Family, friends, and former colleagues marked the passing of House member Matt Gergely in a funeral service last week. This week begins the hurried process of finding candidates to replace him — with Democrats and Republicans following different processes to do so.
Gergely, who has represented the 35th House District since winning a special election in 2023, died Jan. 19 after suffering an undisclosed “medical emergency” over the holidays. Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton chose March 25 to hold the special election to replace him — about the fastest turnaround time possible under state law.
Doing so will speedily resolve a deadlock in the House — which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats as a result of Gergely’s death. But it also means the two parties have until only Feb. 3 — next Monday — to submit the names of their nominees for inclusion on the ballot.
Both parties are using familiar playbooks to choose their nominees, with Democrats choosing a more public approach as Republicans make their selection privately.
The Democratic nominee will be chosen by members of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, which is made up of elected or appointed committee members that represent each voting precinct in the 35th District.
Those committee members will meet in McKeesport Saturday afternoon to make the selection. Following a precedent established in a series of special elections during the past two years, the party will use ranked-choice voting to select a nominee if more than two contenders enter the race.
Democratic hopefuls have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to declare their interest and submit a $250 filing fee with the party. They will then be able to participate in a Zoom candidate forum later in the week, and address committee members in person before Saturday’s vote.
“I apologize for the rushed nature of this, but a candidate must be elected and the paperwork filed by no later than Monday February 3rd or there will not be a Democratic candidate on the ballot,” ACDC Chair Sam Hens-Greco told committee members in an email sent Friday night.
As they have done in other recent special elections, Republicans are following a process in which party officers select their nominee privately. In a statement, the Republican Committee of Allegheny County cited the tight turnaround time for that process, but said Republican officials had been speaking with leaders in the Mon Valley about potential contenders.
“Given the time constraints to select a nominee, we have been working diligently with the House Republican Campaign Committee in vetting those interested,” said John Schnaedter, executive director of the RCAC. “A formal announcement of the nominee is expected this week.”
The 35th District is centered on McKeesport, but also includes such Monongahela Valley communities as Clairton, Duqesne, Homestead, Munhall, and White Oak.
