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People arrive at an Election Day polling location at the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Fox Chapel.
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Several narrow contests remain in local Pennsylvania state legislature races

Stephanie Strasburg/Post-Gazette

Several narrow contests remain in local Pennsylvania state legislature races

As the primary election drew to a close Tuesday evening, a few close races remained. Official results have not yet been announced, but other races have shown a clear leader.

House District 25

Steve Schlauch held a narrow lead over John Ritter as of late Tuesday for the 25th District’s Republican nomination. The winner will go on to face incumbent Democrat Brandon J. Markosek in the general election.

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Mr. Schlauch is a Plum resident who once served on the Plum School Board. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington and Jefferson College and previously worked as a financial manager.

Mr. Ritter crafted his campaign for the 25th District primary race around three issues: improving the economy, quality of education and “competency through excellence of character,” according to his campaign visit.

Mr. Markosek was elected to his 25th District seat in 2020 after assuming office in 2018 following the retirement of his father, Joseph Markosek. He has both a political science and history degree from Duquesne University, as well as a master’s in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

House District 27

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Republicans Ed Brosky and Tim Walker were neck and neck for the 27th District’s nomination as of late Tuesday. Mr. Brosky was clinging to a small lead as votes continued to be tallied.

The winner will go on to face incumbent Democrat Daniel J. Deasy in the general election. Mr. Deasy is a seventh-term state representative and the Democratic chair of the House Liquor Control Committee.

House District 24

After being elected to this district during a special election in April, Democrat Martell Covington attempted to hold onto the seat during Tuesday’s primary election.

The seat was vacated by Ed Gainey after he was elected as mayor of Pittsburgh earlier this year.

As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mr. Covington was down about 1,000 votes to LaTasha D. Mayes. Ms. Mayes, a West Philadelphia native, ran for Pittsburgh City Council in 2017 and has served on the Allegheny County Human Relations Commission.

Senate District 38

State Rep. Lori Mizgorski, who was drawn out of her House district during redistricting, faced Jake Roberts in the Republican primary Tuesday.

As of late Tuesday night, Ms. Mizgorski was up over 8,000 votes to Mr. Roberts, with nearly all precincts reporting.

It is most likely that it will be Ms. Mizgorski facing incumbent Democrat Lindsey Williams in November in what will be a closely watched race in this swing district.

Ms. Mizgorski is in her second term as a lawmaker and was redrawn into a district made up of nearly two-thirds Democrats.

During her campaign, Ms. Mizgorski has pledged to focus on education and school safety, access to affordable healthcare and economic growth in manufacturing and energy.

“As a state legislator, I have always been a strong advocate for my constituents in Harrisburg, as well as worked to provide the very best constituent services here at home,” Ms. Mizgorski said when she launched her campaign in February. “I work hard every day to make sure our region remains a great place to live, work, raise our families and retire.”

Ms. Williams is in her first term and won her seat on the platform of advocating for unions, pledging to fight for working families.

She was a staff attorney with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and had served stints with a Downtown workers’ compensation firm, the United Steelworkers and the National Whistleblower Center,

House District 39

In this primary race, incumbent State Rep. Mike Puskaric, R-Union, battled against an Elizabeth Township official he has clashed with before.

Mr. Puskaric, who said that the last two years of Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration have been a “disaster of executive mismanagement and government overreach,” faced Elizabeth Township commissioner Andrew Kuzma in Tuesday’s primary.

At 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mr. Kuzma was leading by about 1,500 votes.

When Mr. Puskaric first ran for his seat in 2018, Mr. Kuzma backed his Democratic opponent Robin Rhoderick.

At the time, Mr. Kuzma said it wasn’t about politics, but friendship.

Mr. Puskaric beat Mr. Rhoderick by about 2,000 votes in a primary challenge in 2020 as well as another general election challenge.

House District 30

Cindy Kirk is leading Tom Fodi for the Republican nomination in the district formerly represented by State Rep. Lori Mizgorski, who was redistricted out of district boundaries and is running for state Senate. Ms. Kirk, a nurse from McCandless, previously served on the Allegheny County Council while Mr. Fodi, a pastor and veteran who works in hospice care, was once president of the Bellevue council.

