VIDEO: Molchany Camp Declares Win in 22nd District PA House Race

Democrat Erin Molchany delivered a victory speech to an intimate group of supporters at Redbeard's Bar & Grill in Pittsburgh's Mount Washington neighborhood on Tuesday night.

After winning her party's nomination in April for Pennsylvania's 22nd House District seat by defeating current state Rep. Martin Michael Schmotzer, Molchany had a much easier time in bettering Republican nominee Chris Cratsley in this November's general election.

Just 40 minutes after polls closed in Allegheny County on Tuesday, Molchany's campaign office issued a news release declaring a win over Cratsley in the Democrat-heavy 22nd District.

And about one hour later, she appeared at Redbeard's to thank her closest supporters.

Watch the video above to hear part of Molchany's victory speech.

The entirety of the 22nd District includes at least parts of Whitehall Borough, Baldwin Township and Castle Shannon Borough and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Overbrook, Brookline, Mount Washington, Beechview, Duquesne Heights, Manchester, Sheraden and Esplen.

Before Molchany's speech but after her office issued the news release, the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch spoke to Cratsley.

"There's already a stigma against Republicans in the City (of Pittsburgh) to begin with," Cratsley said when asked about his chances on Tuesday. "It's a heavily Democratic area.

"I'm not going to concede until the official election results are out. I wouldn't be shocked by the figures (in Molchany's favor), though."

Cratsley said that Molchany had been campaiging for the 22nd District seat longer than he had.

"It's an uphill battle," he said. "I basically started running for my race the day before signature-gathering started."

Cratsley said that part of the reason that he ran for the 22nd seat was to "make sure our voters have a choice on the ballot, which is not something they get too often in the city."

He said that he has "nothing in the works right now" regarding another campaign for a publically elected position.

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