In a historic special election victory, Democratic candidate Brandon Dukes has narrowly defeated Republican Scott Timko in Butler County by just under 100 votes. The win marks the first Democratic victory in a Pennsylvania state House district that had been held by Republicans for nearly three decades and has not elected a Democrat since before the 1990s.

The race, which saw less than one-third of registered voters participate, concluded with officials confirming the initial results and initiating a five-day period for potential challenges. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro congratulated Dukes: “I was proud to back Brandon. Congratulations State Representative-Elect Dukes — I look forward to getting stuff done together.”

Bob Bozzuto, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee, stated that both candidates would regroup ahead of November’s general election, emphasizing Scott Timko’s efforts to build a coalition and hold Dukes accountable for his “extreme positions.”

Eugene DePasquale, chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, called the result a pivotal moment: “Tonight’s result not only shows what can be accomplished when Democrats are willing to fight everywhere, but it sets the stage for this November’s midterm elections.”

The district previously had been represented by Stephenie Scialabba until her resignation in March 2024. In the 2024 presidential race, voters in Butler County elected Donald Trump by an 18-point margin. Former Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg described Dukes’ win as historic: “This is a big deal: Brandon Dukes just flipped a Pennsylvania state House seat held by Republicans for almost 30 years.”

The victory temporarily increased Democrats’ majority in the Pennsylvania state House to 103-100.