'This Is How It's Done': Dems Flip a PA State Senate District Trump Carried by 15 Points

Democrats are cheering the Pennsylvania special election victory of state Senate candidate James Malone, who on Tuesday narrowly beat his Republican opponent and flipped a district that voted for U.S. President Trump over presidential candidate Kamala Harris by more than 15 points last November.

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Penn.) congratulated Malone on winning the race for the state's 36th Senatorial District on social media on Tuesday, writing that he was proud to stump with Malone in the borough of East Petersburg, where Malone serves as mayor. "This is a huge upset and an historic win for a Democrat in a Trump-won district, and we are leading the way in PA!" he wrote.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also touted the win on social media. "This is how it's done. Run everywhere. Run down ballot. Focus on local elections ASAP—from school board to councils to state legislatures. We build from there," she wrote on Tuesday.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also congratulated Malone, and cast the victory as a repudiation of how Republicans have governed in Washington, D.C. since Trump returned to the White House.

"Republicans everywhere should be afraid," wrote Martin. "The best barometer we have of voters' feelings of the Trump-Musk administration is how they actually vote," referencing billionaire and GOP megadonor Elon Musk—who has been core to Trump's efforts to slash federal spending and personnel.

Malone told one local outlet that he's "very excited and really, really happy that all the work we put in has paid off."

Malone's win was the second electoral victory for Democrats in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Democrat Dan Goughnour won a state House seat in western Pennsylvania, securing Democratic majority control of the chamber by a single seat.

Democrats have struggled to find their footing since Trump returned to the White House in January. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has suffered scrutiny from members of his own caucus and liberal groups after he threw his weight behind a Republican-backed spending bill, breaking with House Democrats who had voted nearly unanimously to oppose it when the bill cleared that chamber. Democrats have also heard from constituents at town halls across the country, where some voters have turned out to demand lawmakers do more to counter the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, a "Fight Oligarchy" town hall tour organized by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and featuring Ocasio-Cortez at a number of stops has brought out huge crowds.

With the news of Malone's win, Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, struck an optimistic tone in a statement on Tuesday.

"Democrats are on a roll in state legislative races in 2025, from flipping red seats to defending one-seat majorities, which should put Republicans on edge," she wrote. "Both wins affirm Democratic leadership in a moment when GOP power is synonymous with chaos."