Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Pennsylvania voters have until 5 p.m. on Halloween to request a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 7 election.

Parental rights are on the agenda in school races as moms versus moms battle for control to set policies on book restrictions, bathrooms, transgender students and teaching history.

Candidates have different takes on whether taxes should raised to support capital improvements, expanding kindergarten classes and teacher retention.

Six candidates are running for four four-year seats in Emmaus Borough Council. Candidates noted fiscal responsibility and managing the plan to fix PFAS contamination in the water as priorities.

Two Republican incumbents, Jacob Roth and Diane Kelly, are teaming up to campaign with township Public Safety Commission member Chris Peischl. Only one Democrat is on the ballot: former commissioner Thomas Johns.

In the race for Whitehall Township commissioners, Democrats Jeffery J. Warren, an incumbent, and Ken Snyder won slots on both the Democratic and Republican tickets. Others on the Democratic ticket are incumbent Randy Artiyeh and Victor Nassar; filling out the Republican ticket are Elizabeth Fox and LoriAnn Fehnel.

The township election is on Nov. 7. Six candidates are clashing over a looming development project.

Allentown voters will decide whether City Council members and the controller get substantial raises. Voters were denied opportunities to vote on term limits and a proposed alternative first response program.

Incumbent Mark Pinsley and challenger Robert Smith face off in the Lehigh County controller race this November. The office is tasked with serving as a fiscal watchdog of the county's half-billion-dollar budget.

Timothy Foley and Anthony Murphy, two Democrats, are challenging two Republican incumbents, John Inglis and Dennis Benner, in the Nov. 7 election. The township hasn't seen a tax increase in three decades.

Northampton County's newest member, Jeffrey Corpora, was appointed to the body Wednesday afternoon. Corpora said even he is not exactly sure how he was selected.

Given expected shortages, Allentown high schools and others are connecting the county elections staff with students in hopes of beefing up the number of young and bilingual poll workers.

Republican congressional candidates Maria Montero and Ryan Mackenzie criticized U.S. Rep. Susan Wild after she said Carbon County "drank the Trump Kool-Aid" on a conference call with prominent Pennsylvania Democrats.

Campaign finance reports show Republican Kevin Dellicker outraised the rest of the GOP field combined in his bid for PA-7. But Democratic incumbent Susan Wild raised twice as much as all of the Republicans put together.

Newly sworn-in Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta expects it will take him more than a year to fill his roster of prosecutors. In the meantime, his office has to deal with a massive backlog of cases.

Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana, no stranger to controversy over the past year, has announced a run for the Pa. House's 136th District.

State Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, announced Monday he will seek re-election to a 20th term.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Rep. Joshua Siegel announced on Friday he will seek a second term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Siegel, 29, represents the 22nd Legislative District, which includes parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.

President Joe Biden spent 4.5 hours in the Lehigh Valley on Friday, touring small businesses and promoting his economic initiatives. He visited Main Street in Emmaus and met with Allentown firefighters at the Allentown Fire Training Academy.

President Joe Biden is making his second visit to the Lehigh Valley as commander-in-chief. He stopped into Main Street businesses in Emmaus and the Allentown Fire Training Academy in Allentown.

“He’s here to talk about his economic recovery (policies), and I can tell you that we felt that in Allentown,” Mayor Matt Tuerk said Thursday.