Pennsylvania Democrat surprisingly wins state Senate seat in historically red district

A Democrat in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night won a state Senate seat in a historically conservative district, becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in more than a century.

Democrat James Andrew Malone surprisingly won the seat over Republican Josh Parsons, who conceded the race on Wednesday morning. The victory reduces the GOP majority in the upper chamber to a 27-23 seat advantage, according to the Associated Press. 

Malone credited his unexpected victory to the uncertainty in the country caused by President Donald Trump's policies, such as steep tariffs and a dramatic restructuring of the federal government. 

“If President Trump were trying to accomplish his agenda in a very methodical and cohesive and by-the-book way, we wouldn’t have as much vitriol as we do right now,” Malone told the outlet. “But he’s chosen to do it the way he does everything, right? Throw a brick in the basket and see what comes out."

Pennsylvania Republicans have rejected that characterization, stating the victory was likely more related to Malone's efforts to get voters to cast their ballots early, instead of the GOP's traditional method of waiting for election day.

“We need to take this as a wake-up call to the Republican Party that we can’t be complacent and we can’t just run campaigns like we’ve always run campaigns,” Pennsylvania’s Republican Party chairman Greg Rothman said. “We need to embrace early voting.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.