Nataley Davis | features editor

In a special election Aug. 18, Brandon Dukes became the first Democrat in decades to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th Legislative District.

The district covers much of southwestern Butler County, including Adams, Cranberry and Jackson townships.

The special election was called to fill the seat of state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, who resigned in March and had held the seat since 2023.

Dukes won the election by 98 votes against Republican candidate Scott Timko by a tally of 8,470 to 8,372, according to unofficial polling returns.

Dukes’ campaign manager John Chekal, estimated that special elections typically see around 25% of district voters, but in August closer to 32% showed up.

“This showed that there were a lot of folks that were passionate for change, that cared about the issues, and that wanted to come out in a way that—transparently—we weren’t expecting,” Chekal said.

Dukes said that a big part of his campaign strategy was going door to door to around 16,000 houses, introducing himself to residents, and letting them know that if they have a problem, they can visit the district office in Cranberry.

He remembered that a man he talked to said he had lived in the area for 27 years and Dukes was the first politician to knock on his door.

“That’s something that we like to do. … Present ourselves as we’re here to help you, regardless of your party affiliation,” Dukes said.

Around 53% of the district’s residents are registered Republicans, while 30% are Democrats, according to the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Dashboard.

Chekal said that face-to-face interactions, though simple, aided their strategy.

“We ran a pretty standard campaign and we just ran it well,” Chekal said. “We focused a lot on getting the details right, especially with direct voter contact.”

Dukes and Timko will face each other again for the Midterms on Nov. 3 for the two-year term.

Chekal added that leading up to November, their strategy will be mostly unchanged.

“We are not taking a break from knocking on doors, from reaching out to voters and trying to get our message out there,” Chekal said. “I’m optimistic that this will show that there’s still that enthusiasm and that we’re going to be able to repeat it again in November.”

However, a win in a special election does not always guarantee a win in November.

In a 2018 special election, Democratic candidate Helen Tai very narrowly won for Pennsylvania’s 178th Legislative District, flipping a Republican-held seat, according to PA House Archives. When the midterms came around, Republican Wendi Thomas won the full term six months later.

Kristen Coopie, director of the pre-law program at Duquesne, said that the unexpected voter turnout for the August special election is a movement in the right direction for the Democratic party.

While she couldn’t say whether this turnout in Pennsylvania sends a message for the entire country, she said it will be easier to tell once someone gets officially elected in November.

“It’s hard to generalize up from here, 
but it’s a very good sign I think for Western Pennsylvania Democrats, to the momentum of the feelings in this part of the state,” Coopie said.

He can’t predict the outcome, but Dukes said that he feels good about the upcoming midterms.

“I want them to see that somebody’s actually putting the district on the map, I want to be a fixture of their homes,” Dukes said. “I want them to know who I am because I did something for them.”

The main issue he is focused on for the midterm campaign is making sure the infrastructure of the district keeps up with the growing population.

He is specifically highlighting Route 228, one of the main thoroughfares of the district. Parts of the route are a two-lane road, which cannot sustain the growth of the area, according to Chekal.

Additionally, Dukes is focused on public school funding, affordable living and prescription drug costs.

Coopie urged people to show up for the midterms, as she thinks voting is one of the most important things local citizens can do to make their voices heard.

“I know that there are people out there unhappy with the current state of the country and this is the one chance for you to have an opinion and try to make a change,” Coopie said. “Even if you look at the results from this special election in a small part of Pennsylvania, it was decided by fewer than 100 votes – people feel like their votes don’t matter, but they really do.”

Nataley Davis can be reached at ndavis5@duq.edu