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Pennsylvania State Senate District 42

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Pennsylvania State Senate District 42
Incumbent
Assumed office: June 14, 2005

Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 is represented by Wayne Fontana (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Pennsylvania state senators represented an average of 260,237 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 254,698 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Pennsylvania State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[1]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution states:[2]

Senators shall be at least 25 years of age and Representatives 21 years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State), and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.[3]


Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[4]
SalaryPer diem
$106,422.33/year$185/day

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution on when a special election can be held.[5]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Pennsylvania Cons. Art. II, §2


District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania after the 2020 census

On February 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-1 to approve new state House and Senate maps.[6] House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R) voted no, while Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R), state Rep. Joanna McClinton (D), state Sen. Jay Costa (D), and chairman Mark Nordenberg voted yes.[6] These maps took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.

How does redistricting in Pennsylvania work? In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.[7]

State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:[7]

  1. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
  2. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
  3. The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
  4. The minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
  5. The first four commissioners appoint a fifth member to serve as the commission's chair. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a commission chair.[7]


The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Further, state legislative districts should "respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township and ward boundaries." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[7]

Pennsylvania State Senate District 42
until November 30, 2022

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Pennsylvania State Senate District 42
starting December 1, 2022

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2022

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42

Incumbent Wayne Fontana won election in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wayne Fontana
Wayne Fontana (D)
 
100.0
 
85,905

Total votes: 85,905
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42

Incumbent Wayne Fontana advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wayne Fontana
Wayne Fontana
 
99.1
 
37,228
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.9
 
339

Total votes: 37,567
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2018

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42

Incumbent Wayne Fontana won election in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wayne Fontana
Wayne Fontana (D)
 
100.0
 
86,288

Total votes: 86,288
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42

Incumbent Wayne Fontana advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wayne Fontana
Wayne Fontana
 
100.0
 
23,970

Total votes: 23,970
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in that election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Wayne Fontana was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Fontana was unchallenged in the general election.[8][9]

2010

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Pennsylvania State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 18, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 9, 2010. Incumbent Wayne Fontana (D) was unopposed in both the general election and Democratic primary.[10][11]

Campaign contributions

From 2000 to 2022, candidates for Pennsylvania State Senate District 42 raised a total of $2,051,071. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $186,461 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

Campaign contributions, Pennsylvania State Senate District 42
Year Amount Candidates Average
2022 $352,877 1 $352,877
2018 $365,540 1 $365,540
2014 $382,955 1 $382,955
2012 $101,400 1 $101,400
2010 $136,776 1 $136,776
2008 $74,630 1 $74,630
2006 $57,849 1 $57,849
2004 $36,620 1 $36,620
2002 $499,454 2 $249,727
2000 $42,970 1 $42,970
Total $2,051,071 11 $186,461


See also

External links

Footnotes


Current members of the Pennsylvania State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Joe Pittman
Minority Leader:Jay Costa
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
John Kane (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
Patty Kim (D)
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
Gene Yaw (R)
District 24
District 25
Cris Dush (R)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
Kim Ward (R)
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
Jay Costa (D)
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (23)