This year, Pennsylvania will hold regularly scheduled elections for all 203 seats in the House and 25 seats in the Senate. Republicans control majorities in both chambers.
Pennsylvania’s candidate filing period for the 2016 elections ended February 16. Here are some key statistics regarding the candidate filings and their impacts on the elections in the House and Senate.
- Fifteen representatives and three senators will not return to their respective chambers in 2017. Representatives Mike Regan (R) and Thomas Killion (R) are running for open seats in the Senate, while Representatives Steve Santarsiero (D) and Dwight Evans (D) and Senator Lloyd Smucker (R) are running for seats in Congress.
- House Democrats and Republicans have effectively secured 43 seats and 63 seats respectively because of no opposite-party challengers in the general election.
- Senate Democrats and Republicans have effectively secured six seats and nine seats respectively because of no opposite-party challengers in the general election. Senate Republicans will retain the majority in the chamber since they control 18 of the 25 seats which are not up for election this year.