Special election date set to fill seat vacated by former state Rep. Jake Wheatley

Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler on Tuesday ordered a special election to fill the state House seat vacated by Jake Wheatley, who stepped down to become Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s chief of staff.

The special election to fill his seat in the 19th State House District will be held April 5, the same date as a special election to determine who replaces Gainey in the 24th State House District.

Special elections are often held on the day of a primary or general election, but a Cutler spokesperson has said there were concerns about doing so this year, when redistricting would alter the legislative districts. The special election will be based on the current legislative districts, while the primary race will use newly redrawn districts.

“Voters in Pennsylvania are already receiving a lot of information about new districts and major elections this year,” said Cutler, R-Lancaster County. “Plus, voters in Pittsburgh have already been made aware of April 5 as a special election date for another district. These special elections are to complete the terms under the current, or old, map. Therefore, holding the elections on their own unique date, and not coinciding with the primary, eliminates potential confusion for voters.”

Although Cutler said he hoped to curb confusion with a separate special election date, some political experts have said the move may mean low voter turnout in the special election races.

“I want to again thank the citizens of the 19th Legislative District for giving me the honor to represent them over these past 19 (years),” Wheatley, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, said in a social media post, promising to continue serving his constituents in his new role in city government.