AP calls northeast Philly Senate race for 29-year-old Republican Joe Picozzi

Pennsylvania state Senate candidate Joe Picozzi (campaign photo)

The Associated Press has called the northeast Philadelphia state Senate election for 29 year-old Republican Joe Picozzi, marking an unlikely victory against an incumbent in a district held by Democrats since 2001.

At about 2 p.m. on Friday, unofficial results from the Pennsylvania state department showed Picozzi up by over 900 votes — a lead just under 1%.

"I never really thought it was impossible," Picozzi said. "Looking back, it probably was a little crazy. I had no money. I started it with a very small nest egg I had saved up from my bitcoin holdings and selling some Pokemon cards."

Picozzi's opponent, Sen. Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia), is not conceding yet.

"The election is not over until all of the votes have been counted," said Brittany Crampsie, a Dillon campaign spokesperson.

The 5th District was the last state Senate race to be called by the Associated Press. Picozzi's victory means Republicans will maintain their 28-22 majority in the chamber. In Dauphin County, Democratic Rep. Patty Kim managed to flip an open seat from Republican to Democrat.

"Voters have spoken loudly and clearly to send a strong team of Republicans to the State Senate," Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) said in a statement. "For the first time in over two decades, we will welcome a new senator to our Caucus from Philadelphia, which serves as a significant means to further close the rural, urban, and suburban divide."

Dillon, Picozzi's opponent, runs basketball academies throughout the city and has held the 5th District seat since a special election in 2022. During the current campaign, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC) accused him of posting racist and homophobic messages on the academy's social media page roughly a decade earlier. Dillon said the posts were likely made by players with access to the account and that he had not been aware of them.

Picozzi never had the support of the city of Philadelphia's Republican party. (SRCC, however, took notice, spending over $700,000 to aid Picozzi, according to campaign finance records.

Picozzi attributes his victory to a uniquely ambitious campaign. He says his team knocked on over 70,000 doors.

"I think it was youth, it was energy, it was dynamism," Picozzi told the Capital-Star Friday. "The median age of my campaign was probably about 20 ... I think it also shows just what young people can do."

He said his top issue is public safety, and that he wants to have a collaborative relationship with Philadelphia municipal leaders, who are largely Democrats.

"We're seeing violent crime in places where it was unthinkable not too long ago," Picozzi said. "Northeast Philly was the place you moved to when you made it. Now it's the place where people are really trying to get out."

Picozzi grew up in the area, and recently moved back after attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. While there, he worked on Capitol Hill and served as a staffer for former U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

While being interviewed, Picozzi received a text message, which he said was from a former classmate who just got elected to the state house in Florida.

"We need more ambitious young people to step up," Picozzi said. "I hope this campaign can serve as a model and motivation for other young people who are thinking about jumping into public service."