LobbyComply Blog

Two special elections have been scheduled for January 31, 2023, and February 7, 2023, to fill vacant seats in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

Senate District 27’s seat was vacated by Sen. John Gordner, who resigned on November 30 to become counsel to the interim Senate President Pro Tempore.

The winner of the January 31, 2023, special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of 2024.

The House District 32 seat became vacant when Rep. Tony DeLuca won re-election on November 8 after he passed away in October before the election.

The winner of the February 7, 2023, special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of 2024.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman won a tight race to become the Pennsylvania’s next U.S. Senator.

Fetterman, who suffered a stroke shortly before winning the Democratic nomination, defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Trump-endorsed Republican.

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics revised a regulation governing coordinated campaign expenditures.

Regulation 1 considers expenditures to be coordinated if they are made based on instructions received from a campaign.

A public communication from a campaign may constitute instructions if the communication includes a suggestion the electorate should be made aware of the information and the manner in which the information should be presented (e.g., “voters need to hear”).

The presumption of coordination can be refuted by demonstrating there was an independent basis for the expenditure.

The revised regulation took effect October 3.

Two special elections have been scheduled for November 8 to fill the vacant Philadelphia City Council seats in Districts 7 and 9.

Both seats were vacated when councilors Maria Quinones Sanchez and Cherelle Parker resigned last week to run for mayor.

The winners of the special elections will serve the remainder of the terms set to expire at the end of 2023.

A special election has been scheduled for the vacant District 5 seat to be held on November 8.

The District 5 seat became vacant when Councilor Corey O’Connor was appointed the new Allegheny County Controller by the Pennsylvania Senate.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of 2023.

A special election for the vacant District 6 council seat is scheduled for May 17 in Philadelphia.

The seat is vacant after Bobby Henon resigned following his conviction on conspiracy and fraud charges.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire in January 2024.

Councilmember Bobby Henon resigned from the Philadelphia City Council following his conviction on conspiracy and fraud charges.

The council president is expected to call a special election to fill the vacant District 6 seat for the remainder of the term ending in December 2023.

The Delaware County Council has voted to approve an ordinance requiring contractors to disclose if they have made contributions for candidates running for certain county or state offices as well as political parties or political action committees.

Disclosure forms will be included in the publicly posted agenda materials for the applicable council meeting and will also be posted on the county website.

The ordinance will be effective in April.

A special election has been scheduled for Pennsylvania House District 116 to be held on April 5.

The seat became vacant when Rep. Tarah Toohill was sworn in to serve on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the two-year term set to expire at the end of this year.

A special election has been scheduled for Pennsylvania House District 24 to be held on April 5.

The seat became vacant when former Rep. Edward Gainey was sworn in as the new mayor of Pittsburgh.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the two-year term set to expire at the end of this year.

A second special election is also expected to be called to fill the House District 19 seat Rep. Jake Wheatley vacated when he resigned to become Mayor Gainey’s chief of staff.

A special election has been scheduled for Pennsylvania Senate District 5 to be held on May 17, the same day as the primary election.

The seat became vacant when Sen. John Sabatina Jr. resigned following his election to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the four-year term set to expire in November 2024.

Democrat Thom Welby will serve as the next Pennsylvania state representative for District 113.

Welby defeated challenger Dominick Manetti handily in the special election and will serve the remainder of the term that ends next November.

The seat was left vacant after Sen. Marty Flynn won election to the state Senate.

Democrat Gina Curry will serve as the next state representative for District 164 after defeating Brian Shariff Taylor in a special election.

District 164 was left vacant after former Rep. Margo Davidson resigned following theft charges.

Curry will serve the remainder of the term that ends next November.

Pennsylvania lobbyists and lobbying firms are required to complete an annual equity disclosure report by October 7.

This year’s report covers the period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

Subsequent annual reports will be due July 30 of each year.

Each report must include how much equity a lobbyist or lobbying firm holds or has held in an affiliated principal for whom that lobbyist or lobbying firm has lobbied during the reporting period.

The amount of equity held can be represented by a dollar amount or by a percentage.

The state broadly defines equity as ownership in interest in property, especially in a business.

The Pennsylvania Speaker of the House announced a special election for House District 164 on November 2, the same day as the general election.

The district seat became vacant when Rep. Margo Davidson resigned after being charged with theft and election code violations related to her improper use of state funds and improper campaign finance reporting.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Davidson’s term ending November 30, 2022.