The 2021 Pennsylvania elections were held on November 2, 2021, to fill judicial positions on the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

, and Commonwealth Court, to allow judicial retention votes, and to fill numerous county, local and

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

offices. The necessary

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

s were held on May 18. In addition, special elections for legislative vacancies were held at various times in 2021.

Special elections

Pennsylvania State Senate

22nd senatorial district

On February 14, Democratic state senator John Blake announced he would be resigning from the Senate to take a position with Congressman

Matt Cartwright Matthew Alton Cartwright (born May 1, 1961) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative from Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district since 2013. The district, numbered as the 17th district from 2013 through 2019, inc ...

. A special election was announced by Lieutenant Governor (and Senate President)

John Fetterman John Karl Fetterman (born August 15, 1969) is an American politician who is the United States senator-elect from Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he has also served as the 34th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania since 2019. Fet ...

for May 18, in conjunction with the 2021 primary election. Democrats held a special convention during which State Representative

Marty Flynn Martin Bradshaw Flynn Jr. (born September 18, 1975) is an American politician. He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate and he previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Flynn is a member of the Democratic Party (Unit ...

won the party's nomination. Republicans nominated

Lackawanna County Lackawanna County (; unm, Lèkaohane) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and had a population of 215,896 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Scranton. The county ...

Commissioner Chris Chermak. The

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties * Outline of libertarianism ...

nominated Nathan Covington, and the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

nominated Marlene Sebastianelli. Flynn defeated the field the special election.

48th senatorial district

Following the death of State Senator

Dave Arnold Dave Arnold (born 1971) is the founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD); the host of the radio show '' Cooking Issues''; an owner of Booker and Dax, a food and drink research lab in New York; a food science writer and editor; ...

, a special election was announced by Lieutenant Governor (and Senate President)

to coincide with the 2021 primaries on May 18. The

nominated York County business owner and farmer Timothy McMaster. Former state representative Edward H. Krebs announced he would launch an independent bid for this seat. Democrats nominated Dr. Calvin Clements, a retired veterinarian.

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominated

Lebanon County Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. The county was formed from portions of Dauphin ...

businessman Christopher Gebhard.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

59th legislative district

Following the death of Republican state representative Mike Reese, House Speaker

Bryan Cutler Bryan Dean Cutler (born April 2, 1975) is an American politician who is the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican, Cutler represents the 100th legislative district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He wa ...

announced that a special election for the 59th legislative district would take place on May 18 (in conjunction with the 2021 primary). Democrats nominated Ligonier Borough Councilwoman Mariah Fisher.

held a special convention and nominated Leslie Rossi, a Latrobe native and creator of the " Trump House". The

nominated Robb Luther. Rossi defeated Fisher and Luther in the special election to become the district's first female representative.

60th legislative district

On March 16, State Representative Jeff Pyle announced his retirement due to health issues. House Speaker

called for a special election for the 60th legislative district on May 18, in conjunction with the 2021 primary.

nominated Pyle's chief of staff Abby Major.

Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and Minarchism, minimize the ...

nominated

Waynesburg University Waynesburg University is a private university in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1850 and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. The university enrolls over 2,500 students, including ...

senior Drew Hreha. Democrats nominated Dr. Frank Prazenica Jr., a retired

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...

113th legislative district

As a result of his State Senate special election victory,

resigned from his State House seat on June 9. House Speaker

called for a special election for the 113th legislative district on November 2, in conjunction with the 2021 general election. Democrats nominated Flynn's

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

Thom Welby.

nominated Dominick Manetti, a former deputy sheriff of

164th legislative district

On July 22, State Representative

Margo L. Davidson Margo Lomax Davidson (born September 27, 1962) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 164th Legislative District from 2011 until her resignation on July 22, 2021 due to criminal charges. Th ...

resigned her seat after being charged with stealing from the Commonwealth by filing fraudulent overnight

per diem ''Per diem'' (Latin for "per day" or "for each day") or daily allowance is a specific amount of money that an organization gives an individual, typically an employee, per day to cover living expenses when travelling on the employer's business. A '' ...

requests and various other expenses through the State House Comptroller's Office as well as hindering a state prosecution. House Speaker

called for a special election for the 164th legislative district on November 2, in conjunction with the 2021 general election. Democrats nominated

Upper Darby School District Upper Darby School District (UDSD) is a large public school district of approximately 12,000 students in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It consists of an area including Upper Darby Township, Clifton Heights borough, an ...

board member Gina Curry.

nominated Brian Sharif Taylor, a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

veteran.

nominated community activist Aniket Josan.

