Pennsylvania primaries 2024: Lee and Fitzpatrick survive, matchups set for November

538 tracked congressional and downballot primary races in the Keystone State.

Last Updated: April 23, 2024, 10:02 PM EDT

Pennsylvania is already in the thick of campaign season for November's presidential and U.S. Senate races, but on April 23, Democrats and Republicans in the Keystone State chose their candidates in a slate of other consequential races down the ballot this fall.

Among the key races to watch: a couple of incumbent House members — progressive Democrat Summer Lee and moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick — both fended off challengers from their right, and ballots are now set for a few other consequential contests that could help determine control of the House next year. Plus, some key battle lines for control of the state government in November are set, with the parties finalizing their candidates for attorney general, auditor, treasurer and both chambers of the state legislature.

538 reporters and contributors broke down the election results as they came in with live updates, analysis and commentary. Read our full live blog below.

Apr 23, 2024, 10:02 PM EDT

Support for legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania is decreasing

As a Pennsylvanian, one issue I was looking out for in the attorney general primary was discussion of legalizing marijuana. While the candidates did discuss it at their April 4th debate, it didn't come up much in the conversation around the race. Despite advocating legalization during his term as auditor general, the issue doesn't appear at all on DePasquale's campaign site. That may be because Pennsylvanians' views on legalization have been evolving.

According to the annual Muhlenberg College Pennsylvania Health survey, support for legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania has decreased in the last few years. In the 2021 survey, 58 percent of Pennsylvanians said they supported legalizing the use of marijuana "for any purpose," and 26 percent opposed legalization, a margin of 32 points. In the years since, the margin has steadily decreased, and in the 2024 survey conducted in February and March, 49 percent said they supported legalizing marijuana, while 31 percent opposed, a margin of 18 points.

Not all of these voters are necessarily opposed to legalization, though: The share of Pennsylvanians who express indifference about legal weed has also grown, with 20 percent saying they "neither favored nor opposed" legalizing marijuana in 2024, compared to 14 percent in 2021.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538

Apr 23, 2024, 10:01 PM EDT

DePasquale projected to win the Democratic AG primary

ABC News reports that Eugene DePasquale is projected to win the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. The only candidate from Western Pennsylvania, he overcame a fundraising advantage held by his opponents. DePasquale made a name for himself as a state auditor general and has promised to prosecute hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, protect abortion, and other issues.

—Monica Potts, 538

Apr 23, 2024, 9:56 PM EDT

GOP women in the Keystone State

As I mentioned earlier, only two Republican women are running in House races today, compared to 15 Democratic women. And only one woman, Maria Montero in the 7th, is running in a seat where the party could be competitive in November. Pennsylvania has slightly below average female representation in their state legislature (which is just 32 percent female), and they've never had a female U.S. senator or governor (of any party). A state's history of electing women to political office is actually a pretty good predictor of electing more women in the future. Research indicates that once a state has elected a woman to a particular office, future female candidates are more likely to be successful in seeking that same office. Experts suggest this is due to increased familiarity and acceptance of women in political leadership and the establishment of support networks and resources for female candidates.

ABC hasn't made a projection in Montero's race yet, but The Associated Press has already projected it for state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. Per the latest results, with 50 percent of the expected vote reporting, Montero trails, with 28 percent of the vote to Mackenzie's 43 percent and business owner Kevin Dellicker's 30 percent.

—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor

Apr 23, 2024, 9:53 PM EDT

Stelson projected to win Democratic primary in 10th District

ABC News reports that Janelle Stelson is projected to win the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania's 10th District. With 63 percent of the expected vote reporting, she leads with 44 percent, well ahead of Mike O'Brien's 23 percent in second place. Stelson will advance to the general election to face Rep. Scott Perry, who has arguably the most conservative voting record of any Republican who represents a seat that Trump would've won by less than 5 points in 2020 or that Biden would've carried. However, the GOP starts out as favorites for the general election, as ratings outlets view it as a Lean Republican seat.

—Geoffrey Skelley, 538

Democratic candidate for the 10th congressional district Janelle Stelson campaigns in York, Pa., April 10, 2024.
Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE