Death of Democratic lawmaker leaves Pennsylvania House deadlocked at 101-101

A Democrat in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives has died, the House Democratic caucus said Sunday night, leaving the chamber deadlocked at a 101-101 partisan divide.

Rep. Matt Gergely, D-Allegheny, died Sunday. He was 45, House Democrats said.

Neither House Democrats or Gergely’s family disclosed a cause, although they said two weeks ago that he had suffered a “medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization” in the days before the chamber convened its two-year session earlier this month.

House Democrats won a one-seat margin in November’s election, the same one-seat margin that Democrats had maintained in the last legislative session. Gergely’s death means the chamber will be tied at 101-101 until a special election is held to fill the seat in the heavily Democratic Pittsburgh-area district.

In the last two-year session, House Democratic majority managed through various vacancies in their ranks, at times bogging down the pace of lawmaking during the two-year legislative session.

In their statement Sunday night, House Democrats said a special election to fill Gergely’s seat will be called by Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, at a later date.

“Matt will be desperately missed in Harrisburg and we know his passing is a tremendous loss to his communities in Western Pennsylvania. Please join us in keeping his wife and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this tragic time,” House Democrats said.