Three state Senate races across Bucks and neighboring counties could determine which party controls the Pennsylvania Senate after the Nov. 3, 2026, election.

The 6th District contest lands directly on Doylestown-area ballots. Two more competitive seats in the 16th and 24th districts complete a suburban battleground stretching into Lehigh and Montgomery counties, as BUCKSCO.Today reported, citing Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Fallon Roth.

The math is straightforward. Republicans hold 27 of the chamber's 50 seats. Democrats need a net gain of two and must keep the governor's office to flip control, because the lieutenant governor would cast the tie-breaking vote in a 25-25 Senate. Republicans hold a voter-registration edge in all three districts.

6th District: Farry vs. Hartnett Albillar

State Sen. Frank Farry, a Republican who lives in Langhorne, faces Democrat Eileen Hartnett Albillar, the Bucks County clerk of courts. Farry, 53, has served as fire chief for the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company for 26 years and won the Senate seat in 2022 after more than a decade in the state House. Hartnett Albillar, 52, grew up in Warminster Township and served on the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors from 2018 to 2023. She is a licensed social worker with nearly 30 years of experience, according to a WHYY voter guide.

In that Sept. 4 WHYY voter guide, Hartnett Albillar described the economic pressures she has seen firsthand: "I've sat with families who are not sure if they're going to be able to keep a roof over their heads … with seniors who are making decisions about if they're going to buy lifesaving medication or if they're going to pay their utility bill."

Gov. Josh Shapiro was scheduled to join Hartnett Albillar for a canvassing event with Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania PAC in Bucks County on Saturday, Oct. 3, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee announced on X.

16th District: Coleman vs. Pinsley

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, a Republican, faces Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in the 16th District, which spans parts of Bucks and Lehigh counties. The Bucks County Beacon reported that Coleman held a campaign cash advantage, with $700,000 coming from skill games executives affiliated with Pace-O-Matic.

Pinsley said voters are frustrated by federal policies. "They're not happy about the Iran war. They're not happy about the cost of gas … and all of these races have been federalized in many ways," he said, as reported by BUCKSCO.Today.

24th District: Pennycuick vs. Thomas

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, a Republican, faces Democrat Chris Thomas in the 24th District, which covers Montgomery County. Little public information about Thomas's campaign was available as of publication.

Affordability at the center

Both parties are framing these contests around kitchen-table costs. Michael Straw, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee, told the Inquirer that Senate Republicans "have helped to prevent wasteful spending, stop the Democrats' electricity tax that would have cost Pennsylvanians more, and have supported reducing taxes on working families."

Voter registration for the Nov. 3 election closes Oct. 19. Mail-ballot applications must reach county election offices by 5 p.m. Oct. 27.