Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie led the field in political fundraising for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District over the past three months. Democratic candidates Ryan Crosswell and Bob Brooks were not far behind, each raising more than $300,000 over the same time period.

Three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are up for retention elections this cycle. Typically a "mundane affair," as described by political scientist Chris Borick, these races now have a lot of eyes on them, with parties looking to flip these judicial seats in swing states.

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.

A new poll from Franklin and Marshall College shows a majority of Pennsylvanians disapprove of the vote taken by eight Republican congressmen to overturn…

The Lehigh County Voter Registration Office is supporting potential changes to Pennsylvania’s election code that could allow for early counting and speedier election results.

This election FAQ will provide current information about the 2021 candidates and how to vote safely and securely.

In a divided Senate this past weekend, Pennsylvania’s split delegation stood together. Both Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Pat Toomey voted to convict former President Trump. The Senate ultimately voted to acquit.

Timothy Benyo, chief clerk for Lehigh County’s Voter Registration and Elections says November’s election was accurate, and things went mostly smoothly, all things considered.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) is looking forward to Democrat Joe Biden taking over the Oval Office but says the Senate will have its work cut out this week when it will resume the impeachment proceedings for former President Donald Trump.

Democratic political leaders across the Lehigh Valley are expressing feelings of optimism after watching Joe Biden's inauguration.

Pennsylvania deployed 2,300 National Guard troops to Washington D.C. following violence in early January.

Exactly one week after U.S. Rep. Susan Wild was hunkered in an undisclosed location in the U.S. Capitol complex after insurgents attacked, she cast her vote on Jan. 13 to impeach President Trump for his role in those violent events.

Gov. Tom Wolf has condemned Wednesday’s riots at the U.S. Capitol as “an attempted coup,” adding that the actions of Republicans led to the violence.

Pennsylvania’s two U.S. Senators may come from different sides of the aisle, but the Jan. 6 events in Washington united the lawmakers in their defense of the state and the American democratic process.

Lehigh Valley Republicans were among those protesting in Washington on Wednesday, among them, Northampton GOP Chair, Lee Snover.