Democrats prevail in Bucks County Pa. House special election, winning majority in chamber

Democrat Jim Prokopiak defeated Republican candidate Candace Cabanas in a Pennsylvania House of Representatives special election, giving Democrats a narrow majority in the chamber.

Prokopiak won the special election in the 140th House district — located in Bucks County — with 67.7% of the vote on Feb. 13, giving Democrats a 102-100 majority in the state House. He will replace former state Rep. John Galloway (D-140), who resigned on Dec. 15, 2023 to serve as a district judge. 

“I ran for this seat because I want to make peoples’ lives easier in Bucks County,” Prokopiak said in a statement. “I’m committed to taking my conversations with voters to Harrisburg and making their dreams a reality.”

The recent resignations of both Galloway and former state Rep. Joe Adams (R-139) — who attended Penn before transferring to the University of Scranton — shifted the party balance in the state House, which previously had a 102-101 Democratic majority. While Galloway's resignation resulted in a tied chamber, Adams's resignation shortly afterwards created a slim 101-100 majority for Democrats. 

As a result, the Feb. 13 special election could have resulted in either Democratic control or a tied chamber — causing a national group to contribute $80,000 to Prokopiak's campaign.

One of Prokopiak's main campaign issues was protecting abortion rights, and he was endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania PAC. He had previously said that the winner of the special election “would be the deciding vote to pass” or block legislation restricting abortion in Pennsylvania. 

“What I heard from voters is that Bucks County residents need help supporting their families, want control over their own bodies, and ensure they have the ability to chart their own paths in life,” he wrote in a statement. 

Prokopiak’s victory was supported by numerous Democratic leaders, including Julie Chavez Rodriguez — President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign manager . 

“Pennsylvanians again defeated Republicans’ anti-abortion agenda and voted for Jim Prokopiak, a Democrat who has stood up for women and working people,” Rodriguez said in a statement. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro congratulated Prokopiak in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Congratulations to Bucks County’s newest State Representative and newest member of our House Democratic majority,” Shapiro wrote. “I’ll see you in Harrisburg as we work to cut costs, invest in our future, and defend our fundamental freedoms. Let’s go get stuff done.”

In December 2023, a Republican-led effort in the state House voted to withhold more than $33 million in funding for Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine and Penn Medicine's Division of Infectious Diseases. Shapiro again allocated funding for Penn Vet and the Division of Infectious Diseases in his fiscal year 2024-25 budget proposal. 

Although Democrats now have the majority in the state House, a nonpreferred appropriation — such as a restoration of last year's Penn Vet funding and its funding for the next fiscal year — would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers to pass, meaning the future of the funding remains unclear. Additionally, Republicans still hold a 28-22 majority in the state Senate.

Shapiro also proposed $282.8 million in funding for SEPTA and other public transportation in the budget, marking the first major increase in state funding for public transport in over a decade. Republicans have criticized the budget, however, warning of “out of control” state spending. 

Prokopiak’s victory comes a year after three Democrats won seats in special elections, resulting in a Democratic majority in the state House for the first time in 12 years.