Scialabba officially steps aside as House awaits word on special election
Tuesday, March 31, marked the last day in office for Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-12th.
She announced her resignation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives at a news conference seven days earlier.
In previous public statements, Scialabba said she was resigning to focus on taking care of her son, Teddy.
“Reflecting upon my time in the General Assembly, I am overcome with appreciation, reverence and motivation,” Scialabba wrote in her email newsletter. “In 2022, I saw my toddler take off down the halls of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Listening and watching as the tiny footsteps riddled with laughter became stronger, louder and heavier with each step and passing term, in the blink of an eye he reached the end and came back as a boy.”
Her resignation leaves a temporary vacancy in the 12th District seat which may or may not go unfilled for the remainder of 2026. Republicans and Democrats alike are still waiting for a decision from Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, as to whether there will be a special election to fill her seat. Scialabba’s term was to expire naturally at the end of 2026.
According to Pennsylvania law, the speaker has 10 days from the date of the opening of a vacancy in either the state House or Senate to issue a writ authorizing a special election. In this case, since Scialabba’s resignation takes effect March 31, McClinton would have until April 10 to issue the writ. The election would have to be scheduled for at least 60 days after the issuance of the writ.
“Technically, Rep. Scialabba's seat isn't vacated until the 31st of March,” Nicole Reigelman, a spokesperson for McClinton, said on March 17. “So the speaker really can’t do anything until after that date has passed, at which point she would send a writ of election to the (Pennsylvania) Department of State.”
However, since a special election would fill her seat for only half a year, some aren’t certain that one will even be held.
“We’ll see what happens when and if a special election is called, but I anticipate that the seat may just stay open until November,” said Aaron Bernstine, R-8th.
“The fate of her seat is now in the speaker’s hands and it is anyone’s best guess what will happen next,” said Marci Mustello, R-11th.
Even with Scialabba’s resignation, very little will change for the House, whether or not a special election is held, Bernstine said.
“The Democrats still hold control and they would still hold control whether or not there's a special election ... So it doesn’t truly have any effect in general on the voting of the General Assembly,” Bernstine said. “Nothing will change from a constituent service standpoint. The office will remain open to serve constituents of that district.”
State law dictates, if a special election is held, candidates would be nominated by each party according to each party’s rules by means of nomination certificates.
“We have bylaws that lay out what happens in this scenario,” said recently appointed Butler County Republican Committee head Stacey Palmer. “All of the community men and women who represent the precinct in the legislative district have a vote and it’s a majority.”
However, in this instance, Palmer said the local Republican committee hasn’t even held discussions on which candidate to nominate for a special election, as she doesn’t believe one will be called.
“We are not having any internal discussion about this at all,” Palmer said. “We do not believe there will be a special election.”
Although Scialabba is resigning, multiple staff members have told the Butler Eagle her district office at the Cranberry Township municipal building will remain open even with no representative to run it. Residents of the 12th District will still be able to access the office at its usual hours for services such as PennDOT paperwork assistance.
Scialabba did not respond to requests from the Eagle for comment.
