HARRISBURG — It has cost Pennsylvania taxpayers more than $1 million since 2023 to run special elections replacing members of the legislature who left office early.
The state House and Senate held 11 special elections during the two-year legislative session that just ended. Reasons for these elections included a death, a resignation over sexual harassment allegations, and lawmakers taking other jobs including different elected offices.
It’s not unheard of for there to be so many mid-session departures, but they were particularly disruptive this time. Democrats control the state House by a single vote. Chamber leaders halted their legislative work whenever they had a vacancy, which would have given Republicans a voting advantage.
The million-dollar price tag does not capture the full cost to taxpayers. Philadelphia held two special elections during the latest session, but a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about the cost. The city has also not filed to have its costs reimbursed by the Department of State.
Three special elections were held on the same day as the primary election, meaning there was no additional cost.
Just two of the 10 previous sessions — a span of 20 years — saw more special elections than this one. There have been at least four special elections every session since 2005, according to Department of State records. The exception is the 2007-08 session, when the state House was last at 102-101 majority and there were no special elections.
This year’s special elections — coupled with frequent stops in the legislative calendar — left lawmakers with fewer voting days than usual.
Pennsylvania's legislature is full-time, but both chambers were in Harrisburg for roughly 100 days over the past two years to debate and vote on legislation.
The state House had just 101 voting days over the past two years, while the state Senate had 103. That’s the lowest combined total in the past two decades.
Tim Potts, a former Democratic state House staffer who is now a good-government advocate, said he wasn’t too bothered by the legislature’s multiple recesses. He sees filling vacancies as a priority that ensures people in every district are fully represented.
However, he’s bothered when politicians pursue a legislative office only to quickly use it as a stepping stone. Legislators are allowed to run for two offices on a single ballot, and the practice created two of the vacancies that delayed the start of the session in 2023.
“Citizens and taxpayers should not be required to subsidize any public official's aspiration to higher or different office,” Potts said.
More vacancies are on the horizon, as a handful of state representatives plot runs for higher office.
State Rep. Joshua Siegel (D., Lehigh) has thrown his hat into the ring to be the next Lehigh County executive, while state Rep. Dan Miller (D., Allegheny) has announced a run for a local judgeship.
In the state Senate, Ryan Aument (R., Lancaster) stepped down to become a staffer for GOP U.S. Sen.-elect Dave McCormick.
In an email, House Democratic spokesperson Elizabeth Rementer noted that the chamber’s calendar is already set for 2025. Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia), who has the power to decide the chamber’s special elections and session days, released a schedule through December 2025 with 55 voting days. The state Senate has 32 days scheduled, but only through June 2025.
“We will plan accordingly if or when a member runs for and wins a different office and the seat must be filled,” Rementer added.
