Republican Gebhard wins Pa. 48th Senate District special election

In a four-way special election race for the 48th state Senate District, Republican candidate Chris Gebhard emerged victorious, with a more than 10,000-vote lead in the polls, unofficial tallies showed.

PennLive first reported the victory just before midnight Tuesday.

Gebhard, a Lebanon County business owner, captured 63 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. By midnight, tallies showed Democratic candidate Calvin Clements had garnered 29 percent of the vote. Tim McMaster, a Libertarian, had 3 percent, and Ed Krebs, an Independent, captured 6 percent.

Gebhard will represent the central Pennsylvania-based district, which is made up of parts of Lebanon, Dauphin and York counties in the General Assembly, replacing late state Sen. Dave Arnold, R-Lebanon, who died of brain cancer on Jan. 17 at age 49. 

The Capital-Star previously reported that the race to the vacancy left by Arnold is the second special election in the Republican-leaning district in less than two years. 

Special elections to fill vacant House, Senate seats to take place May 18

In 2020, Arnold defeated a Democratic opponent for former state Sen. Mike Folmer’s seat after he resigned following charges of possessing child pornography. Arnold took nearly 50 percent of the vote in the 2020 special election.