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Pennsylvania State Senate

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Pennsylvania State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:  Republican
Session start:  January 7, 2025
Session end:  December 31, 2025
Term length:  4 years
Term limits:  None
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:  $106,422.33/year + per diem
Members
Total:  50
Democrats:  24
Republicans:  27
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:  Austin Davis (D)
Maj. Leader:  Joe Pittman (R)
Min. Leader:  Jay Costa (D)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2016
Next election:  November 6, 2018

The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper chamber of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Alongside the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Pennsylvania state government and works alongside the governor of Pennsylvania to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Pennsylvania State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

  • A total of 25 seats out of the chamber's 50 seats were up for election in 2018. Click to read more »
  • In the 2016 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the state Senate from 31-19 to 34-16, giving them the two-thirds majority needed to override gubernatorial vetoes.
  • Pennsylvania has been under divided government since 2014. While Republicans have controlled both legislative chambers since 2010, Governor Tom Wolf (D) was elected to a four-year term in 2014, breaking the state's Republican trifecta.
  • What you will find on this page

    This page contains information on the Pennsylvania State Senate that is curated and updated by Ballotpedia staff. Click on the arrows (▼) below for information and research on party control, elections, members, legislation, sessions, procedures, committees, and districts.

    Party Control: current and historical information on party control of the Pennsylvania State Senate

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Pennsylvania State Senate as of November 2025:

    Party As of November 2025
         Democratic Party 23
         Republican Party 27
         Independent 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 50

    History of partisan control

    Republicans won control of the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1994. In 2024, they won a 28-22 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Pennsylvania Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Pennsylvania State Senate election results: 1992-2024

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22 '24
    Democrats 25 21 20 20 20 21 20 21 20 20 23 20 16 21 21 22 22
    Republicans 25 29 30 30 30 29 30 29 29 30 27 30 34 29 29 28 28

    Trifecta history

    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. Democratic Governor Tom Wolf won election in 2014, moving Pennsylvania's state government to divided control. Prior to that, Republicans controlled a trifecta resulting from the 2010 elections. The table below shows state government trifectas in Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2017.

    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 D

    Elections: election data from 2000 to the present

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Pennsylvania state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Pennsylvania holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2026

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2026

    Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

    2024

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was April 23, 2024. The filing deadline was February 13, 2024.

    In the 2024 elections, Republicans maintained their 28-22 majority.

    Pennsylvania State Senate
    Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
         Democratic Party 22 22
         Republican Party 28 27
         Vacancy 0 1
    Total 50 50

    2022

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2022

    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.

    In the 2022 elections, Republicans maintained their majority in the chamber with 28 seats. Democrats gained a net one seat from independents, expanding their minority to 22 seats.

    Pennsylvania State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 21 22
         Republican Party 28 28
         Independent 1 0
    Total 50 50

    2020

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was February 18, 2020.

    In the 2020 elections, Republicans maintained their majority of 28-20 with one independent in the Pennsylvania State Senate. One seat was temporarily vacant when James Brewster (D) was not seated due to pending litigation contesting the November election results. Brewster took office on January 13, 2021.

    Pennsylvania State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 21 21
         Republican Party 28 28
         Independent 1 1
    Total 50 50

    2018

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on May 15, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018.

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania State Senate was reduced from 33-16 to 29-21.

    Pennsylvania State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 16 21
         Republican Party 33 29
         Vacancy 1 0
    Total 50 50

    2016

    See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on April 26, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 16, 2016. A total of 25 seats out of the 50 seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 31-19 majority. Republicans gained three seats in the election, giving them a 34-16 majority.

