2026 midterms could be the end of Pennsylvania’s split legislature, with effects on affordability, election reform, marijuana and more

Pennsylvania's General Assembly is currently split, with Republicans controlling the Senate and Democrats holding a three-seat House majority, and both chambers are on the ballot in 2026 alongside Governor Josh Shapiro's reelection bid against Stacy Garrity. A Democratic trifecta would be the party's first since 1993. House Democrats have pushed election measures like ballot drop boxes and no-excuse mail voting, marijuana legalization with social equity provisions, a minimum wage increase to $15 by 2029, and a same-sex marriage amendment to the state constitution.

Senate Republicans, who could regain full control instead, have favored repealing no-excuse absentee voting, banning drop boxes, and adding stricter voter ID requirements, while also backing AI-related bills including a unanimously passed ban on 'nudification' apps. Pennsylvania's minimum wage has remained at $7.25 since state law last set it, and Philadelphia is barred from setting its own.

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