BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A recent special election broke a decades-long trend.
Democrat James Malone, a computer application designer and mayor of tiny East Petersburg, won a senate race in Lancaster County, "for the first time in decades," against Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons — in a district that hadn't elected a democrat for around 40 years.
"While it hasn't shifted the balance of power in Harrisburg, it has raised eyebrows across the Commonwealth," Lehigh Valley Political Pulse host Tom Shortell said.
This week on Political Pulse, Shortell is joined by political scientist Chris Borick to talk about whether this election is a fluke or not and what it means for local and national politics.
Borick said he was surprised by the seat flipping, initially expecting a "much closer race," than the presidential race in that district.
"That's the normal process — when the president gets elected, his party tends to struggle in special elections and midterm elections that follow," Borick said. "That's just the ebbs and flows of American politics.
"... What I was surprised [by] was that it moved all the way to a clip — a couple point win — for the Democrats in that district, which is in a very Republican area of Lancaster County."
The race also got national attention, with Elon Musk raising concerns about the potential seat flip, Shortell added.
Why should anyone — billionaire or the average constituent — care so much about a small election? Watch this week's episode of Political Pulse in the video module above to get a better understanding.
