(DailyVantage.com) – Democratic candidate Heather Boyd is projected to win the special election for Pennsylvania’s 163 House of Representatives district, allowing the party to maintain its loose control over the state legislative body. The special election comes after the former representative, Michael Zabel, resigned due to allegations of harassment.
Boyd is a former congressional and state legislative aide who ran attack ads on the other candidate, Katie Ford, with the help of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Boyd’s projected victory benefits Shapiro, as Boyd’s nomination allows for Shapiro to maintain control within the House of Representatives. Without Boyd being elected Shapiro would have had to contend with both a Republican Senate and a Republican House, and would most likely struggle in passing certain policies without resistance.
Josh Shapiro wasn’t the only high level Democratic Party member to endorse Boyd, as President Biden himself came out in support of her. Biden likely got involved as to help maintain the party’s majority, as without it he could be facing an uphill battle during his election campaign next year. Pennsylvania is a key state when it comes to presidential elections in the US, as it serves as one of the battleground states, which typically contribute a decent portion of electoral votes that can swing either way. It’s quite unusual for a sitting president to get involved with a state level election, so Biden’s endorsement of Boyd comes as a surprise to many.
Boyd’s victory maintained the House’s miniscule majority, allowing them to control 102 of 203 seats, the minimum needed to maintain control within the legislative body. Among the key issues that the legislative bodies within Pennsylvania are currently concerned with are abortion rights, which served as the forefront of Boyd’s campaign. While the Democratic Party maintains control within the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, it seems unlikely they can maintain their narrow lead if another seat was to open up. Boyd’s victory does benefit the Democratic Party, but it may not be enough for Biden to win the key battleground state during the 2024 election.
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