Democrat Donna Petrecco launches campaign for House seat being vacated by Galloway

Donna Petrecco, Vice Chair of the Bucks County Housing Authority, has entered the Democratic race to succeed state Rep. John Galloway (D-Bucks) in the 140th state House District.

“As a lifelong resident and as a mother who has raised my daughters here in Lower Bucks County, I have witnessed both the opportunities and challenges that our hometown faces,” Petrecco said in a press release. “With Representative John Galloway set to vacate this seat in the coming weeks, we need to guarantee that we will continue to have a strong voice in Harrisburg fighting for us.”

Petrecco cited protecting abortion rights, keeping the community safe, fostering economic growth that creates family sustaining jobs, and ensuring access to a quality education for children as the pressing issues that she believes matter most to the residents of the district. She serves as deputy chair of membership and as a committee person of the Falls Township Democrats and is on the board of the Historic Preservation Committee of Falls Township. 

Galloway, who has represented the district in the Philadelphia suburbs since 2007, currently serves as the Chair of the House Commerce Committee. He will be resigning from the seat soon after being elected district judge.

After Galloway resigns, the House will once again be tied at 101 Democrats and 101 Republicans until the seat is filled. The date of the special election has not been determined, since Galloway has yet to formally resign from the seat. 

As special elections did this year, the special election in 2024 to replace Galloway would tip the balance of power in the state House. Democrats managed to hold on to their slim lead through several special elections in 2023, most recently when Lindsay Powell was elected to replace Sara Innamorato in District 21. Innamorato resigned to run for Allegheny County Executive, a race she won by a slim margin. 

Bucks County is viewed as the purple county of the Philadelphia suburbs, although the 140th state House District favors Democrats. 

Galloway ran unopposed in the 2022 election and defeated Republican challenger Jeanine McGee by 20 points in 2020.