# Pennsylvania State Senate

The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, staggered every two years, such that half of the seats are contested at each election. Even- and odd-numbered district seats are contested in separate election years. The president pro tempore of the Senate becomes the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in the event of the sitting lieutenant governor's removal, resignation or death. In this case the president pro tempore and lieutenant governor would be the same person. The Pennsylvania Senate has been meeting since 1791.
The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, who has no vote except to break a tie vote.

## Qualifications

Senators must be at least 25 years of age. They must be a U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident four years, and a resident of that district one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term.

## Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Austin Davis (D)
President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Kim Ward (R)
| Majority party (R) | Leadership position | Minority party (D) |
| Joe Pittman | Floor Leader | Jay Costa |
| Wayne Langerholc | Whip | Christine Tartaglione |
| Kristin Phillips-Hill | Caucus Chairman | Maria Collett |
| Camera Bartolotta | Caucus Secretary | Steve Santarsiero |
| Scott Martin | Appropriations Committee Chairman | Vincent Hughes |
| Dave Argall | Policy Committee Chairman | Nick Miller |
| Lisa Baker | Caucus Administrator | Judy Schwank |

## Composition
### Historical sessions

| Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| Affiliation | Republican | Ind | Democratic | Total | Vacant |
| 1995–1996 session | 29 | 0 | 21 | 50 | 0 |
| 1997–1998 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 1999–2000 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2001–2002 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2003–2004 session | 29 | 0 | 21 | 50 | 0 |
| 2005–2006 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2007–2008 session | 29 | 0 | 21 | 50 | 0 |
| 2009–2010 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2011–2012 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2013–2014 session | 27 | 0 | 23 | 50 | 0 |
| 2015–2016 session | 30 | 0 | 20 | 50 | 0 |
| 2016–2017 session | 31 | 0 | 19 | 50 | 0 |
| 2017–2018 session | 34 | 0 | 16 | 50 | 0 |
| 2018–2019 session | 28 | 0 | 22 | 50 | 0 |
| 2019–2020 session | 29 | 1 | 21 | 50 | 0 |
| 2021–2022 session | 28 | 1 | 21 | 50 | 0 |
| 2023–2024 session | 28 | 0 | 22 | 50 | 0 |

### Current session

As of January 7, 2025:
| 22 | 27 |
| Democratic | Republican |
| Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| Affiliation | Republican | Ind | Democratic | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous legislature | 28 | 0 | 22 | 50 | 0 |
| January 7, 2025 | 27 | 0 | 22 | 49 | 1 |
| Latest voting share | 55% | 0% | 45% | | |

## Membership

The Senate comprises 50 members who are elected by district. In 2012, a State Senate district had an average population of 254,047 residents.

