Voters in Morrisville and Tullytown boroughs, Falls Township and a section of Middletown Township will make history Tuesday.
What happens in the special election for Pennsylvania’s 140th Legislative District will reach far beyond its borders.
Closely watched by both Democrats and Republicans, the election is a big deal, a tie-breaker with enormous consequences.
The winner will tip the power in the state House of Representatives. The election could be a bellwether for the 2024 presidential race because Pennsylvania is considered a swing state.
State representatives are deadlocked at 101 Democrats and 101 Republicans since former state Rep. John Galloway, a Democrat, resigned from the House after winning election as district magistrate, replacing Jan Vislosky, who retired.
Competing for Galloway’s seat are Democrat Jim Prokopiak and Republican Candace Cabanas.
Prokopiak is an attorney who serves on the Pennsbury School Board and is a former Falls Township supervisor. He has pledged to lower the cost of living and keep people in their homes. He is also in favor of fully funding public schools and protecting women’s rights to abortions.
Cabanas, a stay-at-home mom, whose career centered around healthcare and restaurants, said she understands the challenges faced by working-class families. She also pointed to problems such as inflation, the border crisis and homelessness.
There are 41,159 registered voters in the 140th District. Democrats hold a 7,000 vote edge. Both candidates have campaigned hard and the race has drawn funding and support from national organizations.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) — the national Democratic arm in charge of funding candidates for state legislative races — has pumped $50,000 into the caucus and some of that will benefit Prokopiak’s campaign.
DLCC President Heather Williams issued the following statement: “Everything is on the line — from control of the speaker’s gavel to the future of fundamental freedoms like abortion access. This is a must-win race…the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Cabanas has won the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association’s political action committee as well as $2,500 in funding. PMA Executive Director Carl Marrara said Cabanas will focus on pro-growth policies.
“She’ll be the friend job creators in this district need,” he said.
The Harrisburg-based statewide nonprofit association was founded in 1909 by Bucks County industrialist Joseph R. Grundy.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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