Death of Democratic lawmaker leaves Pennsylvania House deadlocked at 101-101

Source: CBS News/AP

Updated on: January 20, 2025 / 6:10 AM EST


HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — 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.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pennsylvania-matt-gergely-representative-death-house-deadlocked-101-101/

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It's been one thing after another since Democrats re-took the state House here in PA in 2022. Sending a R.I.P. to this state Rep. and condolences to his family.

This is what Democrats need to do for the next 2 years - work on the "All politics are local" angle and get our STATE/COUNTY/MUNICIPAL party orgs in order. Clean out some of the "machine politicos" and provide organizational support for struggling offices.