Democratic state rep. Ed Gainey has been elected as the first Black mayor of Pittsburgh

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania voters made their choices Tuesday to fill open seats on statewide appeals courts, amid light turnout statewide and a marquee race for a seat on the state Supreme Court that will not change the Democrats’ majority on the state’s high court.

In Pittsburgh, Democrat Ed Gainey became the first Black mayor of Pennsylvania's second-most populous city, shouting to a crowd of cheering supporters a message of unity and that they were “one city, one Pittsburgh.”

Counties began wrapping up their vote counts in the hours after polls closed, but it was too early to call most statewide races before midnight.

In a race for a seat on Superior Court, former Chester County and state prosecutor Megan Sullivan, a Republican, beat Democrat Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge. The court handles appeals from county courts in criminal and civil cases.

Election officials reported no significant problems while turnout was expected to hit 25% to 30% of registered voters.

Democrats went into Election Day with a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court that has played critical roles in settling fights over last year's presidential election and Gov. Tom Wolf's use of authority to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sole vacancy, opening with the mandatory retirement this year of Republican Justice Thomas Saylor, is being contested by two lower-court judges — Republican Kevin Brobson from Commonwealth Court and Democrat Maria McLaughlin from Superior Court.

There were also contested races for two seats on Commonwealth Court.

The Democrats seeking Commonwealth Court seats are Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Lori Dumas and Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge David Spurgeon. The Republicans are Bradford County lawyer Stacy Wallace and Drew Crompton, a former Senate GOP aide running for a permanent spot on the court after being appointed to it temporarily last year.

Four statewide judges were also seeking to stay on the bench for 10 more years in up-or-down “retention” races: Superior Court judges John Bender and Mary Jane Bowes and Commonwealth Court judges Anne Covey and Renee Cohn Jubelirer.

The judges who win could end up ruling in an array of high-profile cases pending in state courts, from abortion rights to public school funding to whether the state's mail-in voting law is constitutional.

The most notable of the state’s mayoral contests was in Pittsburgh, where Gainey, a five-term state House member, became the city's first African-American mayor after being heavily favored against Republican Tony Moreno.

“Look at the image we are showing our children,” Gainey, in a hoarse voice, shouted to the celebrating crowd at the downtown Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. “I want our children to see a city for all of them.”

In Scranton, Democrat Paige Cognetti declared victory for a second term and, in Harrisburg, Democrat Wanda Williams declared victory over Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who lost to Williams in the primary and ran as a write-in candidate. Results were not yet official in those races.

In Philadelphia, Democrat Larry Krasner won another term as district attorney, beating high-profile criminal defense lawyer Chuck Peruto, the Republican nominee, and getting the go-ahead to continue his progressive overhaul of the office.

Democrats won two special elections for open seats in Democratic-leaning districts in the state House of Representatives. Thom Welby won an open Scranton-area seat, while Gina Curry won the other in Delaware County.

For many voters, local races on the ballot Tuesday are the major attraction, contests that include county judge, district attorney, school board, district judge, mayor and city council.