The ceiling of the main Rotunda inside Pennsylvania’s Capitol building. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star).
Special elections are set for two Pennsylvania state legislative districts in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but without Republican candidates, there’s little question that Democrats Keith Harris and Andrew Carroll will become the city’s next state representatives.
Harris, who is the nominee for former Rep. Donna Bullock’s 195th Legislative District seat, boasts four decades of work in the northwest Philadelphia community he would represent in Harrisburg.
Carroll, the nominee for former state Rep. Stephen Kinsey’s 201st Legislative District seat, says he would bring the perspective of a Philadelphia public school educator who has lived experience overcoming adversity and finding opportunity in a neighborhood “that’s been left behind for way too long.”
Andre Carroll is the Democractic nominee for the special election Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Pennsylvania’s 201st state House district. (Contributed photo)
Bullock was appointed in June to become CEO of the nonprofit homeless support group Project HOME. Bullock has represented the 195th Legislative District since 2016.
Kinsey announced in January that the current legislative session would be his last. Kinsey has served as state representative for the 201st Legislative District since 2013.
Both officially resigned in July. Their districts are considered safe for Democrats, who hold a 102-seat majority in the House, which the caucus has maintained through a series of special elections this session.
House Republicans criticized the decision to hold special elections only weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election, where the entire state House is on the ballot.
Citing Bullock and Kinsey’s resignations, state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), whose 200th Legislative District borders both districts, has proposed legislation to streamline the special election process in the Pennsylvania House. He noted Pennsylvania spent nearly $1 million to conduct special elections in 2023, according to the Department of State.
House Bill 1831 would ensure special elections are timely, cost effective and accessible by requiring that special elections happen sooner when a seat becomes vacant more than 90 days before the next election. It would require a special election to be held at least 60 days before the next primary or general election.
The legislation would also require automatic mail-in voting for all elections while providing county boards of election the option to establish satellite voting sites; allowing for non-partisan participation; and allowing candidates to electronically obtain nomination petition signatures, Rabb said.
According to his campaign website, Harris began his work in community service in 1984 with the Philadelphia anti-graffiti network, which gave rise to the city’s mural arts project. Harris has served as 28th Ward leader, where he addressed issues of fair housing and community-friendly development.
Harris said experience serving as Philadelphia City Council’s sergeant at arms has also given him experience in the legislative process. In the House, Harris said he hopes to promote mental health advocacy, employment and career opportunity, education and public safety, his website says.
Carroll says on his campaign website that he was raised by his grandmother because his father was incarcerated and his mother struggled with substance abuse. When his grandmother died, he took over at a young age to provide for his younger brother.
His grandmother’s lessons of hard work, perseverance and identifying opportunity gave him the motivation to graduate from school, earn a degree while working full time and become a teacher in the public school system.
Carroll’s website says he has also worked for the Philadelphia City Controller’s Office, where he created a course in financial literacy for high school students, and for state Sen. Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) providing constituent services. He has also volunteered for Democratic campaigns and Working Families Party candidate Nicolas O’Rourke, who ran for Philadelphia City Council in 2019.