Davanzo defeats Prah in rematch for 58th District state House seat

Republican incumbent state Rep. Eric Davanzo has defeated Democrat Robert Prah Jr. in the race for a full two-year term representing the 58th state House District in central and southern Westmoreland County, according to unofficial results from Westmoreland County.

With all votes counted, Davanzo received slightly more than 63 percent of the vote, leading Prah by 8,564 votes.

Davanzo, 44, a union carpenter from South Huntingdon, won the seat in a March special election to serve the remaining nine months in the term left vacant by the resignation of former Rep. Justin Walsh, who became a judge.

He defeated Democrat Robert Prah Jr. by less than 1,000 votes and sought a repeat of that result this fall.

Davanzo declared victory Wednesday afternoon, when he was leading with about 67% of the vote. Though his lead slightly shrunk as the final mail-in ballots were counted, it held.

“People are tired of (Gov. Tom) Wolf and the Democrats’ way,” Davanzo said. “We have to keep Pennsylvania safe and get the economy opened up.”

Prah, 38, of Rostraver had yet to concede late Wednesday.

“We’ll see what comes out,” Prah said.

The 58th district covers Adamsburg, Arona, East Huntingdon, parts of Hempfield, Jeannette, Madison, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, North Belle Vernon, Penn Borough, Rostraver, Sewickley, Smithton, South Huntingdon, Sutersville and West Newton.

Once a safe Democratic seat based out of Monessen, demographics in the district have changed. In 2016, for the first time in decades, Republicans won the district. Democrats still hold an edge of more than 1,900 registered voters, however.

Davanzo focused his campaign on improving the economy and opposition to stringent coronavirus restrictions imposed this year by Wolf.

Prah is the director of military and veteran affairs at California University of Pennsylvania and is a major in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

He said his agenda in Harrisburg would include property tax reform, increasing funding for police and fire departments to pay for tuition benefits and increasing the minimum wage.