GOP's Verobish wins 79th District special election

Republican Andrea Verobish defeats Democrat Caleb McCoy to claim former state Rep. Lou Schmitt's seat

Mar. 18, 2026 at 2:06am

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According to unofficial poll results, Republican candidate Andrea Verobish has won the special election in Pennsylvania's 79th District to claim the state House of Representatives seat previously held by Lou Schmitt, who left the legislative branch to take a seat on the Blair County bench in 2025.

Why it matters

The 79th District special election was seen as an important test of the political landscape in the region, with the Republican Verobish prevailing over her Democratic challenger McCoy in the race to fill the vacancy left by the departing Schmitt.

The details

Verobish finished with an unofficial tally of 5,330 votes, defeating Democratic candidate Caleb McCoy, who received 3,923 votes. The full breakdown of the results and statements from the candidates will be published in Wednesday's edition of the Altoona Mirror.

  • The special election was held on March 17, 2026.
  • Schmitt left the state House in 2025 to take a seat on the Blair County bench.

The players

Andrea Verobish

The Republican candidate who won the 79th District special election.

Caleb McCoy

The Democratic candidate who ran against Verobish in the 79th District special election.

Lou Schmitt

The former state representative for the 79th District who left the legislative branch in 2025 to take a seat on the Blair County bench.

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The takeaway

The 79th District special election results demonstrate the continued political influence of the Republican Party in the region, as Verobish's victory maintains the GOP's hold on the state House seat.