Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

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.

A Lehigh County judge ruled in favor of LoriAnn Fehnel, a Republican candidate for Whitehall Township Commissioner, who challenged that candidate Betsey H. Charles's nominating petition is invalid and should be set aside.

There are workarounds to problems with technical problems regarding signature verification

Critics of the new maps, like Victor Martinez, say they reduced the number of Latinos in some districts.

The state Supreme Court now will make the ultimate decision on congressional seat boundary lines.

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission approved the updated maps 4-1 and now the public will weigh in on the maps.

Sen. Lisa Boscola condemns the changes, calls process 'back-room assault on the Lehigh Valley."

The 2022 election could prove to be the most expensive the state has ever seen.

The ACLU filed suit in federal court on behalf of five voters who did not date their ballots.

The deadline to apply is May 10, even with a battle looming in the state Supreme Court.

Gov. Tom Wolf has pledged to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

None of the 4 candidates received the two-thirds of the committee's votes required.

Unlike past years, the public has been offering comments that have been incorporated in the redistricting process.

There has never been a Black member of Bethlehem City Council. Lee has run six times.