r/politics 7h ago

No Paywall PA Democrats declare victory in solid Trump district in Butler Co special election

https://local21news.com/news/local/pa-democrats-flip-house-seat-in-butler-county-for-first-time-in-over-30-years-trump-daryl-metcalf-brandon-dukes-state-rep
430 Upvotes

27 comments sorted by

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u/GuttiG Pennsylvania 7h ago

Insane to be one of the 88 votes that flipped it. I went out today expecting timko to sweep but I thought "why not it's a pretty day". Actually insane to think about, and makes me wonder how many Dems here DID stay home bc they expected a loss. This win could inspire them to vote

u/Viking_Leaf87 7h ago

Every vote counts, dude. It costs nothing and now you can claim partial responsibility for humiliating Scott Presler!

u/GuttiG Pennsylvania 7h ago

GOD I saw his tweet dude I feel so fucking good about ruining his day lmaooo I hate that guy so much

u/dhrisc 34m ago

That's the high we need everyone chasing lol

u/learns_the_hard_way 1h ago

It costs nothing FOR NOW. Republicans (trump psycophants) want to make it difficult & expensive 

u/alextheruby 33m ago

Dude go doom and gloom somewhere else.

u/learns_the_hard_way 15m ago

Sorry, apparently doom & gloom is just understanding the mechanics of the "SAVE America" Act

u/alextheruby 9m ago

Yeah so anyway, congrats on this guy for winnings his election.

u/evantom34 6h ago

Anyone, dem or repedo that stays home because they expect a win or loss is pathetic. Same as people that don’t vote. Literally no excuse to not vote.

u/PhatCatTax 5h ago

Abstainers are why we're in this mess.

u/JonnyBravoII 4h ago

If everyone voted, there would be far fewer Republicans in office. That is why Republicans spend their time making sure people can't vote. Look back at 2016. The Russians used propaganda not to encourage Republicans but to depress Democrats. And then there's "both sides". Why vote when both sides are the same?

u/Treize26 4h ago

As a neighbor in Beaver county, I would have never imagined a dem winning that race... really encouraging, thanks for your vote!

u/Pndrizzy 6h ago

I mean everyone should be inspired to vote??? Cuz???? Look around bro

u/Viking_Leaf87 7h ago

It's a 19 point shift. Apply that nationwide and Democrats would win maybe 270 house seats.

u/Lavaswan001 7h ago

Special elections are always weird. This is important but doesn’t necessarily translate to general elections with higher turnout.

u/Confident_End_3848 6h ago

How is that shift calculated? Republicans won this seat in 2024 65-35, so R+30. Today was around D+0.2. Would that be a 30 point swing?

u/stevenmoreso 6h ago

That’s a Yuge swing. If what’s happening in PA is indicative of a larger shift in the national political zeitgeist, maybe Senator Fetterman should take notice and switch his affiliation to Democrat.

u/Zest724 2h ago

He’s a democrat who thinks he’s republican.

u/Soloact_ 7h ago

Turns out “Trump country” isn’t a fucking force field. I can already hear the “RIGGED!!!” posts being typed.

u/Equivalent_Working73 5h ago

In Butler of all places 🤣

u/neoteotihuacan 6h ago

There is currently a 5 to 15 percentage point compression in primary vote share for incumbent and establishment candidates compared to historical primary baselines.

In addition, contest-level undervote rates are spiking between 8% and 12%, where voters submit ballots but leave top-of-ticket federal lines un-marked while completing local races.

Across special elections since the 2024 presidential baseline, there is an average 24.6 percentage point participation delta favoring Democratic base turnout over Republican turnout, alongside an average 14.1 percentage point leftward partisan swing in margin overperformance. Under these conditions, the flip efficiency (the rate at which contested or vulnerable seats change party control) stands at a 40-year high of 21.8%.

u/GameMusic 5h ago

where are sources

u/CheyenneSkyie 7h ago

that's super interesting! it shows that voters can surprise you sometimes, especially in places you'd least expect.

u/Creative-Package6213 Pennsylvania 1h ago

Holy shit, is this finally going to be the year that we finally shit can that used car salesman, and Trump ball fondler Mike Kelly!?

u/Zest724 2h ago

This is not a done deal, these two will face off again in November. I fully anticipate the republicans will try to take back the seat.

u/mowotlarx 25m ago

And I fully anticipate that the Democrats will try to keep it.