Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Lehigh County executive candidates Josh Siegel and Roger MacLean met in a debate Wednesday night hosted by Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem. Siegel argued the next executive needs to have big plans for the office, where MacLean positioned himself as offering more stability.

Republican Roger MacLean and Democrat Josh Siegel are vying for a four-year term as Lehigh County executive. The winner in the Nov. 4 election will succeed Democrat Phil Armstrong, who cannot run again because of term limits.

Operations at Lehigh Valley International Airport have not suffered from the government shutdown to date, according to Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority officials. However, an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick during the last shutdown spurred a deal in 2019.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure released a statement Tuesday explaining he would not take a loan to pay the county's bills during the state budget impasse. He urged legislators to adopt a budget and restore the flow of funds.

“We were looking for answers that aligned with our vision as an association for the work that we want to do in the district,” said Allentown Education Association President Leslie Franklin.

Lehigh Valley Political Pulse host Tom Shortell wants to hear from you. Readers are encouraged to submit questions through the link in the article. They may be addressed on a future episode of the program.

Political scientist Chris Borick joined Tom Shortell again this week to try to make sense of the government shutdown and what it all means.

Senate Democrats have refused to fund the federal government unless Republicans agree to extend tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Ryan Mackenzie supports the tax subsidies but echoed Republican demands that no deal can be struck until the federal government is funded.

Candidates for Southern Lehigh School Board participated in a forum Tuesday at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are seven candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Candidates for Parkland School Board will participate in a forum tonight at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are six candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

A total of 261 mail-in ballots remain uncounted and could swing the outcome.

Pa. House Republicans have threatened to impeach the Lehigh County election board if the mail-in votes are counted.

If the undated mail-in ballots are counted, state House Republicans have threatened to impeach the Lehigh County election board.

Voter ID and earlier deadlines to register and apply for a mail-in ballot are being considered.

Concerns also were raised about election officials nationwide leaving jobs amid threats.

U.S. Rep Scott Perry (R-Cumberland/Dauphin/York), who is under Congressional scrutiny for his role in a plot to subvert 2020 election results in some states, is set to lead the House Freedom Caucus starting in January.

Lamont McClure's lead in the 2021 election is being questioned by his challenger, Steve Lynch.

The House State Government Committee moved a bill forward along party lines Monday that would limit how county election departments can be funded.

The Democrat becomes the youngest ever elected to Allentown council.

After an apparently failed bid to unseat Democratic County Executive Lamont McClure, in Northampton County, Republican candidate Steve Lynch took to Facebook to call for an investigation into the election and promise his campaign isn’t over.

J. William Reynolds' victory means his spot on Bethlehem City Council will have to be filled.

A back-and-forth battle on Election Night ends with Armstrong saying he's captured a 2nd term.