Some state Senate seats just don’t switch parties

Even with no incumbent, and even at a time when the state's electoral demographics are in flux, some legislative seats stubbornly stay in the hands of one party.

Take, for example, Pennsylvania's 13th Senatorial District. Soon to be vacated by Sen. Gibson Armstrong (R-Lancaster), the district includes Lancaster and York counties, areas that are traditionally made up of staunchly conservative voters. Armstrong has represented the district since 1985. Jose Urdaneta, a Democrat, and Lloyd Smucker, a Republican, are vying to replace him.

"I feel that I'm not just a viable candidate for the position, but I'm the right person to represent the people of the 13th District," Urdaneta told PolitickerPA.com today.

"Voters are tired of just crowning people into positions because they belong to one party or the other," he added.

While he noted that Democrats have made significant voter registration gains in the district in recent years-as they have throughout the state-pollsters and analysts say it remains a loyal Republican area.

"This is an overwhelmingly Republican district," said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political scientist and Franklin & Marshall College. "I don't even see much competition here."

A similar situation seems to be manifesting itself in the 17th Senatorial District, but to the Democrats' advantage. That district, encompassing parts of Delaware and Montgomery counties in the Philadelphia suburbs, has been represented by state Rep. Connie Williams, a Democrat, since 2001. She is not seeking re-election, but state Rep. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) has tossed his hat into the ring to replace her.

Leach already represents about a quarter of Williams' constituents, putting his opponent, Republican Lance Rogers, at an early disadvantage.

"These people already know me pretty well," he said today.

Leach said he had always been happy with Williams, but with her leaving Harrisburg at the end of her term, he said, "If I ever wanted to run, this was the time to do it."

"Running every four years [as opposed to every two in the state house] lets you spend more time doing the job and less time running for re-election," he said.

Rogers could not be immediately reached for comment today. But even though the district has plenty of Republican voters, even after many flocked to the Democrats to participate in the state's April presidential primary, Madonna said there was little reason for the GOP to be optimistic, especially when fighting for seats held by Democrats.

"I wouldn't be too optimistic if I were a Republican," he said. "This isn't a good environment for them."

Nor, it seems, is it a good environment for anyone whose party has not held the seat for years.