    Pennsylvania State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 19 16
         Republican Party 31 34
    Total 50 50

    Members: current leadership and membership list and information on salaries and qualifications

    Members

    Leadership

    The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Senate, but has no vote except in the case of a tie. The president pro tempore is elected by the Senate from its members.[8][9]

    Current leadership and members

    Current members, Pennsylvania State Senate (50)
    District Senator Party Assumed office
    1 Larry Farnese Democratic 2009
    2 Christine Tartaglione Democratic 1995
    3 Sharif Street Democratic 2016
    4 Art Haywood Democratic 2015
    5 John Sabatina, Jr. Democratic 2015
    6 Robert Tomlinson Republican 1995
    7 Vincent Hughes Democratic 1995
    8 Anthony Williams Democratic 1999
    9 Thomas Killion Republican 2016
    10 Charles McIlhinney Republican 2007
    11 Judy Schwank Democratic 2011
    12 Stewart Greenleaf Republican 1979
    13 Scott Martin Republican 2016
    14 John Yudichak Democratic 2011
    15 John DiSanto Republican 2016
    16 Pat Browne Republican 2005
    17 Daylin Leach Democratic 2009
    18 Lisa Boscola Democratic 1999
    19 Andy Dinniman Democratic 2006
    20 Lisa Baker Republican 2007
    21 Scott Hutchinson Republican 2012
    22 John Blake Democratic 2011
    23 Gene Yaw Republican 2009
    24 Bob Mensch Republican 2009
    25 Joe Scarnati Republican 2001
    26 Thomas McGarrigle Republican 2015
    27 John Gordner Republican 2003
    28 Vacant
    29 David Argall Republican 2009
    30 John Eichelberger Republican 2007
    31 Mike Regan Republican 2016
    32 Patrick Stefano Republican 2015
    33 Richard Alloway Republican 2009
    34 Jake Corman Republican 1999
    35 Wayne Langerholc Republican 2016
    36 Ryan Aument Republican 2015
    37 Guy Reschenthaler Republican 2015
    38 Randy Vulakovich Republican 2012
    39 Kim Ward Republican 2009
    40 Mario Scavello Republican 2015
    41 Don White Republican 2001
    42 Wayne Fontana Democratic 2005
    43 Jay Costa Democratic 1997
    44 John Rafferty Republican 2003
    45 James Brewster Democratic 2011
    46 Camera Bartolotta Republican 2015
    47 Elder Vogel Republican 2009
    48 Mike Folmer Republican 2007
    49 Daniel Laughlin Republican 2016
    50 Michele Brooks Republican 2015

    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2024[10]
    SalaryPer diem
    $106,422.33/year$185/day

    When sworn in

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Pennsylvania legislators' terms officially begin on December 1 the year of their election. However, legislators take the oath of office the first Tuesday in January.[11][12]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    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.

    Legislation: all legislation passed by the chamber in the current or most recent legislative session

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Pennsylvania State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Sessions: legislative sessions dates, special sessions, and key events

    Sessions

    About legislative sessions in Pennsylvania

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[13] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution establishes when the Pennsylvania General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to meet. Section 4 of Article II states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the first Tuesday of January each year.

    Section 4 gives the Governor of Pennsylvania the authority to convene special sessions of the General Assembly either when he judges a special session to be in the public interest, or when a majority of each legislative House requests a special session.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Pennsylvania by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 Pennsylvania legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2025, and adjourn on December 31, 2025.


    Procedures: rules and procedures for veto overrides, the budget, and vacancies

    Procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features it own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Pennsylvania are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 136 of the 203 members in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and 34 of the 50 members in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Pennsylvania is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    Vetoes can be overridden when the next regular session convenes, provided that an election has not occurred.[31]

    Authority: Article IV, Section 15 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

    "Every bill which shall have passed both Houses shall be presented to the Governor; if he approves he shall sign it, but if he shall not approve he shall return it with his objections to the House in which it shall have originated, which House shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and proceed to re-consider it. If after such re-consideration, two-thirds of all the members elected to that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other House by which likewise it shall be re-considered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that House it shall be a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journals of each House, respectively."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Pennsylvania state budget and finances
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    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[32]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August.
    2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor in October.
    3. Agency hearings are held between December and January.
    4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February. In a governor's first term, the budget proposal is submitted in March.
    5. The legislature adopts a budget by June 30. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.

