A Pennsylvania state representative who died last month was reelected during the midterm elections, reports say.
Democrat Anthony “Tony” DeLuca died Oct. 9 “after a brief battle with lymphoma, a disease he twice previously beat. He was 85,” the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus wrote.
DeLuca was Pennsylvania’s longest-serving state rep, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“While we’re incredibly saddened by the loss of Representative Tony DeLuca, we are proud to see the voters to continue to show their confidence in him and his commitment to Democratic values by re-electing him posthumously. A special election will follow soon,” Pennsylvania House Democrats said in a tweet.
DeLuca’s opponent, Green Party challenger Queonia “Zarah” Livingston, reportedly ran on a decidedly left-wing platform, putting her three main priorities on her website as “environmental justice,” “ending the war on drugs,” and “reducing gun violence.”
DeLuca was a resident of Penn Hills for over 60 years. He got his start in politics serving on the Penn Hills Government Study Commission, then five years as a Penn Hills Councilman, followed by two years as Penn Hills Deputy Mayor before running for his legislative seat and defeating the Republican incumbent.
He graduated from Westinghouse High School and the Community College of Allegheny County. He had four children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In addition to his late wife, he was preceded in death by his brother Larry and his parents.
Patsy Mink (D) Hawaii ,2002 Dem vote in the DEAD
Her death came two days after what the Honolulu Advertiser said was the deadline for candidates to remove their names from the Nov. 5 election ballot. Despite the congresswoman’s illness, voters in Hawaii’s 2nd District gave her the nod Sept. 21 in the Democratic primary, and she had been considered almost certain to win reelection. It was not immediately clear how her death would affect her party’s prospects to keep the seat and to gain strength in the House.