Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Jeremy Binder said he wants to bring “a broader perspective” to Allentown City Council and help the body better serve residents.

Lehigh County Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt has announced he will not run for a second term in 2025.

State and county officials have long requested more time to pre-canvass mail-in ballots along with other changes to Pennsylvania's election code. But with the General Assembly gridlocked, those changes are stalled.

Patricia Fuentes Mulqueen, a longtime prosecutor, will run for Lehigh County judge, she announced Tuesday.

From upcoming local races in the Lehigh Valley to how the Trump Administration could shape energy production in the state, Tom Shortell and Chris Borick talk all about it in this week's episode of Political Pulse.

Jason Boulette, a Democrat who's served a year on Wind Gap Borough Council, said housing prices and open space are among his top priorities if elected to an at-large seat on Northampton County Council.

Northampton County elections officials recommended against buying more machines to combat long lines, and asked state legislators to let them work ahead on opening mail-in ballots.

Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District race between Susan Wild and Ryan Mackenzie was the 10th most expensive in the nation. A staggering $334 million was spent on Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, campaign filings show.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Allentown reporter Jason Addy and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

This week on Political Pulse, Chris Borick and Tom Shortell talk about local off-year elections and how their impacts are often more personal than the results of presidential elections, despite having lower voter turnout.

President Joe Biden will make his second presidential visit to the Allentown area on Friday. The planned trip comes a week after he launched his re-election campaign by calling out former President Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with reporters Tom Shortell and Brian Myszkowski.

Thomas Johns was sworn in to the South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Tuesday after being elected on Nov. 7. Johns previously served on the board for eight years, from 2010 to 2018.

The Democrats have been vocal about leading an about-face on a number of township issues, including the expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill and resident access to the Hellertown Area Library.

Northampton County held a swearing-in ceremony for recently elected council members, others on Tuesday.

Gavin Holihan took the oath of office Tuesday morning as Lehigh County's new district attorney. He said he'll divert resources away from penny-ante issues to focus on battling violent crime.

The 20-year-old is a youth director with Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley. She graduated from William Allen High School in 2021 and won election to the school board in the November general election.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

In a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Milou Mackenzie asked the Department of State to provide Northampton County with instructions on how to avoid more Election Day mistakes with their voting machines.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure on Friday named a human resources department manager as his acting director of administration. She joined the county in May 2022.

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.