A handful of legislative districts will determine which party controls the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and whether Republicans maintain their grip on the state Senate. The outcome will shape everything from the state budget and mass transit funding to energy policy, voting laws, public education and Gov. Republicans have also controlled the state House of Representatives, with Democrats only gaining their current slim majority in 2022. “There’s certainly a bit of pent-up frustration and pent-up legislative activity that’s been boiling for decades,” he said. Why few races matterRepublicans hold a narrow majority in the state Senate with 27 seats compared to 23 for Democrats.