(WHTM) -- There wasn't just a primary election on Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Now there are two new members of the State House.
One of the new members protected the Democrats' slim majority in the State House, while the other has spent the past decade protecting lives in Harrisburg.
"Everywhere we went, people were very concerned about abortion protection, protecting women's rights, voting rights, and of course, the majority," said Representative-elect Heather Boyd (D-Delaware).
Polls suggested the race between Boyd and Republican Katie Ford would be a tight contest. In the end, it wasn't with Boyd receiving 60% of the vote, winning by more than 20 points and preserving the Democrats' one-seat majority in the State House.
"In this area, the Democratic Party is more the one that connects with the people's values here," said Boyd, who goes to Harrisburg saying equitable school funding is her top priority.
As a former staffer to State Rep. Leanne Krueger and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Boyd says she is confident she's ready for the next step.
"It's almost like, you know, going from working at a company to having a company or something. You know, you're running it now, and I really like the idea that, you know, I get to expand on the work that has already been done."
In the 108th District special election, firefighter Mike Stender's win wasn't a surprise in a Republican-favored area.
"I'm going from one dream job, hopefully to the next one," said Representative-elect Stender (R-Montour/Northumberland).
"It's almost surreal. I've had the privilege of serving with the Commonwealth going on ten and a half years now. And you know, it's crazy that at a certain state, I'm now going to get to be a member and vote on, you know, the decisions that affect the health and safety and livelihoods of all firemen and volunteer and careers here in the state of Pennsylvania," Stender said.
Stender says he'll prioritize rural Pennsylvanians, farms, and small businesses. And says his years in the firehouse taught him you don't go home until the job is done.
"Sometimes it feels like there's some elected officials who forget that we actually have to solve the problems. And, you know, earn in a day's work at the end of our shift," he said.
Putting out fires in the state capitol will be a full-time job alongside raising three daughters, so his firefighting days outside of Harrisburg are mostly over.
While in college at Bloomsburg, Stender interned for House Republicans, and now he will caucus with House Republicans.
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