Pennsylvania Perspective Special Edition: 2026 Primary Election Recap

Pennsylvania Perspective Special Edition: 2026 Primary Election Recap

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Pennsylvania held its primary elections to finalize the Democratic and Republican candidates for the November 3, 2026 Midterm General Elections. Pennsylvania holds closed primary elections, meaning that registered Democrats and Republicans can only vote within their own party’s races. Key races included the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, all 17 U.S. Congressional seats, all 203 state House seats, and 25 state Senate seats. The state races in the House and Senate consisted of several primary challenges against incumbents, where all Senate incumbents won their races and some state House incumbents lost . Below are some key results of the 2026 primary elections:

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Governor

Governor

Governor Josh Shapiro (D) ran unopposed and secured the Democratic nomination.

State Treasurer (R) Stacy Garity ran unopposed in the Republican primary and secured the nomination despite a write-in campaign by state Senator Doug Mastriano (R-33) supporters.

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis (D) ran unopposed and secured the Democratic nomination.

Jason Richey (R), the preferred candidate for Lieutenant Governor by Republican nominee Stacy Garity, defeated John Ventre (R).

Federal Races

U.S. House

U.S. House District 3: State Representative Chris Rabb (D-200) secured the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional District to replace U.S. Representative Dwight Evans (D-PA-3). Representative Rabb, who ran as an “anti-establishment” and progressive candidate, defeated State Senator Sharif Street (D-3) and Dr. Ala Stanford. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost guaranteed to be the winner of the general election in the nation’s most Democratic district.

U.S. House District 7: Bob Brooks, the president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association and the handpicked choice of Governor Josh Shapiro, defeated three other candidates to secure the Democratic nomination for the 7th Congressional District. Brooks will face off against Representative Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-7), who ran opposed in the Republican primary, in the general election.

U.S. House District 8: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who ran unopposed, secured the Democratic nomination in the 8th Congressional District to face off against Republican incumbent and nominee Representative Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-8) in a key swing district ahead of the general election.

U.S. House District 10: Janelle Stelson secured the Democratic nomination for the 10th Congressional District against Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas. Stelson will face off against Representative Scott Perry (R-PA-10), who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination, in the general election for the second time after losing to Representative Perry by about 5,100 votes in the 2024 elections.

State Races

PA Senate

All Senate incumbents won their respective primary races against challengers. State Senators Lisa Baker (R-20), Camera Bartolotta (R-46), and Chris Gebhard (R-48) all survived their primary challenges fueled by money connected to the skill games industry. Below are key Senate highlights:

• Senate District 20: Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) defeated counselor and U.S. Army veteran Tyler Meyers.
• Senate District 46: Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46) defeated masonry firm owner Albert Buchtan.
• Senate District 48: Senator Chris Gebhard (R-48) defeated professional cowboy and horse breeder Clovis Crane.

Below were additional key race highlights:

• Senate District 16: Mark Pinsley declared victory over Bradley Merkl Gump. Pinsley will face off against incumbent and Republican nominee Jarrett Coleman (R-16) in the general election.
• Senate District 36: Tom Jones secured the Republican nomination against Jere Swarr. The seat is currently held by State Representative James Malone (D-36), who is also the Democratic nominee, and recently won an unexpected victory in a special election in a district that strongly supported President Donald Trump.

PA House

Pennsylvania House incumbents Ana Tiburcio (D-22), Donald “Bud” Cook (R-50), Greg Vitali (D-166), and Keith Harris (D-195) lost their primary races. Below are the details:

• House District 22: Representative Ana Tiburcio (D-22), who was elected to the state House in a February special election to replace Josh Siegel, was defeated by Allentown City Councilmember Ce-Ce Gerlach.
• House District 50: Representative Donald “Bud” Cook (R-50) was defeated by Benjamin Humble, a flooring specialist who also serves as the president of Waynesburg Borough Council and is a volunteer firefighter.
• House District 166: Representative Greg Vitali (D-166) was defeated by Judy Trombetta, president of the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners.
• House District 195: Representative Keith Harris (D-195) was defeated by Sierra McNeil, a social worker and educator.

Below are highlights of winners of competitive primaries​, where the winner is likely to win the general election:

• House District 148: Whitemarsh Township Supervisor Megan Griffin-Shelley secured the Democratic nomination in a close race against environmental lawyer and civil rights advocate Jason Landau Goodman and two other candidates to replace retiring Representative Mary Jo Daley (D-148).
• House District 200: Chris Johnson won the Democratic nomination against two other candidates in the seat to replace state Representative Chris Rabb (D-200), who won the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional District.

Below are highlights of special election races:

• House District 12: Scott Timko won the Republican nomination against Ethan Nicholas. Timko and Brandon Dukes, the Democratic nominee, will face off in the general election. Timko is also expected to be the party’s candidate in an August special election to serve the remainder of the current term left vacant by Stephenie Scialabba.
• House District 196: Republican George Margetas defeated Democrat Ron Ruman in a special election to replace former Representative Seth Grove. They are likely to face off again in the general election.

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