For the first time in more than three decades, Pennsylvania Democrats hold every lever of state power. After the November 3 elections, a national blue wave delivered the party control of the state Senate and expanded its majority in the House, ending Republican rule of the upper chamber that had lasted more than 30 years and giving Governor Josh Shapiro a governing trifecta not seen since 1993, The Trace reported.
Democrats flipped the Senate while growing their House majority, delivering Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis a second term alongside Shapiro and handing the party the votes to advance legislation that has languished for years. Republicans, who had controlled the Senate for more than three decades, now find themselves in the minority on both sides of the Capitol.
Four Bills That Waited Three Decades
With unified control, Democrats plan to move on a slate of gun reform measures Republicans have long blocked. The list includes prohibiting homemade, untraceable “ghost guns” that can be assembled without serial numbers; widening background checks to cover additional types of gun purchases; establishing a red flag law to temporarily confiscate guns from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others; and banning conversion devices, also known as switches, that allow handguns to fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute.
State Democrats told The Trace in October that if they achieved a government trifecta, they would pursue these exact measures. In their Tuesday night victory speeches, Shapiro and Davis spoke about public safety in general terms but did not mention specific bills. Shapiro told an audience in Cumberland County that the voters had spoken and wanted the government to “invest in our kids, our cops, and our communities.”
“You want a government that reflects the basic desires we all share — good schools for our kids, safe neighborhoods, a job that pays you for your hard work,” Shapiro said.
Gun Violence Down 39 Percent Since 2022
Homicides in the state have fallen 39 percent, firearm-related crimes have declined 45 percent, and gun assaults have dropped 25 percent since Shapiro and Davis first took office in 2022, according to Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System data.
Davis, 37, has made gun violence prevention a signature issue since entering politics. He described how, at 16 years old, he witnessed a man being shot on the block where he lived in a steel town outside Pittsburgh.
“I remember thinking that nobody should have to live in a community where they don’t have the opportunity to be safe and feel safe,” Davis said. “It instilled in me something I carry with me every day: that the people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power.”
The Shapiro administration points to more than 2,000 new police officers added across the state, the reestablished Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and millions of dollars invested in afterschool and community organizations as part of its public safety strategy.
Advocates See an Opening, Opponents Mobilize
Gun reform advocates hailed the election results and predicted swift action on long-sought legislation. Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a nonprofit that advocates stricter gun laws, said the message from voters was unmistakable.
“I think the message from Pennsylvanians is, ‘We want legislators who make us safer and who improve the quality of our lives,’” Garber said.
Former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, who survived being shot in the head in 2011 and now leads a gun violence prevention organization bearing her name, also welcomed Pennsylvania’s election results.
“This is a major victory for public safety in Pennsylvania — a state that has experienced too much senseless gun violence,” Giffords said. “With last night’s wins, where Democrats expanded their House gun safety majority and reestablished their Senate majority, Governor Shapiro will continue the critical work being done to save lives in the state and put public safety ahead of partisan politics.”
Val Finnell, Pennsylvania director of Gun Owners of America, stated that his nonprofit organization regards gun regulation as unconstitutional and that his members are prepared to contact their legislators.
“I’m already rallying the troops, getting gun owners ready to contact their legislators,” Finnell told The Trace. “Our message to the Pennsylvania Legislature is: no gun control.”
Clearing the Path to the Governor’s Desk
Democrats told The Trace in October that achieving a trifecta would trigger immediate movement on the blocked bills. With Republicans no longer able to stop legislation in the Senate, the path to Shapiro’s desk is now clear for measures that have failed for more than 30 years. The last time Democrats controlled the governor’s office and both legislative chambers was 1993, a span that covers the entire political careers of many current lawmakers in both parties.
Whether the new majority can pass the most contentious measures—particularly the red flag law and ghost gun ban—has tested the durability of the blue wave that gave Pennsylvania Democrats control of the state Senate and expanded their House majority in the November 3 elections, and determined whether they passed gun reform bills that had languished in the state Legislature.
