MANHEIM, Pa. (AP) — Democrat James Andrew Malone narrowly won a special election for a state Senate seat in a stretch of Republican-leaning Pennsylvania suburbs and farming communities, scoring an upset in a territory that a Democrat hasn’t represented in the chamber for 136 years.

Malone’s victory over Republican Josh Parsons might be a light in the darkness for Democrats struggling to unify around a strategy to counter President Donald Trump and at each others’ throats publicly in an election in solidly Republican territory.

A top state Senate Democrat, Sen. Vince Hughes of Philadelphia, said Malone’s success shows the value of Democrats talking to people about protecting Social Security and health care access amid the chaos and pain that Trump’s administration is sowing.

The Associated Press called the race Wednesday after receiving information from county officials that there were fewer ballots left to be counted than the margin in the race.