HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania House Democrats have clung to their one-vote majority despite a statewide wave of GOP wins that flipped two congressional seats and may have ousted a veteran U.S. senator.

A huge part of the reason is that state Rep. Frank Burns, a conservative Democrat with a district in the middle of an overwhelmingly Donald Trump-supporting region, held on to his seat.

In this era of Pennsylvania politics, Burns, of Cambria County, is one of the most important members of the state House — both during elections and when it comes to whipping votes in a narrowly divided chamber.

He rarely gives interviews. But in a statement on his victory, Burns said he was “humbled” by his constituents’ support and set out something of a political mission statement. “This election was a win for Cambria County people and another humiliating defeat for the outsiders and local business elites who funded and orchestrated an incredibly divisive, dishonest and bitter campaign,” he wrote.