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Democrats hold Pennsylvania state House with special election win
The Democratic Party will retake control of the state house in battleground Pennsylvania after winning a special legislative election on Tuesday that grabbed national attention.
Democrat Dan Goughnor, a police officer, easily defeated Republican Charles Davis, a fire chief, in a district southeast of Pittsburgh.
And Democrats also won a special election to fill a vacant Republican-controlled state Senate seat on the other side of Pennsylvania, in a district that President Trump won by 15 points last November. But the GOP will keep control of the state’s upper chamber, with a 27-23 majority.
The Pennsylvania State House had been deadlocked, with Republicans and Democrats both controlling 101 seats prior to Tuesday’s election.
DEMOCRATS FAR FROM THRILLED ON POSSIBLE BIDEN POLITICAL REEMERGENCE
Democrats had lost their razor-thin majority in January after the death of state Rep. Matt Gergerly.
People gather outside the Pennsylvania Capitol. The “No Kings Day” protest, organized by the 50501 movement on Presidents Day, was part of a nationwide demonstration against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The House race is the fifth straight special election that Democrats have won so far in 2025, despite the party performing dismally in public opinion polling since losing control of the White House and Senate, and failing to win back the House majority in the 2024 elections.
POLL POSITION: DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S NUMBERS PLUNGE TO ALL-TIME LOWS
The party’s favorable rating sank to all-time lows in separate national polls conducted this month by CNN and NBC News. Those numbers followed a record low for Democrats in a Quinnipiac University survey in the field in February.
Additionally, the latest Fox News National poll, which was released last week, indicated that congressional Democrats’ approval rating is at 30%, near an all-time low. And Democrat activists are irate over their party’s inability to blunt President Donald Trump’s agenda.
In the state Senate election, Democrat James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg, narrowly topped Republican Josh Parsons, a Lancaster County commissioner, in a race called by the Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon.
“Obviously we are disappointed in the numbers. We are still reviewing them, but it appears we will come up a little short. We will have a further statement tomorrow,” Parsons wrote in a social media post late on Tuesday night.
The race was to fill the red-leaning seat in Lancaster County that was left vacant when GOP state Sen. Ryan Aument stepped down in December to work as state director for newly elected U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a fellow Republican.
The Pennsylvania State capitol building in Harrisburg. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a leader among the Democratic Party’s progressive base, took to social media Tuesday night to celebrate the victories.
“This is how it’s done. Run everywhere. Run down ballot. Focus on local elections ASAP – from school board to councils to state legislatures. We build from there,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, wrote Tuesday night that “Democrats are on a roll in state legislative races in 2025, from flipping red seats to defending one-seat majorities. Republicans should be on edge.”
And Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin characterized the victories as voter pushback against the sweeping and controversial moves made by Trump in his opening weeks back in office.
Martin called the wins “a shockwave to the system and the way Republicans have run our government. Republicans everywhere should be afraid.”
Minnesota Democratic Party chair Ken Martin speaks with Fox News on Dec. 12, 2024, in Washington D.C. Martin was elected DNC chair on Feb. 1. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
But Republicans note that Democrats enjoyed a slew of special election victories in 2023 and 2024 before suffering serious setbacks in last November’s elections.
“Democrats are motivated and Republicans need to make sure our voters get out in the midterms, but the idea that a state legislative election is a direct harbinger of the midterm elections is a ludicrous idea,” Matt Gorman, a seasoned Republican strategist and veteran of numerous presidential campaigns, told Fox News.
Veteran Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News that “past elections have no impact on future elections.”
“It’s happy talk. If we had won, we’d be bragging too,” Carney, a veteran of numerous presidential and statewide campaigns for over four decades, said.
But he warned that “Democrats on the left spend so much more money on special legislative elections, particularly in the off-years, than we do, that they have a built-in advantage… Our party needs to wake up and take these special elections as seriously as we do the ones in November.”
Regardless of their predictive value, the contests in Pennsylvania will likely give the Democrats a much-needed boost ahead of next week’s more high-profile showdowns — a statewide Supreme Court election in battleground Wisconsin and two special congressional elections in bright red districts in Florida.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Boston Celtics
“The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way he might see that roster … I think it’s worth watching.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.
However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.
That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.
“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.
“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”
The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.
So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.
Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.
And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.
“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”
So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.
Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
From warm maple and mossy green finishes on its cabinetry to the brass plumbing fixtures on the sink, the kitchen of this Treesdale home in Adams Township is all about natural warmth and soft color.
It’s a space that architect Robert Gaskill of Gaskill Architecture, who spearheaded the renovation project, describes as timeless and collected.
“The classic cabinetry, use of natural stone, brass hardware and rich, warm maple wood tone has been relevant for decades and will continue to age beautifully,” Gaskill says. “Rather than leaning into trendy design elements, this kitchen design focuses on authenticity. The layered materials give this kitchen timeless character, which makes it feel as if it evolved over time rather than being tied to a specific moment.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
The kitchen’s ageless design led to it being named Best Renovated Kitchen in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best of Design contest.
“I think the kitchen feels really cozy; it’s going to be a great place for people to gather,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “This kitchen feels very Ralph Lauren, but in the best way.”
Judge Crystal Knapik, an architect and senior associate at CannonDesign in St. Louis, also praised the contrast in the materials.
“I like how they choose that mossy green to be the main character of the kitchen,” she says. “They balanced the dark tones with the bright white ceiling and the white marble on the island.”
Art Rectenwald purchased the home in 2022 and shares it with his wife, Irinia, and his daughter, Annabelle. (“Plus two dogs, two cats, ten chickens and five horses,” he adds.)
The kitchen renovation originally wasn’t part of an overall home addition, but as the project evolved, it became clear the existing builder-grade space wasn’t going to cut it. Rectenwald says that the previous kitchen was “bland and low quality,” but calls the updated space “cozy, beautiful and efficient.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Irina Rectenwald is an architect specializing in environmental design, and her husband says her vision and research provided the primary inspiration for the space. Gaskill seconds this, adding that the selections were “heavily guided by the homeowners’ aesthetic preferences and style.”
The cabinetry pairs a warm maple finish on the range wall and island with a mossy green painted finish on the side elevations. The refrigerator is fully integrated within tall maple cabinetry, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the design. Two tiled towers also frame the range wall, introducing texture while creating niches for displaying personal objects.
“The tiled corner niches are my favorite,” Rectenwald says. “Our corners now display sculptures and artwork versus blenders and coffee makers.”
The homeowners add it feels good to know that their vision, and the hard work that went into bringing the space to life, is appreciated.
“The finished product is everything and more of what we hoped for,” Rectenwald says. “Every detail turned out how we envisioned or better.”
Vendors
Architectural Design: Gaskill Architecture
Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture
General Contractor: TK Construction
Cabinetry: Beahm and Son Ltd. Custom Cabinetry
Fixtures: Brizo
Countertops: Top It Off Granite
Tile: The Tile Shop
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