAL-TV. “Everyday voters are not liking what they’re seeing at the federal level, they don’t like the chaos. We want to be sure that we, as Pennsylvania, are standing up for our neighbors and are standing up for our state. And, brotherly love is Pennsylvania, and that just proved out. Kindness over criticism, right? So that’s what we’re trying to do, and I think that that really is what we’re looking at moving forward.”

Parsons expressed his disappointment in a tweet, saying that he would have more to say on the outcome on Wednesday.

Obviously we are disappointed in the numbers. We are still reviewing them, but it appears we will come up a little short. We will have a further statement tomorrow. We appreciate all those who worked hard, supported our campaign, and came out to vote today.

— Josh Parsons (@Josh__Parsons) March 26, 2025

“Tonight in Lancaster County, Pennsylvanians rejected a candidate who embraced the extremism and division coming out of DC,” tweeted Gov. Josh Shapiro. “In a district carried comfortably by Donald Trump just a few months ago, they chose a better way forward – an embrace of competence, commonsense, and a desire to bring people together. Congratulations @MaloneForSenate. Looking forward to working with you in Harrisburg to continue delivering results and getting stuff done for all Pennsylvanians.”

Twenty-nine percent of nearly 185,000 registered voters cast ballots in the special election to fill out Aument’s term. Malone’s strength in no-excuse mail balloting gave him a 5,300 vote advantage that he was able to maintain throughout Election Day.

“This is a referendum on the chaos Washington Republicans have brought to our state and the silence and inaction Harrisburg Republicans have responded with,” said Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia). “Voters are fed up, and they showed up tonight in Lancaster. Mayor Malone is the leader we need right now. Through this campaign, he has been thoughtful, listened to his neighbors and is ready to deliver on the promise of rational governance. Congratulations to the Mayor, his team, and the Lancaster County Democrats who worked so hard to share the importance of this race.”

Malone’s apparent victory capped a 2-for-2 day for Democrats, as the party retained its one-seat majority in the state House as Dan Goughnour won a convincing victory in the 35th Legislative District (Allegheny County).

“It’s only March, and Democrats have defied the odds again with another upset victory in Republican territory,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams. “Democrats are on a roll in state legislative races in 2025, from flipping red seats to defending one-seat majorities, which should put Republicans on edge. Both wins affirm Democratic leadership in a moment when GOP power is synonymous with chaos. While we celebrate our victories tonight, control of the Pennsylvania House still hinges on a single seat. As the only organization dedicated to building Democratic power in state legislatures, the DLCC is ready to keep up the fight – especially in special elections as we gear up for competitive races in 2025 and 2026.”

“Congratulations to Senator-elect James Malone on his shocking, historic special election victory in Senate District 36,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin. “In a district that went to Trump by 15 in 2024 and has a 23-point Republican voter registration advantage, Malone’s victory is a loud and clear rebuke to Republicans’ threats to the programs Pennsylvania families rely on – from Social Security and Medicaid to our public schools. To protect working Americans, Democrats like Senator-elect Malone are competing everywhere, and in special elections throughout the country, we continue to overperform as voters join us in fighting back against the Trump-Musk agenda. This is a shockwave to the system and the way Republicans have run our government. Republicans everywhere should be afraid.”

Updated with comments from Malone, Parsons and Martin