Thread by @DKElections

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https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1591486087956164609

So, about the battle for the 203-member PA state House: In order to get elected speaker, you need 102 votes. Not just a majority of those present—102 votes, minimum. And there are some real potential hurdles for Dems

Right now, as @Taniel notes, it's 101 D, 100 G, with two seats up in the air. Dems only need to win one, but they'd *really* like to win two. Sadly, just a month before e-day, Dem Rep. Anthony DeLuca died of cancer, though he won re-election in a landslide theguardian.com/us-news/2022/n…

So Dems want 103 seats b/c at best they'd have 102 votes, since DeLuca's seat will be vacant. But there's more. You see, the vote for PA state House speaker is on Jan. 3. What else takes place that day? Oh right... the vote for speaker of the *U.S.* House

The battle for the House majority is just as tight. If Dems get 218 seats (still possible), Pelosi will need every last vote on Jan. 3. And that includes ... PA state Rep. Summer Lee, who just won #PA12

https://twitter.com/DKElections/status/1591295307391778816

And both sessions start at noon that day! So Dems might literally need Summer Lee to vote for Joanna McClinton for PA speaker (first Black woman to hold the job), then zip down to DC to vote for Pelosi for speaker *the very same day*. Can we borrow this? thedrive.com/news/37625/ita…

(Dem state Rep. Austin Davis will also have to vacate his seat since he just won the job of lieutenant governor—the first Black person to hold *that* job—but not until Jan. 20, so a little more leeway)

And what happens if no one can get 102 votes in the PA House on Jan. 3? Then some sort of deal will have to be worked out between Ds and Rs. It's not clear whether that deal could be rescinded if Dems later fill 102 seats, so getting to 102 now is critical!

P.S. The three Dem seats in the PA House that will need specials are all adjacent districts in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh area). Could happen as early as March or late as May. Expect GOP to make a play for #HD35

32 (DeLuca): Biden +26
34 (Lee): Biden +62
35 (Davis): Biden +16

So there is flexibility as to the *time of day* that speaker votes are held. In 2019, the U.S. House held the vote at 3:15 PM; in 2021, at 5:50 PM.

Summer Lee can vote in Harrisburg at 12:01 PM, race down to DC, then vote there! Google says it's a 2:18 drive

As a legal matter, there is no problem with this. Summer Lee can vote for Joanna McClinton as PA speaker, resign, then vote for Nancy Pelosi as US speaker. The only concerns are the practical ones concerning both votes being on the same day

As an aside, federal law does not prohibit simultaneous service in Congress & a state post—Brenda Jones did it in #MI13 in 2018.

Also, a congressional swearing-in can be delayed. Rick Scott finished out his term as gov before joining the Senate in 2019

detroitnews.com/story/news/pol…

The PA constitution *does* prohibit simultaneous service, but again, it's not an issue, because Summer Lee won't be a member of Congress when she casts her vote for PA House speaker legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/L…

Or she'll take a helicopter! If this is indeed how things go down, it'll be one of the most epic political stories of all time

https://twitter.com/JacobRubashkin/status/1591553639910367233

Clarification on second tweet in this thread: It's possible 102 votes may not be necessary for speaker since there will be one vacancy, so Ds may only need 101. But will still need Summer Lee if they don't sweep both remaining seats. Looking into this!

https://twitter.com/DKElections/status/1591497052818927616