Democrat Dan Goughnour won a special election today in the Mon Valley to fill the Pennsylvania House seat of the late Rep. Matt Gergely, who died Jan. 19. 

The Associated Press declared Goughnour, 39, the winner at 9:22 p.m. as he led Republican nominee Charles Davis with 64% of the vote. The result means Democrats will regain a one-seat majority in the state House of Representatives. The state Senate will remain in Republican control.

The 35th district includes Clairton, Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, Liberty, Lincoln, McKeesport, Port Vue, Versailles, West Homestead, Whitaker, White Oak and part of West Mifflin. 

Appearing on the ballot were  Goughnour of McKeesport, Davis of White Oak and Libertarian Adam Kitta, also of White Oak. Nominees for special elections are chosen by party committee members instead of primary elections.

Gergely reached the state House via a special election in 2023 and was re-elected for a full term last November, running unopposed. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried the district last fall with 57% of the vote, 15 points ahead of President Donald Trump.

Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org.

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Charlie Wolfson is an enterprise reporter for Pittsburgh's Public Source, focusing on local government accountability and politics in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. He was a Report for America corps...