Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Tuesday was the deadline for candidates in scores of political races to file their nominating petitions in hopes of getting on 2025 election ballots. Here's a look at how some of the races are shaping up.

Races for Lehigh County judge, Lehigh County executive, Allentown mayor and Bethlehem mayor will be some of the most high profile races on the ballot this year.

In this week’s Political Pulse, Tom Shortell and Chris Borick discuss the shifting dynamics of U.S. foreign policy, in light of the recent meeting between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, President Trump, and Vice President JD Vance.

The Allentown-based Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center announced it entered a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Hundreds showed up at Payrow Plaza in Bethlehem to support a march for women's rights on International Women's Day on Saturday.

Last fall, Cynthia Mota said she thought it was “time for different leadership” in Allentown. She’s since reconsidered her run for mayor.

Michael Wargo of Mahoning Township has advocated for veterans' mental health services for more than a decade after his son died by suicide.

On this week's episode of Political Pulse, Tom Shortell and Chris Borick talk about President Donald Trump's second term. Has he started it off on a strong foot? In Trump's first month in office, Borick said, approval numbers seem to be pointing down.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure says he'll run for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District seat in 2026, seeking to bring the seat back under Democratic control.

Mark Pinsley also plans to publish a series of “plain-language reports” about how billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government will affect local municipalities, services and programs.

Northampton County elections officials are on track to mail out absentee ballots in early October, according to Registrar of Elections Chris Commini.

During a panel hosted Tuesday by the Muhlenberg College Political Science Department, elections experts said to expect to wait a while for election results come Nov. 5 — but not as long as the multi-day counts of 2020.

Katie Couric spoke to a crowd of nearly 700 as part of Lehigh University's Compelling Perspectives series. The former network news anchor addressed the role of media in contemporary society.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will rally in the Lehigh Valley on Saturday — his first visit as candidate for vice president.

New Pennsylvania Project led a short news conference with Allentown's Soldiers and Sailors Monument as its backdrop Tuesday, seven weeks from Election Day.

This week on Political Pulse, Tom and Chris discuss the latest trends emerging from science-based polls to break down local, state and national campaigns and issues.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, both seeking the Lehigh Valley's seat in the next Congress, each cast themselves as a moderate facing a radical in a debate Sunday.

The League of Women Voters of Lehigh County will hold a meet-and-greet from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Active Life Center senior center at 1633 Elm St. in Allentown.

The program of mental health professionals and trained volunteers makes contact with families reeling after a loved one's suicide. The group has responded to 20 of 22 suicides in Lehigh County so far in 2024.

What feels like a local housing crisis is actually a “global phenomenon” across all income levels, state Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh, said at a housing summit Friday.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on procedural grounds that a lower court should not have taken up the case because it did not draw in the election boards in all 67 counties.

State Rep. Siegel, 29, became the first candidate to publicly disclose plans to run for Lehigh County executive. The 29-year-old Democrat previously served on Allentown City Council and worked for Lehigh County government for five years.