Pennsylvania Republican Secures Victory to the State House Five Months Early

ALEXANDRIA, VA –The RSLC is joining Pennsylvania Republicans in celebrating the general election success of Representative-elect Marcia Hahn after she was declared the winner of both the Republican and Democrat primaries for the Keystone State’s 138th House District. 

Hahn, who won last week’s special election for the vacant 138th – the 57th state legislative special election victory since President Obama was elected – also secured the primary votes needed to represent Republicans on the general election ballot in November.  This week, however, it was announced that voters so preferred Hahn to any Democrat that they wrote in her name for the Democrat nomination as well.

“If it wasn’t already clear to Democrats that voters have lost an appetite for their liberal, out-of-touch policies, this should be a real wake-up call.  Even Democrats are opting for Republicans,” said Scott Ward, President of the Republican State Leadership Committee, the country’s largest caucus of Republican state leaders. “Republican voters went to the polls and chose a candidate whose campaign was based on fighting government spending and tax increases … and so did the Democrats.”

In the special election, Hahn defeated Democrat Cory Miller, 79 percent to 21 percent.  She won the Republican primary by a 16-point margin, in addition to winning the Democrat primary.  During the campaign, Hahn campaigned on a plan to oppose new tax increases, to fight government spending and lead the fight to for reform state government.

“This is one of those occasions where I applaud Democrats for making a wise choice,” said Dave Reed, Campaign Chairman.  “Pennsylvanians of all political stripes are tired of the economic policies Democrats are trying to impose on the 138th District and the rest of the state.  They responded by ensuring that a Republican wins in November regardless of which side of the ballot they punch.”

The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders.  Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator.  The RSLC consistently raises and spends an average of more than $20 million, per two-year cycle, from more than 80,000 donors and from all 50 states.  In February, The RSLC announced the creation of the REDistricting MAjority Project (REDMAP), a program, headed by former U.S. Representative and NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds, dedicated to winning state legislative seats that will have a critical impact on redistricting in 2011.