Republicans romp in Pa. state Senate

Republican gains  in the Pennsylvania Senate do not bode well for Gov. Tom Wolf's legislative agenda. (AP file photo)

Republican gains in the Pennsylvania Senate do not bode well for Gov. Tom Wolf's legislative agenda. (AP file photo)

The Republican tide in Pennsylvania Tuesday wasn’t limited to the presidential election and the U.S. Senate race. The GOP captured a super-majority in the state Senate as well.

Though registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in Pennsylvania, the GOP came into Election Day with a lopsided 31-19 edge in the state Senate.

The party targeted seats held by Democrats in the Erie, Johnstown and Harrisburg areas, and hoped to keep a Delaware County seat held by Sen. Tom Killion just since a special election in April.

When the votes were counted, the Republicans swept all four, giving the party a 34-16 margin in the chamber.

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Franklin & Marshall College political analyst Terry Madonna said that’s not good news for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

“You’ve got a situation where the Wolf agenda moving forward for the next two years is not going to be in great shape,” Madonna said. “It’s going to require a lot of compromise and a lot of give and take by the governor.”

Wolf locked horns with lawmakers in his first year in office, battling with them over a proposed tax overhaul that was never enacted.

He managed to negotiate an agreement with the Legislature over this year’s budget.  As Wolf’s 2018 re-election year approaches, the GOP’s dominant majority in the Senate will give leaders more leverage over legislation and budgets.

Tuesday’s election gives the GOP a veto-proof majority in the state Senate, but not the House. Democrats there could vote to sustain a gubernatorial veto if they remain united.

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