The state of play: Voters give Democrats cause for worry

For the first time in his three years as mayor, Luke Ravenstahl has time to savor an election victory, albeit something of an underwhelming one. Yet for him and Democrats statewide, the results of Tuesday's general election offered a warning.

Soon after he rose from City Council president to mayor upon the death of his predecessor, Mr. Ravenstahl had to start running for a two-year term, which he won with 63 percent of the vote over Republican Mark DeSantis. Eighteen months later, he faced and bested two challengers in the Democratic primary, and on Tuesday, he beat back another dual challenge.

This time, Mr. Ravenstahl's share was lower than in his two prior elections, 55 percent. True, he did collect the highest number of votes in every one the city's 32 wards, even the East End, the incubator for his strongest criticism, but against inexperienced opposition he should have done better.

Clearly, Mr. Ravenstahl can't rest on his laurels going forward to meet the challenges that include an underfunded city pension plan and a more independent City Council.

In the meantime, Republican candidates statewide captured six of the seven seats that were on the ballot for Pennsylvania's appellate courts.

Joan Orie Melvin of Marshall became the first Republican elected to the Supreme Court in the past four races for that court, despite having less money to spend than her opponent. Republicans Kevin Brobson of Dauphin County and Patricia McCullough of Upper St. Clair took both seats open on Commonwealth Court, and three of the four seats up for election on Superior Court also went to the GOP.

In part, the elections follow a long-standing pattern of success by female candidates for statewide judicial offices -- Superior Court victors were Republicans Judy Olson, Sallie Mundy and Paula Ott plus Democrat Anne Lazarus, who is ahead in unofficial returns. But there was more to it than gender. Without an organized, statewide campaign, Ms. Mundy -- from the tiny town of Tioga in north-central Pennsylvania -- would have faced insurmountable odds, for instance.

So there are congratulations today for the winners -- including those for other judicial, county, municipal and school board seats -- and a heads-up for the state's Democratic leaders as they prepare for next year's gubernatorial and legislative races.