Pennsylvania state Sen. John Blake (D) resigned on March 8 to take a position on U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s (D) staff. Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District in Congress. Blake represented District 22 in the state Senate, which includes Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe Counties.
“It has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me,” Sen. Blake said at a news conference. “I have served the 22nd District for more than a decade. I’ve given ten years of my life to the office and the people of the district, and I have been privileged and honored to serve.”
Blake first took office as a state senator representing District 22 in 2011. He was re-elected in 2014, defeating Republican challenger Joe Albert. He most recently won re-election in 2018, defeating Republican Frank Scavo III, 61% to 39%.
A special election will be held to fill Blake’s seat. When there is a vacancy in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the presiding officer of the chamber where the vacancy occurred must call for an election. The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Blake’s term, which expires on November 30, 2022.
The Pennsylvania state Senate is the upper chamber of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. After Blake’s resignation, the current partisan breakdown of the Pennsylvania state Senate is 27 Republicans, 20 Democrats, one independent, and two vacancies.
Additional Reading:
- Pennsylvania State Senate
- Pennsylvania State Senate District 22
- Matt Cartwright
- Pennsylvania General Assembly
