Upset watch: Dems think these PA. state house seats are up for grabs in Nov.

Pennsylvania Democrats defied expectations, and recent history, in 2022 by recapturing the state House of Representatives for the first time in more than a decade.

They've since defended their narrow one-seat majority in the lower chamber by winning several special elections, albeit in some of the commonwealth's bluest districts. So their tenuous grip on the House will be put to a much tougher test in defending all 102 seats this year — though they hope to not just maintain their lead, but expand it.

“Reproductive freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety, and democracy itself are all on the line, and Pennsylvania Republicans are poised to launch an assault on the freedoms we hold dear," Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement outlining some of the party's top priorities in 2024.

“Strong state legislative campaigns across the state will change not just the future of Pennsylvania, but also the country. Turnout at this ballot level will drive success up and down the ballot, helping ensure a (President Joe) Biden victory in a key battleground state. The stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Here are some of the seats Republicans might have the hardest time keeping in 2024.

44th District PA

State Rep. Valerie S. Gaydos, R-Allegheny, made it look relatively easy in her first two elections for Pennsylvania's 44th Legislative District.

The Edgeworth Borough Republican defeated her Democratic opponents by approximately 10 points in both 2020, the last presidential election year, and in the 2022 midterms. These double-digit wins far outpaced the GOP's narrow voter-registration edge in her district, with Republican voters outnumbering Democrats by less than a percentage point.

This hasn't discouraged Hadley B. Haas, who's been on an outreach campaign long before officially becoming the Democratic nominee in her uncontested April primary.

"We've knocked thousands of doors already," she told the USA TODAY Network. "I feel very strongly about one-on-one communication ... looking at voters face-to-face and having conversations about my values and our shared values."

Haas, a resident of Glen Osborne, is a marketing professional with a background in fundraising, advocacy and foundation work.

One of her passions, ignited by the Sandy Hook school shooting of 2012, is gun control. She was elections chair of the local Moms Demand Action group in 2020 and more recently became co-leader of its Pittsburgh chapter.

Haas believes she's more aligned with her district's voters in part because she wants to ban ghost guns and favors red flag laws.

"My opponent didn't have a significant voting record at that time," Haas said of Gaydos's previous elections. "She wasn't well-known, and now we can point to her voting record."

Haas also hopes to help protect abortion rights, raise the minimum wage and fund schools fairly if elected.

"This is the best opportunity we have in western Pennsylvania to strengthen (the Democratic) majority and keep passing things that are meaningful and making the lives of Pennsylvanians better," she said.

Gaydos, a small-business owner and prolific investor, serves on a handful of House committees: Commerce, Government Oversight, Professional Licensure and Liquor Control, of which she's the Republican secretary. Attempts to interview her for this article were unsuccessful.

137th District PA

The seat of state Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton, in the 137th Legislative District is also on Democrats' radar — and for an obvious reason.

Democrats have a 3-point voter registration edge there. It's a factor the Upper Nazareth Township resident will have to overcome if he's going to secure an eighth term in Harrisburg.

The race is a rematch of 2022 against Democrat Anna Thomas of Bethlehem Township.

Two years ago, Emrick defeated Thomas by 2 points, which was fewer than 800 votes. It was the closest Emrick has come to losing his seat in the district, which was redrawn shortly before the election.

Neither Emrick or Thomas responded to messages seeking comment for this report.

Emrick is a former educator who serves as minority chair of the House Commerce Committee and was twice named a Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business. Thomas is a former Bethlehem Area School Board member who earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

142nd District PA

With the GOP holding a practically neglible voter registration advantage in Pennsylvania's 142nd Legislative District, state Rep. Joe Hogan, R-Bucks, is another incumbent on the hot seat.

The freshman representative from Middletown Township won his first race in 2022 against Democrat Mark Moffa by fewer than 100 votes. This round he faces Anna K. Payne of Middletown.

Neither Hogan or Payne could be reached for comment.

Hogan was a staffer for former U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and managed grants as program director for the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks, holding a master's degree in community and economic development from Penn State University. He's secretary of the House Consumer Protection, Technologies & Utilities Committee and member of three others: Children & Youth, Gaming Oversight and Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development.

Payne is chair of the Middletown Township supervisors, a member of the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Council and founder of the Bucks County Cystic Fibrosis Alliance.

Other PA House races to watch

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is also prioritizing these additional "flip" opportunities in Pennsylvania:

• The 88th Legislative District, where state Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, faces Democrat Sara Agerton of Mechanicsburg.

• The 13th Legislative District, where state Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester, faces Democrat Cristian Luna-Valente of West Grove.

• The 28th Legislative District, where Republican Jeremy Shaffer faces Democrat William Petulla. This seat is being vacated by state Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Allegheny, who is instead running for U.S. Congress.

• The 18th Legislative District, where state Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson, R-Bucks, faces Democrat Anand Patel of Bensalem Township.

• And the 160th Legislative District, where state Rep. Craig Williams, R-Delaware, faces Democrat Elizabeth Moro of Pennsbury Township.

Bruce Siwy is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania state capital bureau. He can be reached at bsiwy@gannett.com or on X at @BruceSiwy.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: 2024 election: Pa. Democratic challengers target flipping 8 seats