Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Candidates for Northampton County executive sat Wednesday for a pair of one-on-one interviews rather than a debate in their first major media appearances of the general election campaign.

State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh, and Republican Roger MacLean, Allentown's former police chief and city councilman, traded barbs and insults during the taping of the "Business Matters" Lehigh County executive debate.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said Zach Cole-Borghi was one of 22 people taken into custody Thursday as part of an ongoing grand jury investigation. Cole-Borghi was arrested Thursday at his job at Bethlehem City Hall. A city official today said he is no longer employed by the city.

Under Executive Phil Armstrong's final budget plan, taxes would remain at 3.78 mills, lower than they were 11 years ago. The budget now goes to county commissioners for consideration and deliberation.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, a candidate for Congress in the 7th Congressional District, called out former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell at IBEW 375 headquarters in Allentown.

This week on Lehigh Valley Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick discuss the political implications of affordable housing.

Bob Brooks, a retired Bethlehem firefighter, became the fifth Democrat to enter the race for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. The primary election winner in next year's midterm race will take on U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, the Republican incumbent.

If state Rep. Josh Siegel wins the 2025 Lehigh County executive race, it would trigger a possible special election for Pennsylvania's 22nd state House District. Things get complicated from there.

Ce-Ce Gerlach, a Democrat, will officially launch her campaign for state representative of the 22nd District at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, according to a news release.

Garrity, a Bradford County native, is the first Republican to formally challenge Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro in the 2026 race.

Emrick Boulevard in Bethlehem Township hosted the first of four rallies organized in the Lehigh Valley to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Trump's 79th birthday. At least one physical confrontation occurred.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie voted in line with the Republican majority to strip more than $1 billion of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two years.

Ryan Crosswell, a recent arrival in the Lehigh Valley, is the third Democrat to get in line to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. The seat should be one of the most contested U.S. House races in the 2026 midterms.

For some candidates looking to hold office in Northampton County whose primary races ended with a tie, electoral fate rests with ping pong balls.

Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick discuss the implications of the Republican tax and spending package recently passed in the US House.

More than 120 people showed up for the weekly "Mondays with Mackenzie" demonstration outside one of the congressman's offices on Monday. It was the first of the protests since he cast an essential vote for President Donald Trump's signature policy bill.

Trump said he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Jared Isaacman’s “prior associations" but did not elaborate. Said Isaacman: "I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity and cheering on our President and NASA as they lead us on the greatest adventure in human history.”

The Jewish League for Peace-Lehigh Valley will hold a Havdalah ceremony at the Bethlehem Rose Garden on Saturday, grieving for those lost in Gaza and calling for change to prevent further death and destruction.

The Allentown high school was recognized for registering students to vote and enlisting them to serve as poll workers.

Fewer people voted in this year's primaries than four years ago, when most of the same local offices were up for grabs. But Mayor Matt Tuerk found much support in his second campaign.

Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick follow up on the last episode about the primary election. This week, the two dive into a primary breakdown of the top races and low voter turnout.

Ryan Mackenzie, the Lehigh Valley's freshman congressman, cast an essential vote to move President Donald Trump's signature bill through the U.S. House last week. His would-be Democratic opponents say he's sold out poor families to give billionaires a tax break.