Pam Iovino defeats D. Raja in a special election for a South Hills State Senate seat. The district was gerrymandered by Republicans in 2010 to maximize a Republican's chances to win, and has historically been an "R" seat. And while I commend Allegheny County Republicans for nominating an immigrant and a person of color for seat, I have to wonder if the national Republican Party's racism and xenophobia cost Raja the election? Did many Republican or Republican leaning voters not turn out because they weren't willing to vote for an immigrant, or an Indian?