ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With a special election now on the books for Pennsylvania's 22nd House District, a handful of rank-and-file members of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee may determine the next person to represent the Lehigh Valley in Harrisburg.
Voters in parts of the city and Salisbury Township will elect a new state representative Feb. 24 after Josh Siegel resigned his state representative position Wednesday.
Siegel won his campaign for Lehigh County executive last month, and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, ordered the state arrange for an early special election to choose his successor.
But with no primary to select a nominee, it will be up to the political parties to chose whose names appear on the ballots. And given Democrats' overwhelming majority in the district — they outnumber Republicans 2.5 to 1 — their standard bearer will have a distinct advantage heading into the special election.
Under the bylaws of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the statewide executive committee will ultimately select the party's nominee. But Lehigh County Democratic Chair Lori McFarland said that in practice, the grassroots volunteers who do much of the party's outreach in the 22nd District will be the ones making the call.
The state party's bylaws says the committee must consider the recommendation of the ground-level party officials.
The 22nd District has 14 precincts, each of which is supposed to have two elected precinct committee people, or PCPs, McFarland said. Of these, only 20 are currently filled, she said.
Interested candidates have until 5 p.m. Jan. 1 to apply for consideration. The PCPs will then privately interview all the applicants and vote on a nominee. The meeting will not be open to the public, McFarland said.
Entering this week, Democrats had a single-seat majority in the state House. But with the resignations of two state representatives, Republicans have temporarily taken the majority.
Registered Democrats interested in being the Democratic nominee for the 22nd District in the upcoming special election are encouraged to apply through the Lehigh County Democratic Committee's website, McFarland said. Candidates will be provided a list of the 20 PCPs so they may try to whip support ahead of the vote, she said.
To date, City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach and Julian Guridy, an aide to state Sen. Nick Miller and son of former Allentown City Councilman Julio Guridy, have formally announced their candidacies for the 22nd House District seat.
Both have said they'll compete for consideration in the special election and run in next year's Democratic primary for a two-year House term.
If Republicans opt to nominate a candidate, they'll follow a similar route. Members of the Lehigh County Republican Committee who live in the district will have final say on their special election nominee. Anyone who is interested in being considered for the post is encouraged to contact the county committee at 610-435-3322.
Like the Democrats, Republicans will not conduct their selection process in public or before the media, said county GOP Chair Joe Vichot.
The winner of the special election will complete Siegel's term, which ends Nov. 31, 2026. The winner of the November 2026 22nd House race will earn a two-year term representing the district.
The vacancy in the Lehigh Valley could have statewide implications. Entering this week, Democrats had a single-seat majority in the House. But with the resignations of Siegel and state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny, Republicans have temporarily taken the majority. Both seats overwhelmingly favor Democrats.
It remains to be seen how control of the House will play out in the early months of 2026.
Republicans pressed for control of the chamber in 2023 when vacancies in safe Democratic districts granted them a temporary majority, but those powerplays haven't erupted in the years since.