    Pennsylvania is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[32][33]

    The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[32]

    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.[34]

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

    Committees: role and list of current committees

    Committees

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Pennsylvania State Senate has 22 standing committees:


    Districts

    See also: Pennsylvania state legislative districts

    The state of Pennsylvania has 50 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Pennsylvania

    In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.[35]

    State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:[35]

    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.[35]


    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.[35]

    2010 census

    Pennsylvania received its local census data on March 9, 2011. The state had a low 3.4 percent growth rate from 2000-2010. The five most populous cities showed mostly stagnation: Philadelphia grew by 0.6 percent, Pittsburgh decreased by 8.6 percent, Allentown grew by 10.7 percent, Erie decreased by 1.9 percent, and Reading grew by 8.5 percent. By county, the major standout was Forest County with a 56 percent rate of growth.[36]

    On August 17, 2011, the Commission approved the census data and went to work on a preliminary map, which it passed on October 31, 2011 by a vote of 3-2. Democrats were not happy with the plan or the negotiation process. Final maps were approved on December 12, 2011 by a 4-1 vote, moving a Senate district and five House districts from west to east. There was a 30-day window to file appeals, of which 11 were filed. The state Supreme Court threw out the maps on January 25, 2012 after appeals were heard.

    The commission met on April 12, 2012 to vote in favor of a compromise map, which contained two Senate district splits and 68 House splits. On June 8, the commission approved the final plan, which went to the state Supreme Court for final approval.

    See also

    Elections Pennsylvania State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Pennsylvania State Flag-Close Up.jpg
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    State Courts-Tile image.png

    Footnotes

    1. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2012 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    2. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    3. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2008 Campaign Contributions"
    4. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2006 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    5. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2004 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    6. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2002 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    7. Follow the Money, "Pennsylvania State Senate 2000 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
    8. Pennsylvania General Assembly, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    9. Pennsylvania State Senate, "Officers of the Senate," accessed June 6, 2014
    10. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
    11. Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 19, 2012
    12. Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 4," accessed November 19, 2012
    13. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    14. The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pennsylvania legislature will vote remotely as coronavirus spreads," March 16, 2020
    15. The Inquirer, "S&P threatens to cut Pa. credit rating," July 6, 2017
    16. The Morning Call, "Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to let budget become law," July 11, 201
    17. U.S. News, "Pennsylvania Budget Takes Effect Amid Fight Over Funding It," July 10, 2017
    18. U.S. News, "Pennsylvania Senate Approves Higher Taxes to Balance Budget," July 27, 2017
    19. NBC 10, "Budget Bills Are Ugly But Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Has Little Choice But to Sign," October 28, 2017
    20. The Inquirer Daily News, "Wolf signs bills to balance Pa. budget with gambling and borrowing, hints of veto of education bill," October 30, 2017
    21. The Morning Call, "Pennsylvania's budget still not finished," July 5, 2017
    22. The Inquirer, "PA. budget talks drag on," July 5, 2017
    23. Lehigh Valley, "House, Senate send Pennsylvania budget to Gov. Wolf," June 30, 2017
    24. Penn Live, "New year, old issues: Pennsylvania legislative leaders meet on budget Tuesday," accessed January 6, 2016
    25. Law 360, "Pennsylvania Legislation And Regulation To Watch In 2015," accessed January 22, 2015
    26. Penn Live, "Pa. Senate Prez: Do away with 'obsolete, unsustainable' pensions or face budget crash: Friday Morning Coffee," January 10, 2014
    27. Post-Gazette, "Pennsylvania lawmakers start settling in," January 2, 2013
    28. The Reporter Online, "Triple-dipping loophole in Pa. unemployment law finally closed," accessed December 6, 2013
    29. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    30. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 session dates for Pennsylvania legislature," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    31. Pennsylvania Code, "§ 9.127. Passage of vetoed bill.," accessed July 3, 2017
    32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    33. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
    34. State of Pennsylvania, "Pennsylvania Constitution," accessed February 15, 2021 (Article II, Section 2)
    35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 All About Redistricting, "Pennsylvania," accessed May 8, 2015
    36. Census.gov, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Pennsylvania's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 9, 2011