The Debrief: 3 special elections in Pa. hold extra significance

LehighValleyNews.com | By Brad Klein

Published February 7, 2023 at 8:00 AM EST

harrisburg-capitol — The Pennsylvania Capitol building in Harrisburg. (Photo |Tom Downing/WITF)

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Three special elections will be held Tuesday in Pennsylvania — all in Allegheny County.

But they have significance across all of the commonwealth, as the winners in the three legislative races will determine which party controls the state House of Representatives.

WLVR’s Brad Klein speaks with reporter Sam Dunklau, Capitol bureau chief for WITF in Harrisburg, about why the special elections are taking place — and how they will determine the balance of power in the Legislature.

The races are in the 32nd, 34th and 35th House Districts — areas that lean Democratic — as Republicans hold a 101-99 edge in the lower chamber.

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Brad Klein

I was a founding member of the WLVR News team in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in radio journalism, podcast, and video production. I’ve had a role in a number of long-running programs at NPR, MSNBC and WNYC. A founding producer of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday,” I played similar start-up roles for NPR’s Weekly Edition, MSNBC’s Edgewise, Public Radio International’s Satellite Sisters and even as a writer on one of the early pilot episodes of the news/comedy show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I’ve also worked as a reporter, producer, and director for National Public Radio News programs including Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. An avid naturalist, I lead educational programs for the American Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

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