News & Politics
What to know about Pennsylvania’s 2026 special elections
Several seats in the state House of Representatives will be up for grabs in the next few months.
Five vacant seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, pictured here, will be up for grabs over the next several months. Commonwealth Media Services
Following resignations in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, five seats in the chamber will be up for grabs in special elections scheduled over the next several months.
The resignations came after several lawmakers won elections for local office in November, and another resigned amid conflict of interest complaints. The lawmakers who have since departed the chamber are former state Reps. Torren Ecker, Dan Miller, Lou Schmitt and Josh Siegel and Seth Grove.
Dates for all of the special elections are set after House Speaker Joanna McClinton signed writs of election to fill the now-vacant seats.
Feb. 24, 2026: Elections in Allegheny and Lehigh counties
House District 22: The special election for House District 22 will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The seat was formerly held by Siegel, a Democrat who was sworn in as Lehigh County Executive on Jan. 5. The Lehigh County district represents parts of the City of Allentown and Salisbury Township.
Democrats nominated Allentown School Board director Ana Tiburcio for the Feb. 24 election, while Republicans picked Robert Smith, a former member of Allentown City Council as well as the Allentown School Board, as their nominee for the contest.
House District 42: The special election for House District 42 will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The seat was most recently held by Miller, a Democrat who was elected as an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge in November. The Allegheny County district encompasses Baldwin Township, Castle Shannon Borough, Dormont Borough, Mount Lebanon Township and Upper St. Clair Township.
Both Republicans and Democrats have selected their special election candidates for the 42nd House District seat. Democrats picked Dormont Borough Councilmember Jennifer Mazzocco, and the GOP nominated recent law-school graduate Joseph Leckenby who ran against Miller in 2024.
March 17, 2026: Elections in Central Pennsylvania
House District 79: The special election for House District 79 will be held on Tuesday, March 17. The seat was previously held by Schmitt, a Republican who was elected and recently sworn in as a judge on the Blair County Court of Common Pleas. The Blair County District encompasses Allegheny Township, the City of Altoona, Logan Township and Tunnelhill Borough.
In the 79th House District race, Republicans nominated Andrea Verobish, a staffer for U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, as their nominee. Democrats picked registered nurse Caleb McCoy as their candidate in the special election to replace Schmitt.
House District 193: The special election for House District 193 will be held on Tuesday, March 17. The seat was previously held by Ecker, a Republican who was elected in November as a judge on the Adams County Court of Common Pleas. The 193rd House District encompasses parts of Cumberland County and parts of Adams County.
The GOP tapped Catherine Wallen, Ecker’s former district director and the owner and operator of a family farm, as the party’s nominee, while Democrats nominated Todd Crawley, a Shippensburg resident who most recently worked as Harrisburg Area Community College’s director of public and environmental health and safety.
May 19, 2026: An election to replace former state Rep. Seth Grove
House District 196: McClinton scheduled a special election for the vacant 196th House District for Tuesday, May 19 following the resignation of York County state Rep. Seth Grove in January. Throughout his tenure in the General Assembly, Grove served stints as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the House State Government Committee and the House Government Oversight Committee, among other roles.
Grove accepted a position as president and CEO of Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association while still in office, a move that drew scrutiny from some lawmakers and advocacy groups who worried that his acceptance of the position, coupled with his role as minority chair of the House Labor & Industry Committee, created a conflict of interest. His resignation took effect on Jan. 31. In a statement, Grove said serving the community he grew up in was “the honor of a lifetime.” The 196th House District encompasses parts of York County.