HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Democratic state representative’s health problems could complicate Tuesday’s vote for speaker of the Pennsylvania House, as the chamber’s Democrats begin a new two-year term with the same one-seat margin as before the November election.
Rep. Matthew Gergely had a “medical emergency over the holidays that required hospitalization,” said Beth Rementer, spokesperson for the House Democratic caucus.
Neither Rementer nor Republican Party spokesman Jason Gottesman elaborated on what happened or whether the Allegheny County Democrat will be present when the chamber decides whether Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia will return to the stage as chair . Members are also expected to vote on the House’s internal operating rules for the new two-year session.
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A message seeking comment was left at Gergely’s district office in McKeesport.
The House of Representatives had established a rule during the 2023-2024 session to limit uncertainty below the one-seat margin. Under that rule, vacancies were awarded to the party that most recently held the seat until the special election results were known. It is not clear what might happen if Gergely is absent and the House of Representatives would vote for a deadlock as speaker along party lines – 101-101.
Democrats won control of the chamber two years ago by one seat, 102-101, and successfully defended it, leaving several vacancies that were filled by special elections. In November, none of the 203 seats in the House of Representatives changed parties, meaning Democrats retained majority power by a very narrow margin.
Republicans changed leadership since November, choosing Rep. Jesse Topper of Bedford County as their leader. He succeeded Rep. Bryan Cutler, a former House speaker and caucus leader who remains in the House after being re-elected in a Lancaster County district.
House Democrats now have five new members after Reps. Mike Sturla of Lancaster County and former House Speaker Mark Rozzi of Berks County retired; Representatives Patti Kim of Dauphin County and Nick Pisciottano of Allegheny County gave up their seats to successfully run for Senate; and Rep. Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia lost in the spring primary.
Republicans in the House of Representatives saw Rep. Dawn Keefer winning a Senate seat in York County and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie unseated Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.
In other changes in the Republican caucus, Rep. Rob Mercuri did not seek reelection while unsuccessfully running for Congress in Allegheny County. Reps. Jim Gregory of Blair County and Mike Cabell of Luzerne County lost in the spring primary and six others did not run again: Donna Oberlander of Clarion County, Jim Marshall of Beaver County, Aaron Kaufer of Luzerne County, George Dunbar of Westmoreland County , Paul Schemel of Franklin County and Barry Jozwiak of Berks County.
In the Senate, Republican Joe Picozzi unseated freshman Democratic Sen. Jimmy Dillon in a Philadelphia district. Because Kim flipped a redistricted seat in the Harrisburg area, that chamber also has the same party-political balance as it did last session, 28-22. But there is currently one vacancy in the Senate: Sen. Ryan Aument, a Republican from Lancaster, resigned in late December to take a top job with new U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.