In the general election, the winner will face Democrat Arvind Venkat, an emergency room physician from McCandless and past president of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians.

The district includes McCandless, Franklin Park, Kilbuck, Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Ohio township and parts of Hampton.

House District 19

Incumbent Aerion Andrew Abney was leading Glenn G. Grayson in the 19th District’s Democratic primary as of late Tuesday. The two were competing for the seat vacated by Jake Wheatley earlier this year when he resigned to become chief of staff to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.

Mr. Abney is a Philadelphia native and University of Pittsburgh graduate who prior to this year had run two unsuccessful campaigns for Mr. Wheatley’s 19th District seat. He won a special election in April for the seat Mr. Wheatley vacated.

Mr. Grayson has been a pastor at the Wesley Center AME Zion Church in the Hill District since 1996. He is the founder of the social service organization Center that CARES and serves as president and CEO of the Hill District’s Jeron X. Grayson Community Center, named after his late son.

House District 20

Incumbent Emily Kinkead was ahead against Democratic challenger Nick Mastros in her bid to keep her 20th district seat as of late Tuesday.

Ms. Kinkead is a North Side native and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law. She has been in her current seat since 2020.

Mr. Mastros is a longtime Ross resident who prior to running for the 20th District was most well-known for his restaurant, Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe, that he opened on the North Side in 1981.

House District 40

Natalie Mihalek of Upper St. Clair held a substantial lead Tuesday in her bid for a third term representing Upper St. Clair, Peters and part of Bethel Park.

Ms. Mihalek, a considers herself a strong anti-abortion advocate and supporter of gun rights, beat back a challenge from Steve Renz, a former steamfitter who’s now an account manager for a global firm. Mr. Renz, who lives in Peters, portrayed himself as a “true conservative” who wants to eliminate mail-in voting and is against children wearing masks in school.

No Democrat filed for this race. 

House District 33

Mandy Steele, a Fox Chapel borough councilwoman whose campaign emphasized environmental issues, is leading Tristan McClellan in the race for the Democratic nomination. The two Democrats are trying to put the district back in Democratic control, after Carrie DelRosso, of Oakmont, defeated the then-top ranking Democrat in the state House, Frank Dermody, in 2020. Ms. DelRosso was drawn out of the district in redistricting and decided to run instead for lieutenant governor.

Mr. McClellan, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, has worked in various roles in Allegheny County government and politics, including his current position in constituent services for Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill.

The winner will face Republican businessman Ted Tomson in the general election.

The district includes Aspinwall, Blawnox, Brackenridge, Cheswick, Fawn, Fox Chapel, Indiana township, O’Hara and Sharpsburg.

House District 34

State Rep. Summer Lee, who is also in a tight race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives, is leading Abigail Salisbury in House District 34.

Both women are attorneys and elected officials — Ms. Salisbury is a member of the Swissvale borough council.

Summer Lee became the first Black woman elected to statewide office from Western Pennsylvania when she defeated incumbent Paul Costa in 2018 and has championed progressive causes such as the Green New Deal, organized labor and criminal justice reform in the Legislature.

There is no Republican in the race. The heavily Democratic district includes Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, Swissvale, Churchill, and North Braddock.

House District 36

Incumbent Jessica Benham is leading challenger Stephanie Fox for the Democratic nomination in the 36th District, which includes Brentwood, Mt. Oliver and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Arlington, Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Mt. Washington, Carrick, Overbrook, South Side, South Side Slopes and West Liberty.

Ms. Benham, elected in a four-way race in 2020 to replace retiring state Rep. Harry Readshaw, is the first openly autistic and the first openly bisexual member of the state House. Prior to her election to the state House, she led development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy.

Ms. Fox is a former member of the Brentwood Council and works as an advocate for crime victims. There is no Republican candidate in the race. 

Hallie Lauer: hlauer@post-gazette.com; Josh Axelrod: jaxelrod@post-gazette.com

First Published: May 18, 2022, 5:31 a.m.

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