Live Results: March 25 Legislative Special Elections

We'll start by looking ahead a week to April 1, shaping up as one of the more consequential dates on the 2025 calendar. The Wisconsin Supreme Court election is the most expensive ever for that office. It is also the first major statewide race since Donald Trump took office.

There are also special elections for two U.S. House vacancies in Florida's 1st and 6th districts. While these seats are likely to remain in GOP control, the margins and level of turnout will be interesting to monitor, particularly in District 6.

This week, we're following Tuesday's five state legislative special elections. Two each in Mississippi and Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina.

Pennsylvania

The Keystone State is one of only three states, along with Michigan and Minnesota, where there is split legislative control. In Pennsylvania, Republicans control the Senate, while Democrats hold the House.

One vacancy in each chamber will be filled Tuesday. Poll close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

State Senate District 36

Republicans hold a 27-22 partisan advantage over Democrats in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Members serve four-year staggered terms; districts with even numbers will be contested in 2026.

District 36 extends northward from the Lancaster area. Republican Ryan Aument resigned at the end of last year to take a position with newly-elected Sen. David McCormick. Aument was unopposed for reelection in 2022.

The ballot includes Republican Josh Parsons, Democrat James Malone, and Libertarian Zachary Moore.

State House District 35

With this special election, control of the evenly-divided Pennsylvania State House hangs in the balance. Each party currently holds 101 seats, after Democratic Rep. Matthew Gergely died in January.

The current House session organized while Gergely was hospitalized in January. Democrat Joanna McClinton was elected Speaker after an initial tie vote led the GOP candidate to drop out. That move reflected the fact that the Pittsburgh area District 35 is likely to stay with the Democrats; Gergely was unopposed for reelection in 2024.

On the ballot are Democrat Dan Goughnour, Republican Charles Davis, and Libertarian Adam Kitta.

Members of the State House serve two-year terms; the next elections are in 2026.

Mississippi

Republicans have a large majority in the 122 member Mississippi House of Representatives. Currently, the party holds 78 seats. Democrats control 40, with two independents. Members serve four-year terms; the next elections are in 2027.

Two vacancies will be filled Tuesday. These special elections are officially nonpartisan. If no candidate gets a majority, the top-two finishers will meet in a runoff on April 22.

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

State House District 23

This district in the northern part of the state became vacant when Republican Andrew Stepp died in December. In 2023, Stepp was elected by a 72% to 16% margin over his Democratic challenger.

Five candidates are on the ballot, including Perry Van Bailey, who held the seat for about a year before Stepp. Van Bailey won a January, 2023 special election over Stepp by just seven votes. Stepp then defeated Van Bailey in the November rematch for a full term.

State House District 82

This Meridian area seat was last represented by Democrat Charles Young Jr., who died in December. Young defeated incumbent Democrat Wilbert Jones in the 2011 Democratic Primary. After that, he faced no primary or general election opposition through his final win in 2023.

Three candidates are looking to succeed Young.

South Carolina

State House District 113

This race is uncontested, aside from write-in votes, so we will not have a results table.

Courtney Waters won a three-way Democratic primary in January. No other candidates contested this Charleston area district.

Waters will succeed Democrat Marvin Pendarvis, who resigned in September. 

Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

Overall, Republicans dominate the State House, holding 88 seats to 34 for Democrats. Members serve two-years terms with the next elections in 2026.

Upcoming Scheduled Elections

• April 1
  • Omaha Mayor Primary
    • General Election May 13
  • Wisconsin Supreme Court
• April 8
  • St. Louis Mayor
• May 3
  • Texas Mayors: San Antonio, Forth Worth, Plano, Garland 
• May 6
  • Ohio Mayors (Primary): Cincinnati and Toledo
• May 20
  • Pittsburgh Mayor (Primary)
• June 10
  • New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary
• June 17
  • Virginia Gubernatorial Primary
• June 24
  • New York City Mayor Primary

Upcoming Special Elections

• April 1
  • Florida Congressional Districts 1 and 6
  • Florida State Senate District 19 and State House Districts 3 and 32 (Primaries)
    • General Election June 10
  • Oklahoma State House Districts 71 and 74
    • Runoff (if needed) May 13; General Election June 10
  • South Carolina State House District 50 (Primary)
    • General Election June 3
• April 15
  • Massachusetts State House District 6th Essex (Primary)
    • General Election May 13
  • Mississippi State Senate District 18
  • Oakland Mayor
• May 3
  • Louisiana State House District 67 (Primary)
    • Top-Two General Election June 7 (if needed)
• May 6
  • New Hampshire State House District Strafford 12 (Primary)
    • General Election June 24
• May 13
  • Alabama State House District 11
    • Runoff (if needed) June 10; General Election August 26
  • Massachusetts State House District 3rd Bristol (Primary)
  • Oklahoma State Senate District 8