Another Pa. House resignation leaves Democrats to defend their majority (again)

HARRISBURG — Democrats and Republicans are now tied 101-101 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, following the resignation of Rep. Sara Innamorato (D., Allegheny) on Wednesday as she pursues higher office.

Innamorato, a progressive Democrat in her third term representing parts of Pittsburgh and the surrounding suburbs, earlier this year won the Democratic primary for Allegheny County executive, which is the top official in the state’s second-most-populous county.

Innamorato is favored to win the county executive position in November’s general election, meaning she’d need to resign before assuming that role in January. Her early resignation ensures that a special election can take place during the summer recess so that Democrats can regain their one-seat majority before they are scheduled to return to Harrisburg in September.

This is the third time so far this year that Democrats will need to defend their one-seat majority, and they will need to fill the latest vacancy in a Democrat-leaning district amid an ongoing state budget impasse. Their fragile majority was first disrupted at the start of the year, when two members who won higher office had to resign and another member died. Then in May, Democrats had to defend their majority again after former Rep. Mike Zabel (D., Delaware) resigned over allegations that he sexually harassed a lobbyist and a GOP lawmaker.

At least one other Democrat, Rep. John Galloway (D., Bucks) will need to resign by the start of 2024. Galloway, in his ninth term representing the Fairless Hills area, won a district court judge race in Lower Bucks as a cross-filed candidate in the May primary, making his election in November almost certain.

House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia) scheduled a special election to fill Innamorato’s spot for Sept. 19, one week before the House is scheduled to reconvene following its summer recess. As part of reforms to the chamber’s operating rules, Democrats can maintain the status as the “majority” party until a special election takes place.

“Sara is an unwavering advocate for her neighbors and a strong voice for all working families,” McClinton said in a statement. “Her tenacity and commitment are admirable, and she will be missed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.”

Innamorato was reelected to represent her district in Pittsburgh with 63% of the vote in 2022, and her seat is likely to stay in Democratic hands. She was one of three Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidates elected to the state House in 2018 as part of the midterm election “blue wave” that year. She could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lawmakers left Harrisburg for the summer without finalizing the state budget, following a controversy over a proposed private-school voucher program. They’ll need to finish the budget and its accompanying code bills — which provide instructions for how the state can spend its approved $45.5 billion spending plan — when they return in September.

Jason Gottesman, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler, criticized the timing of Innamorato’s resignation as having “no other purpose than to avoid being in the numeric minority and maintaining the delusion of the House Democratic Caucus’s unilateral authority over the House.”

Gottesman also suggested that Innamorato’s resignation could further hold up the budget. The House isn’t scheduled to reconvene until after her special election, and the loss of Democrats’ majority means it’s unlikely they’d return to session before then.

School districts, local governments, and nonprofit organizations will be the first to feel the effects of a lengthy budget impasse. Officials told The Inquirer they are already preparing for an extended budget standoff that could delay state payments and force them to take out loans to stay afloat.