Lawmaker's health issue could complicate swearing-in day for Pennsylvania House

A Democratic state representative’s health problems could complicate the vote for Pennsylvania House speaker on Tuesday as the chamber’s Democrats begin a new two-year session with the same one-seat margin they had before the November election.

Rep. Matthew Gergely had a “medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization,” according to Beth Rementer, the House Democratic caucus spokesperson.

Neither Rementer nor House GOP spokesperson Jason Gottesman elaborated on what happened, but Remeter said the Allegheny County Democrat would not be there as the chamber decides whether to return Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia to the dais as its presiding officer. Members also are expected to vote on the House’s internal operating rules for the new two-year session.

“We’re preparing for him not to be there today and for some time,” Rementer said in an early Tuesday email.

Gergely’s absence, the close House margin and Republican control of the Senate could complicate first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s hopes of getting things done this year.

A message seeking comment was left at Gergely’s district office in McKeesport.

The House had a rule during the 2023-24 session designed to limit uncertainty under the one-seat margin. Under that rule, vacancies were credited to the party that held the seat most recently until the special election results were in. It’s not clear whether this rule would extend to the 2025-26 session, if a House vote for speaker otherwise deadlocks along party lines — 101-101. There are also remote voting procedures.

Democrats won chamber control two years ago by a single seat, 102-101, and successfully defended it while several vacancies arose and were filled by special elections. In November, not one of the 203 House seats changed parties, meaning Democrats retained majority control by the slimmest of margins.

House Republicans changed leadership since November, picking Rep. Jesse Topper of Bedford County to be their floor leader. He succeeded Rep. Bryan Cutler, a former House speaker and caucus leader who remains in the House after being reelected in a Lancaster County district.

House Democrats meanwhile have five new members after Reps. Mike Sturla of Lancaster County and former House Speaker Mark Rozzi of Berks County retired; Reps. Patti Kim of Dauphin County and Nick Pisciottano of Allegheny County relinquished their seats to make successful runs for state Senate; and Rep. Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia lost in the spring primary.

House Republicans saw Rep. Dawn Keefer win a state Senate seat in York County and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.

In other GOP caucus changes, Rep. Rob Mercuri didn’t seek reelection while running unsuccessfully for Congress in Allegheny County. Reps. Jim Gregory of Blair County and Mike Cabell of Luzerne County lost in the spring primary and six others didn’t run again: Donna Oberlander of Clarion County, Jim Marshall of Beaver County, Aaron Kaufer of Luzerne County, George Dunbar of Westmoreland County, Paul Schemel of Franklin County and Barry Jozwiak of Berks County.

In the state Senate, Republican Joe Picozzi unseated freshman Democratic Sen. Jimmy Dillon in a Philadelphia district. Because Kim flipped a redistricted Harrisburg area seat, Republicans still control the chamber by the same margin, 28-22. But there is currently one Senate vacancy: Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, resigned at the end of December to take a top staff job with incoming U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.