Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Carol Obando-Derstine, Lamont McClure and Ryan Crosswell expressed a desire to reform ICE rather than abolish it during one-on-one interviews in the PA-7 Talks series.

Lead Left PAC has supported Democrat Lamont McClure over Bob Brooks and Ryan Crosswell, but the super PAC's shadowy origins has led to allegations of Republican interference in the race.

Democratic voters will decide whether Rachel Cuevas or Geoffrey Whitcomb will represent their party in the 187th state House District this November. Republican incumbent Gary Day is running unopposed in his primary.

Political scientist Chris Borick says endorsements and money have given Bob Brooks a slight advantage in the crowded PA-7 race.

Elections workers have so far repackaged and resent more than 120 new ballots, and more are on the way to voters, County Executive Josh Siegel said Wednesday.

One only has to go through the history of how Latinos have fared in a system that seems to give party powerbrokers more power than the voters in the district.

Lehigh County's election office inadvertently used a year-old mailer list when it mailed out the May 19 primary ballots last week. The mistake will complicate primary races with statewide and national implications.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced it's throwing its support to Bob Brooks in the Lehigh Valley's congressional race. The announcement drew rebukes from his Democratic rivals and the chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, during an interview repeated his opposition to forever wars, but lauded President Donald Trump for taking out Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when the opportunity presented itself.

In part four of Lehigh Valley Public Media's "PA-7 Talks" series, Carol Obando-Derstine, Lamont McClure and Ryan Crosswell dig into what it would take to address the nation's ballooning debt.

Democrat Sarah Fevig and Republican Patrick Leonard are running to represent Lehigh County's District 5 on its board of commissioners.

The voter registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 4 election is Monday, Oct. 20, while the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Protesting President Trump, marchers took to Broad Street in Bethlehem after a half-hour rally at Rose Garden Park, ending outside City Hall at Payrow Plaza. It was one of thousands of rallies across the nation Saturday that the president's supporters decried as "Hate America" rallies.

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.