Steve Malagari Vs. Yanni Lambros: State Rep. 53rd District Election Preview

LANSDALE, PA — Democratic State Rep. Steve Malagari will attempt to win a fifth term in office during this year's midterm elections, as he aims to stave off a challenge from Republican business owner Yanni Lambros.

The balance of power in the state legislature could once again come down to just a handful of races, meaning that statewide attention is on any election with the potential to be close.

Steve Malagari

Age: 43

Born and raised: Lansdale

Hometown: Lansdale

Education: North Penn High School, B.S. in German and biology from Ursinus College, 2006

Employment: has been in office since 2019, former Lansdale borough council member (2012-2018) and medical technologist at CHOP

Malagari on the issues.

Yanni Lambros

Born and raised: Lansdale

Hometown: Lansdale

Education: North Penn High School

Employment: local business owner of Koffee Korner Cafe, former candidate for North Penn School Board (2025) and Lansdale borough council (2021 and 2023)

The Montgomery County Republican Committee calls him a "community fighter who got involved when he saw working families, taxpayers, and parents being ignored. He has stood up for common sense, spoken out when leaders refused to listen."

Lambros on the issues.

Past results

Malagari has been in office since he first ran in 2018.

While Malagari has won cleanly in recent years, it was not a blue district for a very long time. Long tenured Republican State Rep. Robert Godshall held the office from 1983 until 2019. And the GOP also held it for 10 years before Godshall entered office.

In 2019, Malagari became the first Democrat to represent the 53rd since 1972.

However, results in the past four elections have indicated a clear changing of the guard. In 2018, Malagari won by about a thousand votes; in 2020 his margin of victory was 3,000 votes, in 2022 it was a lopsided 6,000 votes, and in 2024, he extended his margin to more than 7,000.

The district

The 53rd legislative district covers a significant chunk of the greater North Penn area.

Communities in the district include Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, and Telford, along with portions of Franconia and Montgomery townships.

It has a total population of 64,733, according to census data.