When future Pennsylvania State Representative and Horsham resident Melissa Cerrato finally received the news of her victory, she was boarding a plane to go to Universal Studios in Orlando. The mother of four was campaigning to win the seat for the newly redrawn 151st District, but come election day, her status was still dubious.  

“We knew it would be a very close, tight race, but never has it been so true that every single vote counted,” Cerrato said. 

For days after the election, there were no updates on who was the winner.

That’s when Cerrato and her team shifted into high gear. The Montgomery County Board of Elections was working to cure 50 ballots, which means that the signatures were missing or had discrepancies reported Freda R. Savana for The Keystone.  

She and her team went door-to-door hoping to reach the cured voters. Eventually, 58 votes helped her win the narrow race, flipping the House from red to blue.  

During her campaign, many voters resonated with Cerrato’s working-class roots. Back when she was a single mother, she was working to make ends meet by nannying, cleaning houses, and driving for Uber.  

After she is sworn in on Jan. 3, Cerrato hopes to serve on various committees in Harrisburg, including ones focused on children and youth, education, and human services.  

Read more about Horsham resident Melissa Cerrato and her narrow victory as State Representative in The Keystone.