Boyd’s victory gives Democrats 102 seats, the minimum needed to control the agenda in the 203-member House. The state Senate has a Republican majority.
A Democratic victory in the Delaware County district means first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro will have at least one room to help push his agenda heading into the final month of budget negotiations. The decision could also affect a proposed constitutional amendment restricting abortion rights, which legislative Republicans want to put before voters as a House floor referendum vote.
Boyd is a former congressional and state legislative aide. His district was once heavily Republican, but in recent elections has given a solid margin to Democratic candidates.
Republicans entered the 2022 election with a 113-90 advantage in the state House, but Democrats flipped 12 seats.
Republican Michael Stender won a special election for a vacant central Pennsylvania seat. Stender, a Shikellamy school board member, firefighter and former EMT, was endorsed by former Rep. Linda Schlegel Culver, a Republican who represented the district before winning a state Senate special election earlier this year. Stender defeated Democrat Trevor Finn, a Montour County commissioner. The district also includes part of Northumberland County.
