• Two special elections will be held in Allegheny and Lancaster counties to fill vacancies in the Pennsylvania legislature.
• The election for the 35th Legislative District seat will determine control of the state House.
• The 36th Senate District seat is expected to remain in Republican control.

Voters in Allegheny and Lancaster counties will choose lawmakers Tuesday to fill two vacancies in the state legislature. 

One will take the place of a state representative who died earlier this year and the other will replace a state senator who resigned to work for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.

Who represents me? Find, contact your elected officials with the Erie Times-News database

The special election for the 35th Legislative District seat, previously held by Rep. Matthey Gergely, D-Allegheny, will determine control of the state House. Democrats held a one-seat majority in the chamber before Gergley died in January after suffering a medical emergency. 

The 35th District, in the Monongahela River Valley south of Pittsburgh, includes the industrial cities of Clairton, Duquesne and McKeesport, and is favored to remain in Democratic control.

Republicans won a 28-22 majority in the Senate in November, so the election for the 36th Senate District seat formerly held by Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, is less consequential. Covering a swath of northern Lancaster County including suburbs of the city of Lancaster and rural communities, the 36th District is favored to remain in Republican control. Aument left the Senate after his reelection last year to serve as McCormick’s state director.

More: Pennsylvania lawmakers resume push to allow 1.3 million independents to vote in primaries

Pennsylvania 35th House District candidates

• Democrat Dan Goughnour is a member of the McKeesport Area School Board and captain of detectives in the McKeesport Police Department. Goughnour and his wife, Lauren, live in McKeesport and have three children. He lists public safety, access to job training, strengthening public schools and reducing costs for consumers as his priorities, according to his campaign website. 
• Republican Charles Davis is president of the White Oak borough council where he was first elected to office in 2003 and raised two daughters. Davis said on his campaign website that he plans to take his commitment to his community to the state level and lists developing local energy sources, protecting Pennsylvania industry, reducing crime and lowering taxes among his priorities.
• Libertarian Adam Kitta of White Oak works as assistant director for the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services department. In that role, he has provided aid to victims of disaster and emergency personnel, according to the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. It has also provided experience coordinating with government agencies and other nonprofit organizations. His priorities are economic revitalization of the Mon Valley, increasing volunteerism and criminal justice reform.

Pennsylvania 36th Senate District Candidates

• Democrat James Malone is mayor of East Petersburg and works as a senior development consultant for a business information technology firm. Malone says he is devoted to transparent, compassionate, inclusive and innovative government. His campaign website said his priorities are affordable housing, including support for first-time homeowners and property tax relief; public education; supporting first responders, and expanding social services and mental health support.
• Republican Josh Parsons is the Lancaster County commissioners chairperson, a veteran U.S. Army officer and former assistant district attorney. Parson says on his website he’s a conservative who believes in small, efficient government and plans to bring his success in county government to the state level. He touts his defiance of state COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Lancaster County’s economic recovery during the emergency and his leadership as an abortion opponent.
• Libertarian Zachary Moore of Mount Joy is a geographic information system specialist with experience improving operations of utilities, planning, environmental resources, public safety and other government functions. He lists government transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility and parental choice in education among his priorities, according to the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.

More: When are Pa. elections happening in 2025? What’s the voter registration deadline?

Peter Hall has been a journalist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 20 years, most recently covering criminal justice and legal affairs for The Morning Call in Allentown. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

PENNSYLVANIA – If you live in Pennsylvania, and still haven’t gotten your REAL ID, here’s another chance!

What we know:

The federal enforcement deadline for REAL IDs is fast approaching with just a few months to go.

To give Pennsylvania residents more opportunities to get theirs, PennDOT is hosting a special REAL ID day across the state. Here’s everything you need to know:

When is REAL ID day?

The special events are being held on Monday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“REAL ID Days are held on Mondays when the centers are typically closed. During these events, centers will be exclusively processing REAL IDs to help Pennsylvanians obtain a REAL ID before the enforcement deadline.”

Where are they being held?

Pennsylvania residents can attend a REAL ID special event across the state at these locations:

• Johnstown Driver License Center at 563 Walters Avenue, Johnstown
• Huntingdon Driver License Center at 9048 William Penn Highway, Huntingdon
• New Castle Driver License Center at 973 Old Youngstown Road, New Castle
• Lehigh Valley Driver License Center at 1710 Hoover Avenue, Allentown
• Whitman Plaza Driver License Center at 330 West Oregon Avenue, Philadelphia
• Wellsboro Driver License Center at 40 Plaza Lane, Wellsboro

When is the REAL ID deadline?

The federal enforcement date for REAL IDs is May 7.

“Although a REAL ID or other TSA-acceptable form of ID will be needed to fly domestically beginning May 7, Pennsylvanians can apply for a REAL ID at any time – before, on or after the enforcement date – depending on their situation.”

The backstory:

Beginning May 7, a REAL ID or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) will be required to:

• Board domestic commercial flights.
• Enter a military base.
• Enter certain federal facilities that require a federally acceptable form of ID.

A passport will still be required for international travel.

What do you need to get your REAL ID?

Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify these documents:

• Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
• Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display currently legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
• Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
• Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by your county’s family court.

How and when will I receive my REAL ID?

After presenting the proper documentation and paying the applicable fee, Pennsylvania residents may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:

• Receiving the product in the mail within 15 days of an application being made at a Driver License Center.
• Receiving the product over the counter, if application was made at one of PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID Centers.