Most analysts say that the newly redistricted House maps – combined with the concern over abortion rights and swing voters’ alienation with the top of the Republican ticket, Doug Mastriano – definitely helped the Democrats win the House in 2022.
Population shifts over the past 10 years from rural areas to suburban and urban parts of the Commonwealth – and the subsequent redrawing of political lines earlier this year to account for those changes – allowed the party to make gains. The redistricted maps were thought to be more evenly split than before, when the districts favored Republicans.
The new maps paved the way for Democrats to win seats in safe blue areas such as Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, and Allentown, while also flipping redrawn suburban districts outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The party defeated a handful of GOP incumbents in these areas, including State Rep. Todd Stephens (R., Montgomery). More than a week after Election Day, Stephens conceded his race in the 151st District to Represent PA-endorsed candidate, Democrat Melissa Cerrato, helping to ensure the Democratic takeover of the House.
Resources:
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/democrats-pennsylvania-house-legislature-control-20221113.html
https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2022/11/pa-governor-election-2022-results-house-
democrats-flip-republican-control/
