Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will rally supporters in the Lehigh Valley on Monday, the final day of her campaign.

The "political convoy" is scheduled to occur Sunday afternoon starting at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in North Whitehall Township and head south toward the Allentown area before heading back to the target-shooting facility.

Join Megan Frank every Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week she talks with Allentown reporter Jason Addy and East Penn reporter Jay Bradley.

A tour group consisting of Europeans interested in the American political system stopped in Northampton County to see the spectacle of election season this week.

A video shot at the Northampton County Courthouse has gotten millions of views on social media with suggestions voter fraud is at play. The county executive says it's anything but.

"A Community Conversation: Protecting Your Vote" aired Wednesday on PBS39 and will be rebroadcast at 6 p.m. Thursday. It's hosted by LehighValleyNews.com politics reporter Tom Shortell.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maya Harris and Luis Miranda Jr. attended a campaign party at the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society to help rally the Latino vote for Democrats.

More than 2.1 million Pennsylvania voters have been approved for a mail-in ballot this election, down from the 3 million ballots requested in 2020. Democrats saw the steepest drop, allowing Republicans to increase their share of mail-in ballots.

Over-the-counter voting continued in Lehigh County on Wednesday after a judge granted a motion by the Lehigh County Board of Elections to extend in-person voting at the elections office until 5 p.m.

The party Wednesday night is being held at the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society in Bethlehem, organized in conjunction with the Latino Victory Fund. It comes three days after a comedian's remark at a Donald Trump rally in New York City drew outrage.

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.

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.