GOP Wins Big In PA: See Latest Election Updates

PENNSYLVANIA — Republicans won key victories in multiple races around Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the electorate that leaned Democratic in 2020 appeared to swing back to the right in many places a year later. The election serves as an important bellwether heading into the momentous 2022 midterms, which will see Pennsylvania elect both a new governor and U.S. Senator.

Republicans swept all statewide judge races in Pennsylvania Tuesday, including the most significant one: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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Though early returns showed that Democrat and lower court judge Maria McLaughlin had a decisive lead, Republican Kevin Brobson stormed back as the night wore on and ultimately cemented a clear victory. Brobson, 50, a judge on the Commonwealth Court, held a 1,323,350 to 1,191,940 lead early Wednesday as mail-in ballots continued to be counted.

>>GOP Wins PA Supreme Court Seat: Election Results 2021

The win means the makeup of the state's highest court remains the same, with Democrats holding a 5-2 advantage. However, the high-profile race drew big spending and national attention, and was even the subject of a Wall Street Journal op-ed which reportedly inspired President Trump's own response weeks ago to the 2020 Pennsylvania election. It marked a key symbolic victory for the GOP, in the very least.

Three other statewide races for lower court seats were also won by Republicans Tuesday.

In a race for a seat on the Superior Court, Republican Megan Sullivan defeated Democrat Timika Lane. She held an even broader lead, 1,424,79 to 1,136,865, Wednesday morning.

And on the Commonwealth Court, the GOP candidates won both open seats. Drew Compton (1,229,132) and Stacey Marie Wallace (1,305,805) held clear margins over Lori A. Dumas (1,154,335) and David Lee Spurgeon (1,044,753).

Elsewhere, Republicans rolled to victories in swing counties like Bucks, where incumbent GOP District Attorney Matthew Weintraub won an enormous victory in his re-election campaign. As of Wednesday morning he held a 32,845-vote lead over his challenger. That's compared to the 2017 election, which he won by just under 12,000 votes.

The county sheriff race was also decidedly right-leaning in Bucks, with Republican Fred Harran holding a more than 10,000-vote lead early Wednesday.

In another suburban Philadelphia county, Delaware County, which has been strongly left-leaning the past several elections, Republicans battled closely with Democrats, as only a few thousand votes separated the four candidates. Democrats Richard Womack and Kevin Madden hold very narrow leads over Republicans Frank Agovino and Joseph Lombardo Jr.

Democrats did win in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as expected. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner handily defeated challenger Charles Peruto. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, elected Democrat Ed Gainey as the city's first Black mayor.