Democrats won control of Pennsylvania’s state Senate in the Nov. 3 election, with Chris Thomas’s victory in a Montgomery and Berks county district helping deliver a governing trifecta alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Democratic-controlled House.

WHYY reported that Democrats flipped four Republican-held Senate seats while losing one of their own. The result gives the party a net gain of three seats and a 26-24 majority.

The other Democratic pickups were Eileen Hartnett Albillar over Frank Farry in District 6, Mark Pinsley over Jarrett Coleman in District 16 and Brian Wrightson over Rosemary Brown in District 40. Republican Tom Jones defeated Democrat James Malone in District 36.

Thomas wins District 24

The Pennsylvania Department of State’s unofficial returns showed Thomas with 62,995 votes, incumbent Republican Tracy Pennycuick with 50,843 and Green candidate Mike Schonewolf with 2,129 when checked Nov. 5. Those are districtwide totals, including Montgomery and Berks counties, and replace the earlier incomplete figures.

Thomas is a volunteer firefighter, former teacher and community organizer who had not previously held elected office, according to Patch’s report on his victory. He previously directed Jill Dennin’s 2024 campaign against Pennycuick.

Burke’s narrow House victory

Democrat Margaret Burke defeated Republican Rep. Donna Scheuren in House District 147, Patch reported Nov. 4. The molecular pathologist was a first-time candidate.

The county’s Nov. 4 unofficial summary lists Burke at 15,904 votes and Scheuren at 15,687, a 217-vote margin. These figures remain subject to the completion of ballot review and certification. All precincts reporting refers to Election Day ballots and does not establish that every ballot type is complete.

What changes in Harrisburg

With Shapiro reelected, Democratic control of both legislative chambers could change the prospects for a higher minimum wage, transit funding, marijuana legalization and reproductive health legislation. WHYY identified those as priorities that encountered resistance in the Republican-led Senate. Election victories do not themselves enact those policies; legislation would still need to pass and be signed.

The state’s unofficial governor tally showed Shapiro with 3,006,242 votes to Stacy Garrity’s 1,907,223 when checked Nov. 5. Official results will be identified after county certification.