Among the Paneras, LA Fitnesses and frozen yogurt outlets in the northern Pittsburgh suburbs, an autumn crop of political signage is in full bloom. Every busy intersection bristles with placards emblazoned with oversized Ts, red swishes and green outlines of the commonwealth for races up and down the ballot, from governor to Congress to state rep.
Democrats have effectively no shot of flipping the state Senate, but a race for the body in the area looms large particularly in the 38th Senatorial District, as just a single blue flip would break the Republican supermajority.