Republican Davanzo retains 58th District seat

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read
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Nov. 9—State Rep. Eric Davanzo has won reelection to represent the 58th District of the state House.

Davanzo, 47, a Republican from Smithton, defeated Democrat Ken Bach for the seat that includes Monessen, East Huntingdon, Sewickley, South Huntingdon, North Belle Vernon, Rostraver, Scottdale, Smithton, Sutersville, West Newton and parts of Mt. Pleasant Township and North Huntingdon.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, 41% of voters in the district are registered Democrats, and 11% are third-party and nonpartisan voters. Republicans account for about 48% of registered voters in the reconfigured district.

With all 64 precincts reporting, Davanzo had 63% of the votes cast. Bach received 37%. Davanzo collected 17,498 votes compared to Bach, who received 10,154 votes.

"We're just thankful people came out and appreciated our work fighting the governor. We keep fighting the good fight and we want to work for the people of Pennsylvania," Davanzo said Tuesday night.

Davanzo, a former carpenter, initially won the seat in a special election held in early 2020 and retained it later that year.

An anti-abortion candidate who favors elimination of mail-in voting and opposes strict gun control, Davanzo sought his second full two-year term in office. His campaign focused on economic issues and he said he wants to ensure the district receives state and federal money allocated to Pennsylvania for coronavirus relief and infrastructure programs.

Bach, 55, of Smithton is an automotive repair shop owner and former Yough school board member. His top campaign platform was to revamp the manner in which schools are funded by moving from a property tax model to an income and sales tax levy. He said he opposes an abortion ban and supports a targeted effort to institute gun control legislation.

Vote totals are unofficial until certified by the Westmoreland County Board of Elections.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .