Contact: Sydney Robinson, PA HDCC Communications Director

sydney@pahdcc.com, (850)390-1395

PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE REACTS TO MAJOR WIN IN BUTLER SPECIAL ELECTION, TURNS FOCUS TO NOVEMBER MIDTERMS

HARRISBURG, PA – On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee saw a monumental win in Butler County (HD-12) as candidate Brandon Dukes rose to the top of the polls in the special election, the results of which have massive implications for Democratic candidates in races across the Commonwealth in November. With 99% of votes counted, Dukes held 50.26% of the vote in a district Trump won by 18 points in 2024.

Dukes, a commercial loan administrator with a campaign focused on infrastructure improvements and affordability in the district, overperformed Democratic registration numbers by 16% in his victory. His team, in coordination with the HDCC, ran an impressive ground campaign in which they knocked nearly 16,000 doors and made over 85,000 calls to meet voters where they were.

Dukes’s upset has gained him national recognition, both before and after his victory. An endorsement from former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was announced in the week before the election, as well as support by Governor Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Congressman Chris Deluzio, state representatives and many others.

Dukes’s race has now been covered by various outlets including NBC, Axios and Newsweek, with more to come.

“Brandon Dukes was the right candidate at the right time for Butler County – and we have candidates across the Commonwealth who are working hard and are ready for their moment in November,” said HDCC Executive Director Madeline Zann. “Challengers like Bryan Allen (HD18), Sara Agerton (HD88), and Hadley Haas (HD44) are putting up serious numbers in their districts, both on the doors and in polling. If we continue to overperform in November like we did yesterday in HD12, we are well within range of an even larger majority expansion in November.”

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About PA HDCC

The Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee is the official campaign arm of Pennsylvania House Democrats. PA HDCC supports the second-largest legislative chamber in the country by protecting incumbents and recruiting and training challengers to grow Democratic representation in Harrisburg.