Dead PA Lawmaker Reelected To Office

PENNSYLVANIA — A longtime Pennsylvania lawmaker who died in October was reelected to office during the midterm elections with overwhelming support, sparking conspiracy theories on some social media sites about election fraud.

However, while Tony DeLuca (D-32), a 39-year veteran of the state House of Representatives, won more than 80 percent of the vote, nothing improper happened during the election.

Pennsylvania law does not allow an individual to be removed from a ballot less than a month before that year's election, so DeLuca's death on Oct. 9 did not remove him for the midterms.

A special runoff election for DeLuca's open seat will be held soon.

"While we're incredibly saddened by the loss of Representative Tony DeLuca, we are proud to see the voters to continue to show their confidence in him and his commitment to Democratic values by re-electing him posthumously," the Pennsylvania House Democratic caucus said.

Posts across Twitter did not grasp the nuance of the law, however.

"It’s a shame that it’s all a sham," wrote one "verified" user, though that moniker doesn't hold whatever certificate of authenticity it may once have.

"PA Rep. DeLuca passed away back in Oct. He was just re-elected on Nov. 8. Yyeeeaaahhhhh………fair and honest elections right?" another wrote.

While Democratic officials saw loyalty to DeLuca after he passed as honorable, others saw it as an example of "hive mind D's" proving "we are no longer a serious country."

DeLuca's 32nd legislative district covers part of Allegheny County in the greater Pittsburgh area. His office lauded his decades of gaining funding for local municipalities and school districts, and noted particularly his championing of the Life Insurance Database Act in 2018, which helped loved ones of a recently deceased individual more easily discover if they were beneficiaries. He also helped create the PA Legislative American-Italian Caucus, which his office said helped "combat social injustice and discrimination against Italian Americans."

He was 85.