2025 Pennsylvania elections
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The 2025 Pennsylvania elections took place on November 4, 2025, to hold judicial retention votes and fill numerous county, local, and municipal offices. The necessary primary elections were held on May 20, 2025. In addition, two special elections for legislative vacancies were held during the year.
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November 4, 2025
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| Turnout | 42.5%[1] |
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Percentage color key 50–60% 40–50% 30–40% 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% | |
Elections for open seats on the Pennsylvania Superior Court and Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court were won by Democratic Party candidates Brandon Neuman and Stella Tsai, respectively. Retention elections for three Democratic justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court also saw success despite a Republican Party effort against their retention. The statewide wins for Democrats, in addition to success in local races, led to the 2025 elections being dubbed a "blue wave."[2][3][4]
Special elections
36th Senate district
State Senator Ryan Aument resigned effective December 31, 2024, to become state director for U.S. Senator-elect Dave McCormick.[5] Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis set the special election to replace Aument for March 25.[6] East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone received the Democratic Party nomination.[7] The Libertarian Party nominated GIS analyst Zachary Moore.[8] The Republican Party nominated Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons.[9] In an upset, Malone narrowly won the race where Parsons, the Republican, was considered the favorite to win because the district had favored Republican candidates.[10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Andrew Malone | 27,034 | 50.0 | ||
| Republican | Josh Parsons | 26,508 | 49.1 | ||
| Libertarian | Zachary Moore | 483 | 0.9 | ||
| Total votes | 54,025 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
35th House of Representatives district
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March 25, 2025
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Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 35 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 25.0% (unofficial) | |||||||||||||||
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 Precinct results Goughnour: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Davis: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80% No votes | ||||||||||||||||
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State Representative Matt Gergely died on January 19, 2025.[13] A special election to fill his seat took place on March 25.[14] The Allegheny County Republican Party nominated White Oak council member Charles Davis.[15] The Democratic Party nominated police officer Daniel E. Goughnour.[16] The Libertarian Party nominated Adam Kitta.[17] Goughnour's victory in the special election broke the even 101–101 partisan split in the State House caused by Gergely's death.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Daniel Goughnour | 6,825 | 63.5 | |
| Republican | Charles Davis | 3,761 | 35.0 | |
| Libertarian | Adam Kitta | 167 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 10,753 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Judge of the Superior Court
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November 4, 2025
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Neuman: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% Battista: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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There was one vacancy on the Superior Court, due to Justice Dan McCaffery's election to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2023.[19] Washington County Court of Common Pleas judge Brandon Neuman won the open seat.[20]
Democratic primary
Nominee
- Brandon Neuman, Judge of the Washington County Court of Common Pleas[21]
Endorsements
Political parties
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brandon Neuman | 843,400 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 843,400 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Ann Marie Wheatcraft, president judge of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas[22]
Endorsements
Political parties
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Maria Battista | 355,760 | 54.04% | |
| Republican | Ann Marie Wheatcraft | 302,592 | 45.96% | |
| Total votes | 658,352 | 100.0% | ||
Third-party and independent candidates
- Dan Wassmer, Keystone nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022 and Libertarian nominee for attorney general in 2020 (Liberal)[25]
General election
Endorsements
- Labor unions
- AFSCME Council 13[26]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[26]
- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO[26]
- Pennsylvania Laborers’ District Council[27]
- Pennsylvania State Education Association[26]
- Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police[27]
- Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association[27]
- Pennsylvania State Troopers Assocaition[27]
- Organizations
Fundraising
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brandon Neuman | 2,056,528 | 55.93% | |
| Republican | Maria Battista | 1,548,563 | 42.12% | |
| Liberal | Dan Wassmer | 71,648 | 1.95% | |
| Total votes | 3,676,739 | 100.0% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Judge of the Commonwealth Court
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November 4, 2025
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Tsai: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% Wolford: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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One seat was up for election after Judge Ellen Ceisler retired in January 2025.[19] Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas judge Stella Tsai won this seat.[32]
Democratic primary
Nominee
- Stella Tsai, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas[33]
Endorsements
Political parties
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stella Tsai | 842,239 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 842,239 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Joshua Prince, gun rights attorney, candidate in 2023[37]
Endorsements
Organizations
Political parties
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matthew Wolford | 405,704 | 61.98% | |
| Republican | Joshua Prince | 248,863 | 38.02% | |
| Total votes | 654,567 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Endorsements
- Organizations
- Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania[27]
- PSEA-PACE[27]
- Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates[27]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
Fundraising
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stella Tsai | 2,076,070 | 56.72% | |
| Republican | Matthew Wolford | 1,584,223 | 43.28% | |
| Total votes | 3,660,293 | 100.0% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Judicial retention
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht were due for retention votes.[42] These elections were more heavily contested than previous judicial retention elections. All three justices up for retention were originally elected as Democrats, and Republicans targeted them in an attempt to regain control of the court.[43]
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes |
2,231,527 | 61.80 |
| No | 1,379,599 | 38.20 |
| Total votes | 3,611,126 | 100.00 |
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
2,227,880 | 61.79 |
| No | 1,377,687 | 38.21 |
| Total votes | 3,605,567 | 100.00 |
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
2,209,781 | 61.46 |
| No | 1,385,673 | 38.54 |
| Total votes | 3,595,454 | 100.00 |
Superior Court
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
2,141,692 | 62.02 |
| No | 1,311,478 | 37.98 |
| Total votes | 3,453,170 | 100.00 |
Commonwealth Court
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
2,150,048 | 62.40 |
| No | 1,295,384 | 37.60 |
| Total votes | 3,445,432 | 100.00 |