Pennsylvania State Senate While Pennsylvania has proven to be stubbornly Democratic in presidential contests, its state legislature is another story entirely. Republicans have held the State Senate since 1994; the State House has been a little more volatile, but Republicans have controlled it for most of the last 20 years. Even in 2012, when Democrats won the statewide popular vote in the legislature, the GOP still emerged with solid majorities in both houses. In 2012, Republicans used their complete control of the state government to draw up a favorable state House, state Senate, and Congressional map.