PITTSBURGH — Democrats declared victory in three special elections for the state House on Tuesday, putting the party on the brink of controlling the lower chamber of the legislature for the first time since 2010.
While votes were still being counted late Tuesday night, early returns showed all three Democrats enjoying commanding leads that would be almost impossible for Republicans to overcome — in one case by more than 85 percentage points.
Political analysts and insiders had widely expect Joe McAndrew, Abigail Salisbury and Matthew Gergely to establish clear margins of victory over their Republican opponents in preliminary returns late Tuesday for the 32nd, 34th and 35th districts, respectively, all representing Allegheny County.
