Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2022
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| 2022 Pennsylvania Senate Elections | |
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| Primary | May 17, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
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Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline was March 28, 2022.
The Pennsylvania State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. At the time of the 2022 elections, Republicans held a majority in more chambers than Democrats. There was a Republican majority in 62 chambers and a Democratic majority in 36 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified nine battleground races in the Pennsylvania State Senate 2022 elections, four of which were Democratic-held districts, four were Republican-held districts, and one of which was held by an independent. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
Twenty-five seats were up for election in 2022. As of the 2022 election, the Republican Party controlled 13 of the seats up for election and the Democratic Party controlled 11 seats with one independent.
At the time of the 2022 election, Pennsylvania had had divided government since Tom Wolf (D) won the governorship in 2014. Democrats needed to win control of the state senate and state house while maintaining control of the governorship in order to win a trifecta. Republicans needed to maintain control of the state senate and state house while winning control of the governorship in order to win a trifecta. This was one of 28 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as a battleground chamber in 2022. Click here for more on why this chamber was identified as a battleground.
Party control
| Pennsylvania State Senate | |||
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| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 28 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
Candidates
General
Pennsylvania State Senate General Election 2022 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 2 |
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| District 4 |
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| District 6 |
Brandon Bentrim (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 8 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 12 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 16 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 20 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 26 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 30 |
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| District 32 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 36 |
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| District 38 |
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| District 40 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 42 |
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| District 44 |
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| District 46 |
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| District 48 |
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| District 50 |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary
Pennsylvania State Senate Primary 2022 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 2 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 4 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 8 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 12 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 16 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 20 |
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| District 22 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 24 |
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| District 26 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 30 |
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| District 32 |
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| District 34 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 36 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 38 |
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| District 40 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 42 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 44 |
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| District 46 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 48 |
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| District 50 |
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2022 battleground chamber
The Pennsylvania State Senate was among 28 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2022 cycle.
What was at stake?
- The Democratic Party needed to gain four seats to take control of the chamber in 2022. The Republican Party needed to lose three or fewer seats to maintain control.
- This race had the potential to impact Pennsylvania's trifecta status. At the time of the 2022 election, Democrats controlled the governorship and Republicans controlled the state senate and state house. Democrats needed to win control of the state senate and state house while maintaining control of the governorship in order to win a trifecta. Republicans needed to maintain control of the state senate and state house while winning control of the governorship in order to win a trifecta.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats flipped in the last election: Five of the seats up for election (20% of seats up) flipped to a different party the last time they were up.
- Seats decided by less than 10% in the last election: Eight of the seats up for election (32% of seats up) in 2022 were decided by margins of 10 percentage points or smaller the last time they were up.
- More seats flipped in the last election than needed to flip in 2022: The number of seats that flipped the last time they were up for election (five, or 20% of seats up) is larger than the number that would need to flip in 2022 in order to change control of the chamber (four, or 16% of seats up).
- 2020 battleground chamber: The Pennsylvania State Senate was a battleground chamber in 2020. That year, the partisan balance of the chamber did not change. Read more about the 2020 elections here.
- Other 2022 battleground election: The 2022 election for governor was also a battleground race.
Battleground races
District 6
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 51% of the vote in the last election and no incumbent was running. Going into the 2022 election, the Democratic Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 51% according to Dave’s Redistricting. In 2018, Republican incumbent Robert Tomlinson was elected with 50% of the vote (54,382 votes) compared to Democratic candidate Tina Davis’s 50% of the vote (54,308). |
District 10
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a race that CNalysis rated Leans Democrat. Incumbent Steve Santarsiero (D) defeated Marguerite Quinn (R) 53% to 48% in 2018. |
District 14
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The seat was held by an independent. |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the Democratic Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 55% according to Dave’s Redistricting and was rated as a Toss-up by CNalysis. In 2018, Democratic incumbent John Yudichak was unopposed for re-election, winning with 100% of the vote. |
District 16
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a race in a district where neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party had a partisan lean above 55%, according to Dave' Redistricting. In the 2018 election, Pat Browne (R) defeated Mark Pinsley (D) 52% to 49%. Browne ran for re-election in 2022 but was defeated in the Republican primary. |
District 18
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the Democratic Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 54% according to Dave’s Redistricting and was rated as Tilts Democratic by CNalysis. In 2018, Democratic incumbent Lisa Boscola was unopposed for re-election, winning with 100% of the vote. |
District 24
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 53% of the vote in the last election and no incumbent was running. Going into the 2022 election, the Republican Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 50% according to Dave’s Redistricting. In 2018, Republican incumbent Bob Mensch was re-elected with 52.4% of the vote compared to Democratic candidate Linda Filds’s 47.6% of the vote. |
District 38
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 51% of the vote in the last election. Going into the 2022 election, the district was rated as “Tilts Democratic” by CNalysis. In 2018, Democratic candidate Lindnsey Williams was elected with 50.3% of the vote compared with Republican candidate Jeremy Shafffer’s 49.7% of the vote. |
District 40
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 56% of the vote in the last election and no incumbent was running. Going into the 2022 election, the Democratic Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 51% according to Dave’s Redistricting. In 2018, Republican incumbent Mario Scavello was re-elected with 55.7% of the vote compared to Democratic candidate Tarah Probst’s 43.1% of the vote. |
District 44
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55% of the vote in the last election. Going into the 2022 election, the Democratic Party maintained a partisan lean of less than 54% according to Dave’s Redistricting and the district was rated as Leans Democratic by CNalysis. In 2018, Democratic candidate Katie Muth was elected with 52% of the vote compared with Republican incumbent John Raffferty’s 48% of the vote. |
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
Campaign finance
Campaign finance by district
The section below contains data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
No incumbents lost in general elections.
