Who Is Running for Senate in PA? Competitive State Senate Races

If you are asking who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, the answer depends on which senate you mean. At the state level, 25 of Pennsylvania’s 50 state senate seats are on the November 2026 ballot, and a handful of competitive races in Lancaster County, the Lehigh Valley, the Philadelphia suburbs, and the Poconos will decide whether Republicans keep the majority they have held almost continuously since the 1980s. At the federal level, Pennsylvania’s next U.S. Senate race is not until 2028, when Democrat John Fetterman’s seat comes up, and no one has officially declared.¹²

Why the 2026 State Senate Races Matter

Republicans hold the state senate 28-22. Democrats need to flip two seats to force a 25-25 tie, which would hand them effective procedural control because Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis casts the tiebreaking vote. Three flips would give them an outright majority.¹

All 25 seats on the ballot are even-numbered districts drawn under the 2022 reapportionment plan.³ Several districts that were safely Republican under the old map now include enough suburban voters to be in play, which is why Democrats see a path they have not had in years.

The Competitive State Senate Candidates

The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee has publicly identified four Republican-held seats as pickup targets, along with one Democratic seat it is defending.⁴

16th District: Mark Pinsley vs. Jarrett Coleman

The 16th District covers parts of Lehigh County and Upper Bucks County and is the most closely watched race on the map. Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley won the Democratic primary in May 2026 with about 54% of the vote, sweeping all 57 Lehigh County precincts and earning 73% of the Democratic vote there. He defeated Pennridge School Board member Bradley Merkl-Gump.⁵⁶

Pinsley faces Republican incumbent Jarrett Coleman in a rematch of the 2022 race, which Coleman won with 56% of the vote.⁵ Pinsley is running on income and property tax reform, regulation of artificial intelligence and data centers, codifying reproductive rights, and a $45,000 annual minimum wage. Coleman has focused on school safety, transparency for school bus camera programs, and oversight of Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone.⁶

Pinsley picked up a primary endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.⁵ Coleman has received $426,000 from the Operators for Skill PAC, the political arm of skill games developer Pace-O-Matic, along with additional contributions from industry executives.⁶

24th District: Kofi Osei vs. Tracy Pennycuick

The 24th District spans parts of Montgomery and Berks counties. Democrat Kofi Osei, an at-large supervisor on the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors, announced his challenge in late 2025 against Republican incumbent Tracy Pennycuick, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.⁷⁸

Osei’s platform centers on keeping water and sewer infrastructure in public hands, expanding SEPTA funding, addressing a statewide shortage he puts at 100,000 housing units, and long-term capital planning to stabilize local taxes.⁹ Democratic strategists have named the seat one of their top pickup opportunities in the Philadelphia suburbs.⁴

36th District: James Malone’s Reelection

Sen. James Malone, the former mayor of East Petersburg, flipped the Lancaster County-based 36th District in a March 2025 special election, defeating Republican Josh Parsons by 529 votes. He is the first Democrat to represent Lancaster County in the state senate since 1889.¹⁰ The district backed Donald Trump by 15 points in November 2024.¹¹

Malone launched his reelection campaign in December 2025, and the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee has flagged the seat as its top defensive priority.¹⁰ His Republican opponent had not been reported as of mid-2026.

Bucks County and the Poconos

Democrats are also targeting Republican incumbents Frank Farry in Bucks County and Rosemary Brown in Monroe County.⁴ Specific Democratic challengers for those two seats had not been widely reported as of mid-2026.

Districts Where the Primary Already Decided It

Three Republican incumbents fended off well-funded primary challengers backed by the skill games industry: Camera Bartolotta (46th District), Lisa Baker (20th District), and Chris Gebhard (48th District).¹² In the 48th, Gebhard defeated horse breeder Clovis Crane 18,178 to 8,800. With no Democrat on the November ballot in the 48th, Gebhard’s primary win effectively locks in another term.¹³ Baker turned back Tyler Meyers and Bartolotta beat Albert Buchtan.

The U.S. Senate Seat Is Not on the Ballot Until 2028

If you came here looking for a federal race, there isn’t one in Pennsylvania this cycle. The state’s next U.S. Senate contest is in 2028, when John Fetterman’s seat comes up. Fetterman has not said whether he will run again, telling reporters only, “Accept the mystery. 2028 is gonna be crazy.”²

No one has officially declared. The Pennsylvania Working Families Party has said it will support a primary challenger. Democratic U.S. Representatives Brendan Boyle, Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean, and Chris Deluzio have not ruled out bids, and former Rep. Conor Lamb has been making town hall appearances across the state without stating his intentions.² As of mid-2026, no Pennsylvania House Democrat in the congressional delegation would publicly say Fetterman should run for reelection as a Democrat.¹⁴

1
Spotlight PA. Pennsylvania Election Results 2026
2
Spotlight PA. Fetterman Senate Seat 2028 Reelection Primary Challenge Federal Government
3
Pennsylvania Department of State. Pennsylvania Redistricting State Senate
4
Altoona Mirror. Dem Hopes to Flip State Senate in 2026 Face Uphill Battle
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Bucks County Herald. Merkl-Gump Concedes PA Senate Democratic Primary, Pinsley to Face Coleman
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Lehigh Valley News. Homefield Advantage Weighed Heavy as Pinsley Won Democratic Primary for State Senates 16th District
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The Reporter. Towamencin Supervisor and Grassroots Organizer Kofi Osei Announces Challenge in 24th District for PA Senate
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Perk Valley Now. Towamencin Supervisor and Grassroots Organizer Kofi Osei Announces Candidacy for State 24th District Race
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Vote Kofi Osei. Meet Kofi
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Penn Capital-Star. Prepared to Marshal Every Resource: Sen. Malone Launches Reelection, Dems Eye a PA Senate Flip
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Spotlight PA. Special Election Pennsylvania Lancaster Allegheny House Senate
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Spotlight PA. Pennsylvania Primary Election Results Legislature 2026 Elections
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Reading Eagle. Primary 2026 Results: Chris Gebhard Wins GOP Nod in 48th Senate District
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Punchbowl News. Fetterman Dems