Democrats and more than a dozen Republicans threw their support behind a consensus candidate for speaker of the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday, a surprise move some lawmakers said would help bring unity to the state capital.
House lawmakers elected Rep. Mark Rozzi speaker of the House, elevating a veteran Democratic lawmaker from Berks County who said Tuesday he would govern as an independent. Some Republicans backed Rozzi even though the GOP currently holds a slight majority in the House….
Democrats won 102 seats in November – giving them an apparent edge in the 203-member House for the first time in more than a decade. But three vacancies in Democratic-held seats left the party with just 99 members to Republicans’ 101.
Even so, Democratic and Republican leaders each claimed to be the rightful presiding officer. State Rep. Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia) was sworn in last month in a private ceremony and scheduled special elections for the three vacant offices on Feb. 7. House Republican leader Bryan Cutler sued, alleging McClinton lacked the authority to do so, and accused her of orchestrating a “paperwork insurrection.”
Cutler was separately sworn in as House GOP leader on Dec. 12 and, claiming the authority of the chamber’s presiding officer, soon after issued what are known as writs of election.
Both parties agreed to hold the election to succeed the late Rep. Tony DeLuca (D., Allegheny) on Feb. 7. DeLuca died shortly before the election but after ballots had been finalized, then won the seat.
Cutler wants the two elections for the remaining vacancies to be held in May, the same day as the next primary election.