Pennsylvania General Election 2023 Results
*All Vote Counts Are Subject To Change*
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Consistent with party lines, Democratic candidates won throughout the City of Philadelphia. Turnout for the election in the city was 28.5%, with 96% of divisions reported. These numbers are subject to change as mail-in ballots are still being counted.
Mayor
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, voters cast their ballots for the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia. Democratic nominee Cherelle Parker won the election against her Republican challenger, David Oh. Parker received 73.8% of the votes, while Oh received 25.33%. Cherelle Parker is a Former City Council Majority Leader and State Representative. She ran her campaign to make Philadelphia a cleaner, safer, and greener city for all and is the first woman ever elected Mayor.
Philadelphia City Council
As largely anticipated, all five Democrats running for City Council At-Large won the general election after their primary wins in May. Incumbents Katherine Gilmore-Richardson and Isaiah Thomas were the top vote-getters, joined by Councilmember Jim Harrity. New members Rue Landau and Dr. Nina Ahmad will all be sworn in by January.
Voters additionally chose to fill the two remaining At-Large seats, which a minority party must fill. After a competitive race, the Working Families Party candidates incumbent Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke received more votes than the Republicans for the remaining seats.
District Seats:
As expected from the primary election results in May, all eight council members running for reelection won their races. Incumbents Mark Squilla, Kenyatta Johnson, Curtis Jones, Jr., Jamie Gauthier, Michael Driscoll, Anthony Phillips, Quetcy Lozada, and Cindy Bass will be sworn into office on January 2, 2024. Jay Young won the Democratic nomination for District 5 and will join the Council in the new session.
Republican Incumbent Brian O’Neill withstood a Democratic challenger. He has held the seat since 1979 and will return as the longest-serving Councilmember.
Additional Philadelphia Municipal Elections
City Commissioners:
Philadelphia City Commissioners are a three-member bipartisan board responsible for elections and voter registration.
Republican incumbent Seth Bluestein won his first election after being appointed to the position in 2022. He was previously the Chief Deputy Commissioner for former City Commissioner Al Schmidt and was endorsed by the Philadelphia Republican Party and several local unions.
Two-term incumbent and Democrat Lisa Deeley was reelected to her third term after serving as the Chairwoman of the Philadelphia City Commissioner's office. Deeley was endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, former Governor Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Young Democrats, and Philadelphia Building Trades.
Additionally, Omar Sabir won his first re-election bid since winning in 2019. The Philadelphia Democratic City Committee endorsed his election.
City Controller:
The independent office of the City Controller conducts audits and analyses of the city’s financial operations. Democrat Chrissy Brady, who served as acting Controller when Rebecca Rhyhart stepped down, won the election against Republican Aaron Bashir.
Register of Wills:
The Register of Wills issues marriage licenses, proves that wills are valid, assists when a resident dies without a will, and maintains numerous records. John Sabatina, a Democrat, won the election against Republican Linwood Holland.
Sheriff:
The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office provides security at all municipal courtrooms, manages all First Judicial Court-ordered property foreclosures, handles evictions, issues orders for protection, and provides gun locks. Incumbent Rochelle Bilal won the election against her Republican challenger, Mark Lavelle.
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
Courts of Common Pleas are trial courts that deal with civil and criminal cases, including child custody, family matters, and juvenile justice cases. All the Democrats running won their election: Tamika Washington, Natasha Taylor-Smith, Samantha Williams, Kay Yu, Brian McLaughlin, John Padova, Chesley Lightsey, Jessica Brown, Caroline Turner, Damaris Garcia, Elvin, Ross, and Raj Sandher.
Municipal Court
The Municipal Court is the lowest level of the judicial system, where most individuals first encounter the court system. This court handles eviction proceedings, small claims, and debts up to $12,000. Democrats Barbara Thomson and Colleen McIntyre Osborne won their races.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Allegheny County Executive
After an expensive and competitive race between Former Democratic State Representative Sara Innamorato and well-resourced Republican banker Joe Rockey, Sara Innamorato emerged victorious on election day.
