Voters poised to elect 1st female lawmaker in 59th District special election to replace Mike Reese

Voters in the 59th Legislative District appeared to be on their way to choosing their first female lawmaker in Tuesday’s special election.

Unofficial returns in Westmoreland County with 37 of 41 precincts reporting showed Republican Leslie Rossi with 63% of the vote, compared to about 34% for Democrat Mariah Fisher and 3% for Libertarian Robb Luther. Results for precincts in Somerset County that are part of the district had not been updated on the state’s election results website.

Party officials in the district that spans 42 precincts in eastern Westmoreland County and 10 more in western Somerset were forced to scramble to select candidates for the special election after the Jan. 2 death of state Rep. Mike Reese.

The winner will serve the remainder of Reese’s two-year term. The post pays $90,000 a year.

Republicans represent 55% of registered voters in the district and has sent Republicans to the state House for the last four decades.

Rossi, who was collecting signs in Somerset County on Tuesday night, said she had a good feeling about the early numbers.

“I never had a bad standing with the voters. My delegate numbers were high, too. But this is more important. This is a real job. This is working for the people,” Rossi, 50, said.

The mother of eight came on the political scene in 2016 when she created the Trump House. Last year, she reprised her role at the red, white and blue landmark on Route 982, near Youngstown, where she helped register voters and promote Donald Trump’s reelection campaign with the thousands of visitors who trekked to the house with the giant cutout of Trump outside. She also served as a delegate to the Republican National Committee.

A Westmoreland County native, Rossi works beside her husband in her family’s development business, renovating homes in the Latrobe area.

She ran a self-funded campaign, reporting spending $42,500 as of May 3. She blanketed the district with highway and street signs and spent the spring, knocking on doors across the emphasizing her strong conservative roots.

Fisher, 39, was elected to city council in 2017. The Ligonier Valley native and self-employed wedding photographer is the mother of two sons. She ran a strong shoe leather campaign, drawing in Democrats from across the region to help her knock on doors and rally voters.

Her campaign centered on support for public schools and affordable health care, promoting the region’s natural beauty and investing in public infrastructure, especially rural broadband.