Pennsylvania: Jeff Piccola

State Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin) has seemingly held on to victory against Democrat Judy Hirsh in what turned into one of the most competitive races in the state.

The senator won 52 percent to 48 percent, or just about 5,000 votes, according to preliminary results.

The Piccola campaign told PolitickerPA.com just past midnight it thought it had made up an early defecit against Hirsh to defeat her.

LOWER PAXTON -- Democratic state Senate candidate Judy Hirsh said Thursday that she will sue the state Republican Party and Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) for libel if they do not immediately remove their latest TV ad and apologize for what she calls its inaccuracies.

[img_assist|nid=2177|title=Judy Hirsh and Ed Rendell touted their shared commitment to expanding health care access|desc=Politicker Photo|link=none|align=none|width=388|height=296]

State Senate candidate Judy Hirsh will begin airing her first TV ad Thursday, a 30-second spot that seeks to tout her credentials as a mother and small business owner while ripping her opponent, state Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) as a status quo incumbent.

The ad is split into two halves -- the first focuses on Hirsh as a mother and business owner who "knows business as usual won't work anymore." The second half, which features a different narrator, accuses Piccola of increasing his pension while electric utility rates are set to skyrocket.