#Democrats win Pennsylvania special election, keeping control of state House

Democrat Heather Boyd was projected to win the special election for Pennsylvania’s 163rd state House district on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, allowing Democrats to maintain a narrow grip on the legislative body. 

Boyd, a former state legislative and congressional aide, defeated Republican Katie Ford in the contest. The district includes parts of Delaware County outside of Philadelphia. The district became vacant earlier this year after Democratic Rep. Michael Zabel (D) resigned over allegations of sexual harassment. 

Boyd’s victory is also a win for the state’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who would have had to contend with a Republican-controlled state Senate and House if Ford won.

Abortion access played a central role in the campaign leading up to Tuesday’s special election, with Boyd tying Ford to GOP efforts to restrict the procedure in Pennsylvania. Boyd released an attack ad earlier this month featuring Shapiro warning that a GOP majority in the state House would block him from vetoing anti-abortion legislation.

However, during a televised debate hosted by WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, which is owned by The Hill’s parent company Nexstar, Ford said she’s personally opposed to abortion but would not work to change the state’s law on the matter. 

Abortion was a key factor in Pennsylvania elections last year, with suburban voters largely voting Democratic after Democratic candidates made preserving abortion access a key issue. Democrats retook control of the state house for the first time since 2010 and also saw victories at the gubernatorial, Senate, and congressional level.