Nancy Guenst Gets Historic Win, Flips 152nd District To Democrats

UPPER MORELAND, PA — For the first time in history, a Democrat has been elected to represent the 152nd legislative district in Pennsylvania, as Nancy Guenst defeated Karen Houck and John Weinrich on Election Day.

The seat, which was held for 14 years by retiring State Rep. Thomas Murt, has been Republican-controlled since it was created in 1969. Murt was one of the few long tenured Republicans who held on to his seat amid the 2018 midterms and "blue wave" that saw several other historic victories for Democrats in the area, but his retirement opened up the door for Guenst.

"Thank you voters of PA HD 152, and to everyone who had our back during this campaign," Guenst said Wednesday. "Can't wait to get to work in Harrisburg!"

Guenst, the mayor of Hatboro and former Hatboro council member, had 15,856 votes as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The challenging Republican, Upper Moreland school board member Houck, had 13,542, while independent candidate Weinrich garnered 2,198.

The 152nd includes Hatboro, Lower Moreland, Upper Moreland, Bryn Athyn, and parts of Upper Dublin and Philadelphia.

The victory was a crucial one for Democrats statewide, who sought to flip enough seats to shift the balance of power in the Republican-controlled state legislature. Republicans held a 109-93 majority heading into Election Day.

Back in January, Murt said he was stepping down to spend more time with family and friends and continue to work on a book about his experiences in Harrisburg.

"In any endeavor, you can be sure I will continue my devotion to public service, human services, assisting adults with special needs, supporting Pennsylvanians with mental illness, and defending our disabled veterans," he said at the time.

Murt's 2018 win, narrower than in previous years, came despite the district casting more ballots that year for Democratic Gov. Wolf, indicating that Murt's experience and work across party lines had helped stave off a Democratic takeover.

"I honor the 14 years of service Tom Murt has given to our community," Guenst said.

The win comes following other Democratic victories in Montgomery County. As expected U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean won re-election in Pennsylvania's 4th, while Amanda Cappelletti convincingly defeated Ellen Fisher to replace Daylin Leach in the 17th senatorial district.

Many other state legislature races in Montgomery County remained too close to call early Wednesday afternoon. Countywide, some 50,000 ballots needed to be counted as of 2 p.m., meaning that close battles were still up in the air.