DNC: Pennsylvania Win Runs Tally of Switched State Legislatures to Eleven

Washington, DC - Today's news that Democratic State House candidate Barbara McIlvaine Smith has won Pennsylvania's 156th House District means that Democrats will now control the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, bringing the current number of new Democratic majorities to 11. In state legislative races across the country, Democrats gained approximately 330 seats in this month's elections. Democrats now control a majority of state house chambers, and control both chambers in 24 of the 49 states with bicameral legislatures.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:

"Today's win by Barbara McIlvaine Smith brings the Pennsylvania legislative races to a close, and brings yet another state legislature under Democratic control. I applaud Barbara McIlvaine Smith and the rest of the strong Democratic candidates who worked so hard to give Governor Rendell a Democratic State House to work with. Together with the outstanding work of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, they showed that Democrats can win anywhere if we organize and ask everyone for their votes.

"I also applaud Colorado Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, whose strong leadership of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee was crucial to the impressive wins in state legislative races across America. The fact that Democrats picked up 11 new majorities in state legislatures shows the important gains that can be made when Democrats stand up and compete all across America. I am proud to have worked with Senator Fitz-Gerald, and applaud her strong leadership and commitment to ensuring that Democrats are competing and winning races not just in every state, but in every part of every state."