### List of current members

| District | Senator | Party | Residence | Counties represented | First elected | Term ends |
| 1 | Nikil Saval | Dem | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 2020 | 2028 |
| 2 | Christine Tartaglione | Dem | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 1994 | 2026 |
| 3 | Sharif Street | Dem | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 2016 | 2028 |
| 4 | Art Haywood | Dem | Philadelphia | Montgomery, Philadelphia | 2014 | 2026 |
| 5 | Joe Picozzi | Rep | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 2024 | 2028 |
| 6 | Frank Farry | Rep | Langhorne Borough | Bucks | 2022 | 2026 |
| 7 | Vincent Hughes | Dem | Philadelphia | Montgomery, Philadelphia | 1994 | 2028 |
| 8 | Anthony Williams | Dem/Fwd | Philadelphia | Delaware, Philadelphia | 1998 | 2026 |
| 9 | John Kane | Dem | Birmingham | Chester, Delaware | 2020 | 2028 |
| 10 | Steve Santarsiero | Dem | Lower Makefield Township | Bucks | 2018 | 2026 |
| 11 | Judy Schwank | Dem | Fleetwood | Berks | 2011 | 2028 |
| 12 | Maria Collett | Dem | Lower Gwynedd Township | Montgomery | 2018 | 2026 |
| 13 | Scott Martin | Rep | West Lampeter Township | Berks, Lancaster | 2016 | 2028 |
| 14 | Nick Miller | Dem | Allentown | Lehigh, Northampton | 2022 | 2026 |
| 15 | Patty Kim | Dem | Harrisburg | Dauphin | 2024 | 2028 |
| 16 | Jarrett Coleman | Rep | Upper Macungie Township | Bucks, Lehigh | 2022 | 2026 |
| 17 | Amanda Cappelletti | Dem | East Norriton Township | Delaware, Montgomery | 2020 | 2028 |
| 18 | Lisa Boscola | Dem/Fwd | Bethlehem Township | Lehigh, Northampton | 1998 | 2026 |
| 19 | Carolyn Comitta | Dem | West Chester | Chester | 2020 | 2028 |
| 20 | Lisa Baker | Rep | Lehman Township | Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming | 2006 | 2026 |
| 21 | Scott Hutchinson | Rep | Oil City | Butler, Clarion, Forest, Venango, Warren | 2012 | 2028 |
| 22 | Marty Flynn | Dem | Scranton | Lackawanna, Luzerne | 2021 | 2026 |
| 23 | Eugene Yaw | Rep | Loyalsock Township | Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, Union | 2008 | 2028 |
| 24 | Tracy Pennycuick | Rep | Harleysville | Berks, Montgomery | 2022 | 2026 |
| 25 | Cris Dush | Rep | Pine Creek Township | Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter | 2020 | 2028 |
| 26 | Tim Kearney | Dem | Swarthmore | Delaware | 2018 | 2026 |
| 27 | Lynda Culver | Rep | Sunbury | Columbia, Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder | 2023 | 2028 |
| 28 | Kristin Phillips-Hill | Rep | York Township | York | 2018 | 2026 |
| 29 | Dave Argall | Rep | Rush Township | Carbon, Luzerne, Schuylkill | 2009 | 2028 |
| 30 | Judy Ward | Rep | Hollidaysburg | Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin | 2018 | 2026 |
| 31 | Dawn Keefer | Rep | Dillsburg | Cumberland, York | 2024 | 2028 |
| 32 | Pat Stefano | Rep | Bullskin Township | Bedford, Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland | 2014 | 2026 |
| 33 | Doug Mastriano | Rep | Greene Township | Adams, Franklin | 2019 | 2028 |
| 34 | Greg Rothman | Rep | Silver Spring Township | Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry County | 2022 | 2026 |
| 35 | Wayne Langerholc | Rep | Johnstown | Cambria County, Centre, Clearfield | 2016 | 2028 |
| 36 | Vacant | | | Lancaster | | 2026 |
| 37 | Devlin Robinson | Rep | Bridgeville | Allegheny, Washington | 2020 | 2028 |
| 38 | Lindsey Williams | Dem | West View | Allegheny | 2018 | 2026 |
| 39 | Kim Ward | Rep | Hempfield Township | Westmoreland | 2008 | 2028 |
| 40 | Rosemary Brown | Rep | East Stroudsburg | Lackawanna, Monroe, Wayne | 2022 | 2026 |
| 41 | Joe Pittman | Rep | Indiana | Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, Westmoreland | 2019 | 2028 |
| 42 | Wayne Fontana | Dem | Pittsburgh | Allegheny | 2005 | 2026 |
| 43 | Jay Costa | Dem | Forest Hills | Allegheny | 1996 | 2028 |
| 44 | Katie Muth | Dem | East Vincent Township | Berks, Chester, Montgomery | 2018 | 2026 |
| 45 | Nick Pisciottano | Dem | West Mifflin | Allegheny | 2024 | 2028 |
| 46 | Camera Bartolotta | Rep | Monongahela | Beaver, Greene, Washington | 2014 | 2026 |
| 47 | Elder Vogel | Rep | New Sewickley Township | Beaver, Butler, Lawrence | 2008 | 2028 |
| 48 | Chris Gebhard | Rep | North Cornwall Township | Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon | 2021 | 2026 |
| 49 | Dan Laughlin | Rep | Millcreek Township | Erie | 2016 | 2028 |
| 50 | Michele Brooks | Rep | Jamestown | Crawford, Lawrence, Mercer | 2014 | 2026 |
* ↑ Affiliated with the Forward Party.
* ↑ Affiliated with the Forward Party.
* ↑ John Blake resigned on February 15, 2021. Flynn was elected in a special election on May 18.
* ↑ Dave Arnold died January 17, 2021. Gebhard was elected in a special election on May 18.

## Standing committees

| Committee Name | Majority chair | Minority chair |
| Aging & Youth | Judy Ward | Maria Collett |
| Agriculture & Rural Affairs | Elder Vogel | Judy Schwank |
| Appropriations | Scott Martin | Vincent Hughes |
| Banking & Insurance | John DiSanto | Sharif Street |
| Communications & Technology | Tracy Pennycuick | Jimmy Dillon |
| Community, Economic & Recreational Development | Chris Gebhard | Anthony H. Williams |
| Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure | Patrick J. Stefano | Lisa Boscola |
| Education | Dave Argall | Lindsey Williams |
| Environmental Resources & Energy | Eugene Yaw | Carolyn Comitta |
| Finance | Scott Hutchinson | Nick Miller |
| Game & Fisheries | Greg Rothman | Jim Brewster |
| Health & Human Services | Michele Brooks | Arthur L. Haywood III |
| Intergovernmental Operations | Jarrett Coleman | Christine Tartaglione |
| Judiciary | Lisa Baker | Steve Santarsiero |
| Labor & Industry | Devlin Robinson | John I. Kane |
| Law & Justice | Mike Regan | Jim Brewster |
| Local Government | Rosemary Brown | Tim Kearney |
| Rules & Executive Nominations | Joe Pittman | Jay Costa |
| State Government | Cris Dush | Amanda Cappelletti |
| Transportation | Wayne Langerholc | Marty Flynn |
| Urban Affairs & Housing | Frank Farry | Nikil Saval |
| Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparednesss | Doug Mastriano | Katie Muth |