Pa. House staffer Megan Griffin-Shelley narrowly wins crowded primary to replace State Rep. Mary Jo Daley

Megan Griffin-Shelley, a Democratic staffer in Pennsylvania’s state House, narrowly defeated environmental attorney Jason Landau Goodman in the May 19 primary for the 148th district, securing 105 more votes after provisional ballots were counted. The district covers Whitemarsh Township, Narberth Borough, and parts of Lower Merion Township, including Penn Valley, Gladwyne, Bala Cynwyd, and Penn Wynne. Griffin-Shelley, a Whitemarsh resident and current supervisor for the township, will replace retiring State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, who has held the seat since 2013. The race was one of the closest in recent Montgomery County history, with Griffin-Shelley’s victory margin highlighting the competitive nature of the election. Goodman, a fourth-generation Lower Merion resident and former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection assistant counsel, conceded Friday. Griffin-Shelley emphasized her direct experience in state government, having worked as a staffer for Democratic Reps. Nancy Guenst and Ben Sanchez, and called her campaign style a reflection of how she plans to govern. While no Republican candidate is currently on the ballot for the general election, Rabbi Matthew Abelson launched a write-in campaign. Montgomery County must verify if Abelson received at least 300 votes and was the top Republican primary vote-getter to qualify for the November ballot. The county began counting write-in votes the weekend after Election Day. Griffin-Shelley received endorsements from a dozen current and former lawmakers, including Daley, who previously expressed support for a woman in the seat. Goodman’s campaign was backed by local officials, including eight of 14 Lower Merion commissioners. The primary also included Gen-Z criminal justice researcher Leo Solga and former Narberth mayor Andrea Deutsch, though both trailed significantly behind the top two candidates. With no Republican opposition confirmed, Griffin-Shelley is expected to succeed Daley in Harrisburg next year. The tight race underscored the importance of voter turnout in the upcoming general election, as both candidates stressed the significance of every vote.