Justice of the Supreme Court

A vacancy occurred when Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 on December 14, 2021.

Democratic primary

Candidates

*Maria McLaughlin, Judge of the

Superior Court of Pennsylvania The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts (the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania). It is based in Harrisburg. Jurisdiction The Superior Court hears appeals in criminal and most ...

=Withdrawn

= *Carolyn Nichols, Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

* P. Kevin Brobson, President Judge of the

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of Pennsylvania's two intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with jurisdiction over administrative and civil public law. The Superior ...

* Patricia McCullough, Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania * Paula A. Patrick, Judge of the

Philadelphia County Philadelphia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the most populous county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Philadelphia County had a population of 1,603,797. The county is the second smallest county in Pennsyl ...

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

Results

General election

Results

Judge of the Superior Court

One vacancy was created when President Judge Emeritus Susan P. Gantman took senior status in 2020.

Democratic primary

Candidates

*Jill Beck,

Allegheny County Allegheny County () is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's seco ...

attorney * Timika Lane, Judge of the

*Bryan Neft, Allegheny County attorney

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

* Megan Sullivan, deputy

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

and former

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

assistant district attorney (2002–2012)

Results

General election

Results

2021 Pennsylvania Judge of the Superior Court Election

Judge of the Commonwealth Court

A vacancy was created after Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt declined to run for retention after reaching the mandatory retirement age. Judge

Drew Crompton John Andrew "Drew" Crompton is a Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as chief of staff and counsel for Pennsylvania Senate Pro-Tempore Joe Scarnati. He served as deputy campaign manager for policy for Lynn S ...

ran for re-election after initially being appointed by Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he defeated Republican incumbent Tom Corbett in the 2014 guber ...

in 2020.

Democratic primary

Candidates

* Lori Dumas, Judge of the

*Amanda Green-Hawkins, former

councilwoman *David Spurgeon, Judge of the

Court of Common Pleas *Sierra Street, Judge of the

Court of Common Pleas

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

, incumbent Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania *Stacy Marie Wallace, former president of the McKean County Bar Association

Results

General election

A recount was triggered because Dumas and Crompton finished within half a percentage point of each other in the initial tally. On November 23, counties completed the recount, and Crompton conceded to Dumas. The following day, statewide recount results were published, which affirmed Dumas's lead.

Results

Judicial retention

Superior Court

Judges John T. Bender and

Mary Jane Bowes Mary Jane Bowes (born July 18, 1954) is a judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. She was elected in 2001 and began her term in January 2002. Education and legal career Bowes earned a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University in 1976 an ...

were up for retention in 2021.

Commonwealth Court

Judges Anne Covey and Renee Cohn Jubelirer were up for retention in 2021.

Mayoral elections

Pittsburgh

Lancaster

Allentown

Harrisburg

Ballot questions

Pennsylvania voters considered three constitutional amendments and one statewide referendum in the May 18 primary.

Constitutional amendments

Restricting emergency disaster declarations and powers

In 2020, Governor

declared a disaster emergency for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Several Republicans, led by state representative

Russ Diamond Russell H. Diamond (born July 26, 1963) is a far-right American politician and businessman from Pennsylvania. Following a string of unsuccessful runs for various offices, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 102nd D ...

, opposed these public-health measures and introduced two amendments (2021-01 and 2021–02) to the

Pennsylvania Constitution The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...

to restrict the emergency powers of the governor. Resolutions 2021-01 and 2021-02 were placed on the May primary ballot.

Racial equality

A third constitutional amendment (2021-03) was proposed to create a prohibition against denying an individual's rights because of race or ethnicity. Resolution 2021-03 was included on the May primary ballot.

Statewide referendum

Act 91 of 2020 placed before the electorate a question about allowing municipal fire companies,

ambulance services An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

, and

rescue squad A rescue squad is an emergency service that provides technical rescue services, and may also provide emergency medical services and firefighting services. Rescue squads may be standalone organizations or an integrated part of fire departments o ...

s to use loans which are usually only allowed for volunteer companies. The Act 91 referendum was placed on the May primary ballot.

References

{{2021 United States elections Pennsylvania elections

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Pennsylvania elections by year Pennsylvania special elections

Pennsylvania judicial elections U.S. state constitutional amendments