A ‘trifecta’: Pennsylvania Democrats preview policy plans after winning control in Harrisburg

For the first time in 48 years, Democrats flipped the Pennsylvania state Senate, achieving their elusive “trifecta” of control of the executive and both chambers of the legislature.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decisive victory over state Treasurer Stacy Garrity fuels speculation around a potential 2028 presidential bid. He joined other Democratic legislative leaders at the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg to celebrate the state party’s win and preview plans for the first 100 days of the next term, policy priorities previously blocked by Republicans in the state Senate.

“Last night’s election showed that I have a mandate to continue to lead our commonwealth forward, and now I’ve got a whole lot more partners in progress, a whole lot more GSD Democrats ready to do this work alongside me,” he said, referring to a shorthand for “get stuff done” that Shapiro uses to describe their approach to policy.

Negotiations with Republicans and the state Senate’s pushback against Shapiro’s expanding budget proposals have also led to late budgets every year, sometimes by several months.

House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, said that practice would end.

“We will finally have one on time,” she said. “Come see us in June of 2027.”

Republicans had maintained a majority in the state Senate since taking control in 1978, with a brief interruption in 1993 after state Sen. Frank Pecora switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, shifting the Senate balance to a 25-25 tie and giving Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Singel the tie-breaking vote.

Professor J. Wesley Leckrone, chair of the political science department at Widener University, said Tuesday’s win will significantly change the shape of policy in Harrisburg.

“Rendell, Wolf and now Shapiro, they’ve always had at least one house that has been dominated by the Republicans, which means a lot more negotiation,” he said. “And that always leads to some sort of stalemate.”