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
One incumbent lost in the May 17 primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
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| Pat Browne |  Republican |
Senate District 16 |
Retiring incumbents
Five incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[1] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Tomlinson | Republican |
Senate District 6 | Retired |
| John Yudichak | Independent |
Senate District 14 | Retired |
| Bob Mensch | Republican |
Senate District 24 | Retired |
| Jake Corman | Republican |
Senate District 34 | Other office |
| Mario Scavello | Republican |
Senate District 40 | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Pennsylvania. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Pennsylvania in 2022. Information below was calculated on May 10, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Forty-two of the 190 Pennsylvania state legislators who filed for re-election this year—20 Democrats and 22 Republicans—faced contested primaries. That equals 22% of incumbents seeking re-election, the highest rate since 2014. The remaining 78% of incumbents did not face primary challengers.
A contested primary is one where more candidates are running than there are nominations available. After redistricting, it is common to see primaries where two incumbents are running against one another. This can happen if a district's lines are redrawn, placing two incumbents in the same district.
This year, there were three incumbent v. incumbent primaries in Pennsylvania. In these races, since only one candidate can win the nomination, one incumbent in each race was guaranteed to lose:
- House District 86: Rep. Johnathan Hershey (R), from House District 82, filed to run against Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R).
- House District 187: Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R), from House District 134, filed to run against Rep. Gary Day (R).
- House District 200: Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald (D), from House District 203, filed to run against Rep. Christopher Rabb (D).
The total number of contested primaries—including those without incumbents—also reached its highest point since 2014. With 228 districts, there are 456 possible primaries every election cycle.
In 2022, 81 districts (18%) were contested: 35 Democratic primaries and 46 for Republicans. For Democrats, this was up from 33 in 2020, a 6% increase. For Republicans, the number increased 84% from 25 primaries in the previous cycle.
Forty of the districts up for election were left open, meaning no incumbents filed to run, the most since 2014.
Overall, 454 major party candidates filed to run this year: 207 Democrats and 247 Republicans. That's 2.0 candidates per district, the same as in 2020.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Pennsylvania State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
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| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 25 | 5 (20 percent) | 20 (80 percent) |
| 2020 | 25 | 2 (8 percent) | 23 (92 percent) |
| 2018 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2016 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2014 | 25 | 5 (20 percent) | 20 (80 percent) |
| 2012 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2010 | 25 | 3 (12 percent) | 22 (88 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
Generally speaking, there are two types of petition forms that prospective candidates may need to file in order to gain access to the ballot.
- Nomination petitions: These are the petition forms used by political party candidates.
- Nomination papers: These are the petition forms used by independent and political party designation candidates.
For party candidates
See statutes: Pennsylvania Election Code, Chapter 14, Article 9
Party candidates for state office must file nomination petitions with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Signature requirements are summarized below (for more information regarding nomination petitions, see "Nomination petitions" below).[3]
| Nomination petition signature requirements in Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Required signatures | |
| U.S. Senator | 2,000 | |
| U.S. House Representative | 1,000 | |
| Governor | 2,000 (with at least 100 from a minimum of 10 counties) | |
| Lt. Governor | 1,000 (with at least 100 from a minimum of five counties) | |
| State senator | 500 | |
| State representative | 300 | |
Each candidate must file a candidate affidavit with his or her nomination petition. The affidavit must include the candidate's address, election district, the name of the office being sought, a statement verifying the candidate's eligibility for said office, and a statement verifying that the candidate will not "knowingly violate any provision of this act [i.e., the election code], or of any law regulating and limiting nomination and election expenses and prohibiting corrupt practices in connection therewith."[4]
The candidate must also pay a filing fee. Filing fees must be submitted with nomination petitions. Fees are summarized in the table below.[5]
| Filing fees in Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Fee | |
| United States Senator, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, auditor general, attorney general | $200 | |
| United States Representative | $150 | |
| State legislator | $100 | |
In addition, a candidate for state office must file a statement of financial interests with the state ethics commission. A copy of this statement must be attached to the nomination petition submitted to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, as well.
For other candidates
See statutes: Article 9, Part (b) of the Pennsylvania Election Code
Like party candidates participating in the primary, independent, minor political party, and political body candidates for state office (including the Pennsylvania General Assembly) must submit candidate affidavits and statements of financial interests to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Candidates must also pay the same filing fees as primary candidates. Independent, minor party, and political body candidates must also file nomination papers (not to be confused with the nomination petitions party candidates participating in the primary must complete). Candidates filing nomination papers for office elected by district must obtain signatures from electors of the district equal to at least 2 percent of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate in the last election within the district.[6] Candidates filing nomination papers for most statewide offices must gather 2,500 signatures. For President of the United States, U.S. Senate, and governor, candidates must gather 5,000 signatures.[6][7]
For write-in candidates
Pennsylvania does not require write-in candidates to file paperwork in order to have their votes tallied.
Qualifications
Under Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens 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.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[8] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $106,422.33/year | $185/day |
When sworn in
Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[9]
Pennsylvania political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | _ |
Presidential politics in Pennsylvania
2020 Presidential election results
Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
50.0
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3,458,229 | 20 |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
48.8
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3,377,674 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.1
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79,380 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 6,915,283 |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Pennsylvania
Redistricting following the 2020 census
On February 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-1 to approve new state House and Senate maps.[10] 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.[10] These maps took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Pennsylvania State Senate Districts
until November 30, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Pennsylvania State Senate Districts
starting December 1, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
| Pennsylvania | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.1 (2022)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 P.S. § 2870," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 P.S. § 2873," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pennsylvania Department of State, "Instructions for filing as a candidate of a political body 2025 municipal election," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "25 Pa. Stat. § 2872.2 (2022)," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid
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