District Attorney
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala was reelected on Election Day. After losing the Democratic nomination to Matt Dugan, Zappala received enough write-in votes to run as the Republican nominee.
County Council
Six of the fifteen council seats were up for election this November. The Democratic-controlled council was able to maintain power following the election. All Democrats won on Election Day, with the people following winning: See a full breakdown of the races below: Bethany Hallam (D-At-Large); Suzzane Filiaggi (R-Incumbent-District 2); Dan Grzybek (D-District 5); John Palmiere (D-Incumbent-District 6); Nick Futules (D-District 7); DeWitt Walton (D-Incumbent-District 10); Paul Klein (D-Incumbent-District 11); and David Bonaroti (D-District 13).
PHILADELPHIA COLLAR COUNTIES
Democrats held the majority for County Commissioners' seats in all Philadelphia collar counties.
BUCKS COUNTY
County Commissioner
In a race that some see as a bellwether for the 2024 election, Democrats kept the majority, with incumbents Bob Harvie and Diane Ellis-Marseglia winning reelection. Elected in 2019, Democrats won control of the county commissioners board for the first time in 40 years. Former State Representative and Republican incumbent Gene DiGirolamo was reelected to the third seat.
Source: Bucks County
CHESTER COUNTY
County Commissioner
Democratic incumbents Marian Moskowitz and Josh Maxwell won their re-election bid. Newcomer Eric Roe won the Republican seat on the board.
Source: Chester County
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
County Commissioner
Recently appointed Democratic Commissioner Jamila Winder won her re-election bid. She will be joined by Democrat Neil Makhija and Republican Thomas DiBello on the board in January.
Source: Montgomery County
DELAWARE COUNTY
County Council
The Republican party hoped to regain control of the Council, which they lost in 2019 for the first time since the Civil War. Ultimately, Democrats Monica Taylor, Elaine Paul Schaefer, and Christine Reuther were victorious, holding their majority in the council.
District Attorney
Democrat Incumbent District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer won reelection against Republican Beth Stefanide-Miscichowski. In 2019, Stollsteimer became the first Democrat to hold this office in the county’s history.
Source: Delaware County
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
Democrats fared well by electing Democrat Dan McCaffery to the state Supreme Court, Jill Beck and Tamika Lane to the state Superior Court, and Matt Wolf to the Commonwealth Court.
State Supreme Court
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the highest court in the Commonwealth, is a seven-justice body that has impacted redistricting, voting laws, and rights — and could soon rule on reproductive and gun rights. Democrats currently hold a 4-2 majority. The winner will serve a 10-year term and impact the justice system throughout the Commonwealth.
Republican Hon. Carolyn Carluccio served as the President of the Montgomery County Court of Pleas and was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania. Democrat Hon. Daniel McCaffery serves as a Superior Court Judge and received endorsements from Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, and the Laborers’ District Council of Philadelphia. After an expensive race, Hon. Daniel McCaffery won the election for Supreme Court, receiving 53% of the votes.
Superior Court
The PA Superior Court handles criminal and civil appeals in County Courts of Common Pleas before a case can proceed to the PA Supreme Court. Three-judge panels typically review cases. There were two open seats for 10-year terms and two 10-year retention seats.
Democrats Jill Beck and Tamika Lane won their bids for the state Superior Court. Jack Panella and Victor Stabile were reelected for 10-year terms for the state Superior Court.
Commonwealth Court
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court is the state’s second intermediate appellate court. Tasked with addressing matters concerning state and local governments and regulatory agencies, the court also functions as a trial court for lawsuits involving the Commonwealth. Comprising nine judges that serve 10-year terms, the current composition includes three Democrats, five Republicans, and one vacant seat. In a competitive race for the open seat, Democrat Matt Wolf emerged victorious.