I had written before about the Pennsylvania State Senate District 12 race. It was an open seat because the incumbent Republican Sen Stewart Greenleaf SENIOR retired after 42 years in the Harrisburg swamp. Greenleaf Sr. was first elected the same day as Jimmy Carter was elected President, in November 1976. He served in the state House for 2 years, starting January 1977, then ran for State Senate and started in January 1979.
Greenleaf Senior forced a strong Republican out of the race to succeed him, and made sure the party nominated his son, Stewart Greenleaf, JUNIOR. Junior announced that he would serve no more than 12 years, if elected. What hubris!
His signs and literature never identified him as Junior — just as “Stewart Greenleaf” — the same name the voters in the area have been seeing on the ballot since the 1970s Jimmy Carter Administration. His literature and web site did not mention that his father was the incumbent state Senator.
The voters had other ideas.
Nurse and former attorney, Democratic nominee Maria Collett defeated Greenleaf Junior on November 6, despite being outspent:
Dem Maria Collett 61,975 52.69%
GOP Stewart Greenleaf Junior 55,639 47.31%
2018 total votes: 117,614
In prior elections for that state Senate seat with incumbent Stewart Greenleaf Senior on the ballot (but only appearing on the ballot as “Stewart Greenleaf”) versus various Democrats, the total turnouts in that state Senate race were much lower:
2014: 79,442 Greenleaf, Sr. 63.34% Dem Ruth Damsker 36.66%
2010: 98,014 Greenleaf, Sr. 64.02% Dem Ruth Damsker 35.98%
2006: 99,192 Greenleaf, Sr. 57.4% Dem Jeff Albert 42.6%
2002: 85,064 Greenleaf, Sr. 66.84% Dem Howard Rovner 33.16%
Wow. Turnout jumped from 79,442 in 2014 to 117,614 in 2018, a difference of 38,172, a 48% increase in total voter turnout in just that one state Senate district.
Maria Collett will be up for reelection in 4 years, in 2022.
When Democrats vote, Democrats can win!