Apr 19, 2025
Democrat wins deep-red seat as Republicans stay home
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A stunning upset in Pennsylvania’s 36th Senate District has seen Democratic candidate James Malone triumph in a traditionally Republican stronghold, where Trump dominated by 15 points in 2024 and Republicans maintained a substantial R+23 registration advantage.
Malone, who previously served as East Petersburg’s mayor, narrowly defeated Republican Josh Parsons, who chairs the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners. This remarkable shift marks the first time since 1978 that a Democrat has claimed this seat.
The margin of victory was razor-thin at just 482 votes, with the outcome largely attributed to poor Republican voter turnout. The results weren’t due to manipulation or fraud – they simply reflected voter apathy, particularly among Republicans who took their district’s red status for granted.
Wait I thought Scott Presler single handedly won PA for Trump? FLIPPING COUNTIES And Registering voters.
Now what will the narrative be?
It's almost as if fraud is what got this Dem into office.
I'm sure it's your fault voters that you just didn't…— Leah Hoopes (@hoopes_leah) March 26, 2025
The election saw a dismally low 29% voter participation rate, meaning that more than two-thirds of registered voters – many of them Republicans – didn’t exercise their right to vote. This complacency ultimately cost Republicans a seat they had held for over four decades.
The special election was necessitated by Republican Senator Ryan Aument’s December 2024 resignation.
“A Pennsylvania State Senate district that Trump had won by 15 points just flipped blue tonight. This is how it’s done. Run everywhere. Run down ballot. Focus on local elections ASAP – from school board to councils to state legislatures. We build from there. Great job PA!” celebrated Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on social media.
Conservative activist Scott Pressler voiced his disappointment with the Republican response, stating, “I asked for help & no one would help us. Meanwhile, Illinois democrats poured in $100,000 from a PAC. It’s frustrating to do all this work, while Republicans are busy celebrating & posting on social media. It makes me question if I should continue doing this work.”
An R+23 PA State Senate district has just flipped in a massive upset for Democratic candidate James Malone.
Elon Musk had endorsed the GOP candidate in the race. pic.twitter.com/2YeTtQhZT1
— FactPost (@factpostnews) March 26, 2025
Pressler further noted: “This is a heavily Republican district. Democrats won early voting handily, while Republicans waited to vote on ONE day. Republicans lost by 482 votes. I hope they learn from this.”
Despite this Democratic victory, Republicans retain their majority in the Pennsylvania State Senate, now holding 26 seats to Democrats’ 23, with one vacancy remaining. Simultaneously, Democrat Dan Goughnour’s victory in the 35th District special election helped Democrats maintain their slim 102-101 majority in the State House.
This defeat serves as a stark reminder that voter participation matters. Republicans can’t afford to become complacent, even in traditionally conservative districts. A territory that Trump once won decisively has now shifted to Democratic control, demonstrating that presidential support doesn’t guarantee down-ballot success without active voter engagement.
