A Dormont Democrat was the landslide winner in a special election Tuesday to fill a state House seat in the South Hills that was vacated after the former incumbent was elected to be an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge.

According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Election Bureau, Jen Mazzocco captured 81.5% of the votes, easily beating Republican Joseph Leckenby of Mt. Lebanon. That was the tally with 67 of the district’s 68 precincts reporting.

Mazzocco will succeed Mt. Lebanon Democrat Dan Miller, who held the seat for 12 years before stepping down after his election in November as a county judge.

Mazzocco has been a teacher at Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill for 15 years. She is in her third term on Dormont Council.

Leckenby graduated from Duquesne University’s law school last year and is an attorney.

Mazzocco’s victory in the 42nd District was not surprising because Democrats hold a big voter registration edge over Republicans — 26,000 to 15,000, according to state voting records.

The district covers Baldwin Township, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Mt. Lebanon and part of Upper St. Clair.

The 42nd District race is one of five special election races being held in the closely divided state House this year, where the Democrats have a narrow majority — 102 to 98.

Other races are for House seats will be held on March 17 in Lehigh County; part of Blair County; and parts of Adams and Cumberland counties. An election for a House seat in part of York County is scheduled for May 9.

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