BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The new year has arrived, and it's brought a fresh round of the political cycle to the Lehigh Valley.
The newly-elected Congress and Pennsylvania Legislature have started work to realize their agendas. Meanwhile, several offices closer to home will be up for grabs in 2023, setting up local races that have a heavy influence on voters and their tax burden.
- Candidates will start announcing campaigns for local office, including the Easton mayor, the Lehigh County commissioners and Northampton County Council
- Republicans in the U.S. House have vowed to heighten oversight of the Biden administration
- Questions remain over proposed constitutional amendments in Pennsylvania
Here's a breakdown of what to expect in the months ahead:
A new direction in the U.S. House
The 2022 elections more or less preserved the status quo in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats hold a razor-thin majority.
But dramatic shifts are likely to come in the House now that Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has been elected speaker. During the 2022 campaigns and during the tumultuous speaker election, conservatives spoke about the need to investigate the Biden administration and hold it accountable.
Following multiple investigations into former President Donald Trump, many Republicans are eager to return the favor. Republicans could focus the spotlight on an investigation of Hunter Biden's taxes, scrutinizing other investigations such as the work of the Jan. 6 committee, or reviewing whether politics influenced the FBI or other government agencies during their investigations of Trump and others.
Presidents historically struggle to accomplish legislative goals in the final two years of a term. With the House now controlled by Republicans, it appears safe to speculate the 118th Congress won't challenge that trend.
New Pa. governor, new approach
Outgoing Gov. Tom Wolf spent much of his tenure butting heads with Republican lawmakers. The budget showdowns reached a low point in 2016 when many local governments were forced to borrow money as their state funds were tied up in protracted negotiations.
Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro campaigned from closer to the center, and there are signs he's already moving in that direction. He's announced plans to bring some prominent Republicans to his administration, including former Philadelphia election official Al Schmidt as secretary of state — the commonwealth's top elections official.
Shapiro promised to continue some of Wolf's policies, including vetoing legislation that would limit abortions and continuing his gift ban for state employees. But he also showed a willingness to compromise on some Republican talking points, including school vouchers.
Constitutional uncertainty
Pennsylvania has seen a number of constitutional amendments move forward in recent years, and more are in the works. Wolf called for a special session of the General Assembly this week to consider a constitutional amendment that would allow victims of sexual abuse an expanded window to sue their abusers.
Last year, it appeared a critical error by the Wolf administration would prevent the amendment from appearing before voters this May. However, Wolf has called for a special session that could get the amendment back on track if it passes by Jan. 27.
Wolf's plan has a key backer in state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Reading-area politico who became speaker in a power-sharing agreement last week. Rozzi, D-Berks, alleges he was abused by a Catholic priest in the 1980s. A 2018 grand jury report released by Shapiro, then attorney general, found the priest raped dozens of children.
Questions surround another wide-ranging package of constitutional amendments Republicans passed last year. The amendment would require state-issued ID to vote; it would require the auditor general to audit elections; it would change how lieutenant governors are selected; and it would declare that the state constitution does not grant any rights to an abortion.
The measure could appear before voters as early as May, but the Wolf administration has sued to stop it. Attorneys for the governor argue the amendment violates state law by touching on too many unrelated topics.
Local elections
While voters may still be feeling traumatized from the deluge of 2022 political ads, another round of mailers and door knocking is just around the corner.
None of those races, however, will have the resources to mount round-the-clock attack ads on social media. Instead, 2023 will see campaigns for local offices such as county commissioner, municipal government and school boards.
The most prominent race may be for Easton mayor. Democratic incumbent Sal Panto Jr. is expected to seek a fifth consecutive term for mayor — he also served two terms in the 1980s. City Councilman Peter Melan, a Democrat, announced his candidacy last month.
It remains to be seen what tenor the 2023 school board races will take. The last round of elections came during the peak of the pandemic, and many voters lashed out against stay-at-home orders and remote lesson plans.
Some of those races launched the political careers of new faces, including new state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Bucks/Lehigh.
