Pittsburgh made history again by electing Summer Lee to Congress to represent Pennsylvania’s 12 Congressional District, which includes all of the City of Pittsburgh and most of southeastern Allegheny County. Lee is the first Black congresswoman elected from Pennsylvania.
In the state house from Pittsburgh, La’Tasha Mayes will join State Representative Jessica Benham as out and proud members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Mayes, a long-time community organizer around reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, was elected to represent Pennsylvania State House District 24 which includes parts of the Hill District, Oakland, Bloomfield, Highland Park, East Liberty, and Homewood. Claiming victory, Mayes tweeted “It is my honor. It is my dream. It is my calling. Now let’s go disrupt politics as usual”.
State Representative Jessica Benham was re-elected to her PA State House District 36 seat. That district includes parts of Pittsburgh neighborhoods Arlington, Brookline, Carrick, Mt. Oliver, Mt. Washington, and South Side Flats and Slopes.
State-wide, long-time LGBTQ+ rights supporter Lt. Governor John Fetterman defeated TV’s Dr. Oz for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, and Attorney General Josh Shapiro handily defeated anti-trans State Representative and known insurrectionist Doug Mastriano.
In the biggest surprise of the night, Pennsylvania Democrats are within a few hundred votes of potentially taking the majority of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. Counting continues in a handful of districts in the Philadelphia collar counties.