Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Lehigh County Judge Melissa Pavlack on Monday ruled that Whitehall Township Commissioner Thomas Slonaker did not file a statement of financial interest with the township prior to the March 11 filing deadline, rendering his ballot for treasurer/tax collector invalid.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie visited Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. in Easton, where he got feedback about federal regulations on truck drivers and concerns about Pennsylvania's emission standards.

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

Democratic VIPs including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DNC Chair Ken Martin and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild attended the town hall at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Thursday night. The evening came with a rebuke to attendees from the church pastor.

At a virtual town hall Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said he did not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security, called for peace in Ukraine, and gently pushed back on how the Trump administration handled cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Organizers with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Democratic National Congressional Committee and several other groups invited U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to a town hall event Thursday over proposed Medicaid cuts. Instead, the first-term Republican will hold his own telephone town hall.

Philip Ginder, 74, who served on the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners for 24 years, was appointed on Wednesday to fill the vacancy created when Commissioner Robert Piligian resigned in February.

Candidates for Northampton County Council, Allentown City Council, Allentown mayor and Parkland School Board are being challenged in court for allegedly failing to meet legal requirements to appear on the May ballot.

The former city councilman pledged to work with schools and businesses on diversity issues.

The Democratic candidate for Lehigh County judge will appeal the decision 'immediately.'

Many of the ceremonies will be restricted and streamed online because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Opponents say a new Lehigh Valley Senate seat splinters rapidly-growing Latino communities.

The city's first Spanish-speaking mayor will be sworn in Jan. 3.

Leigh Chapman will be the Department of State's fifth leader in seven years.

Commonwealth Court is expected to rule soon on a case that could lead to an election probe.

Council will decide on the process for filling the council vacancy after the inauguration.

Rep. Scott Perry called the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol 'illegitimate.'

Splitting a major city into two districts could affect its school funding, she says.

Both Allentown and Bethlehem would be split into different Senate districts under the plan.

Advocacy groups and Democrats want the state to block the request for voters' partial social security numbers and other sensitive information.