Two Democratic Pennsylvania state representatives announced their resignations this week, clearing the way for special elections in their Philadelphia districts on September 17.
Congresswoman Donna Bullock (D-Philadelphia) was appointed CEO of the nonprofit homeless advocacy group in June HOME Project but it was uncertain whether she would resign her state House seat to take the position. Bullock had represented the 195th Legislative District since 2016.
Rep. Stephen Kinsey (D-Philadelphia) announced in January that the current legislative session would be his last. Kinsey has served as state representative for the 201st Legislative District since 2013.
Both districts are considered unthreatening for Democrats, who hold a 102-seat majority in the House of Representatives, a position they held through a series of runoff elections this session.
House Republicans have criticized the decision to hold a special election just weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election, which involves the state’s full House of Representatives.
“Given that these members will only serve a limited number of weeks before the general election, the only need for this costly special election at such a late date is so that House Democrats can continue to gerrymander House members’ constituencies so that they can continue to play politically with a legislative agenda rather than uniting Pennsylvanians by promoting common goals that matter to all,” said Jason Gottesman, spokesman for House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster).
Bullock served as chairwoman of the House Children and Youth Committee and the House Ethics Committee. Kinsey served as chairwoman of the House Human Services Committee.
Project HOME is a three-decade organization that provides support and housing services to Philadelphians experiencing homelessness. Bullock he said WHY in June, she said she believes her experience as a legislator will translate directly to her role as an advocate for policies that support solutions to housing insecurity.
Kinsey, who has an MBA in health care administration, said he hopes to work to provide health care to those who need it most.
Pennsylvania held special elections for eight state House seats this session, with the most recent resulting in the election of Rep. Jeffrey Olsommer (R-Pike) to the 139th District seat vacated by Rep. Joe Adams (R-Pike), who resigned in February for health reasons. Olsommer also won the Republican primary in the northeastern Pennsylvania district and will face Democrat Robin Schooley Skibber in November.
The special elections for the Bullock and Kinsey seats will be held on the ninth and tenth days of this session.
(This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, to reflect comment from House Republicans.)
