Alicia Dye | News Editor
Nov. 10, 2022
The Pennsylvania elections for U.S. senate and governor were watched nationwide as votes were counted Tuesday. At the end of the night, democrats to clinched both positions.
Democrats were able to gain a senate seat in Pennsylvania when John Fetterman defeated Oz in a close U.S. Senate race. Fetterman will be replacing Republican Pat Toomey, who decided to not run for re-election in 2022.
Fetterman has received over 2.5 million votes and received 50.6% of the vote. Oz received just under 2.5 million votes, and received 47% of the vote overall according to The New York Times. Fetterman expanded the margins when compared to the 2020 election. In Allegheny County, Fetterman had a 28 point margin over Oz, up eight points from Biden’s margin in 2020. Oz had a shrinking margin when compared to the 2020 election. In Westmoreland County, Oz had a 19 point margin, down nine points from Trump’s margin in 2020.
Fetterman was announced the projected winner around 1:30 a.m. and celebrated his win at Stage AE in Pittsburgh.
“I’m not really sure what to say right now. I’m so humbled, thank you so much,” Fetterman said in his speech. “We launched this campaign almost two years ago. We did what we needed to do. Tonight, I’ll be the next US Senator from Pennsylvania, thanks to all of you.”
Oz conceded to Fetterman early Wednesday morning.
“This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator,” Oz said in a statement. “We are facing big problems as a country, and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done. With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change.”
Josh Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano. Both were running to replace current Governor Tom Wolf. Shapiro overperformed compared to Biden’s margin in almost every county in Pennsylvania. In Berks County, Shapiro won by a four-point margin, where Trump won in 2020 by an eight-point margin. Many counties in Pennsylvania flipped to vote for Shapiro, and Mastriano lost a large amount of votes when compared to the 2020 election. In the 2020 election, Trump won Westmoreland County by a margin of 28. Mastriano won that same county by a margin of six, down 22 points.
“Tonight, you, the good people of Pennsylvania, you won,” Shapiro said in his victory speech. “Opportunity won. A woman’s right to choose won. In the face of all the lies and conspiracies, the baseless claims, you also ensured tonight that truth won right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Shapiro and his running mate, Austin Davis, also made history, as Shapiro will be the second Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, with Ed Rendell being the first. Davis will be the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania’s history. Shapiro defeated Mastriano with 55.9% of the vote, while Mastriano received 42.3% of the vote, according to The New York Times.
Mastriano has yet to concede to Shapiro.
“We’re going to take this fight all the way to Harrisburg,” Mastriano said during his rally. “This movement is unstoppable. [We will] wait patiently to see what the people of Pennsylvania said. And what the people of Pennsylvania said, we will of course respect that.”
Democrat Summer Lee defeated Republican Mike Doyle for the U.S. House District 12 seat. Lee received 56% of the vote, while Doyle received 44%, according to The New York Times. Lee made history, as she will be the first Black woman elected to U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania.
“Our communities have been waiting far, far too long for this,” Lee said. “This is victory, not just for me but for each and every one of us.”
Doyle conceded to Lee in a statement.
“Tonight, the voters of the 12th Congressional District came to the polls and made their voice heard,” Doyle said in his concession statement. “While we came up short in the 12th Congressional District, I look forward to continuing to serve my neighbors in Plum and supporting candidates who share my values in future elections.”