Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

This week on Political Pulse, Tom and Chris talk about the outcomes of the general election — including Northampton County's significance in elections.

Since the start of the 20th century, Northampton County has backed the winning president all but three times. It lived up to its bellwether status again by narrowly backing President-elect Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in last week's 2024 presidential election.

Councilman Ed Zucal is set to be the first person to announce a challenge to Mayor Matt Tuerk's re-election bid.

None of the state House's 203 districts are changing hands in 2025. A race called on Friday for state Rep. Frank Burns, a Johnstown-area Democrat, gave Democrats a 102-101 margin and dashed Republican hopes of returning to control after two years in the minority.

After a polling place in South Bethlehem saw a six-hour wait to vote on Tuesday, Northampton County officials blame an unexpected jump in student turnout compared with 2020.

Beating U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is earth-shaking for Pennsylvania’s Democratic establishment. He's the state's longest-serving Democrat ever in the Senate. Casey had won six statewide general elections going back to 1996.

The Pennsylvania Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick was inside the automatic recount threshold on Thursday morning.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman challenged over 500 mail-in ballot applications of former Lehigh County voters. Coleman said in a text that he will pursue other ways to challenge how counties register voters living abroad.

State Rep. Joe Emrick won Pennsylvania's 137th House District in his battle against Democratic challenger Anna Thomas.

Unofficial results from the Pennsylvania Department of State show U.S. Rep. Susan Wild trailing Republican Ryan Mackenzie by about 1 percentage point in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.

In Pennsylvania, more than 600,000 Latinos are eligible to vote this presidential election year. In a battleground state, their impact could help swing results in one direction or the other, observers say.

Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour at the Schnecksville Fire Company fairgrounds off Route 309 in Lehigh County. Thousands came to see the former president and presumptive Republican nominee to challenge Joe Biden in November.

Traffic, tickets, weather and more. Here's what to expect as former President Donald Trump makes his first official visit back to the Lehigh Valley since he was president in 2020.

Longtime representative for the 136th District Robert Freeman will face off against challenger Taiba Sultana on April 23, essentially determining who will take the seat in the Democratic stronghold.

District 131 is made up of parts of Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery counties. Here’s a brief look at the respective candidates, including the two Democrats hoping to take the spot of a Republican incumbent.

Donald Trump’s upcoming campaign rally in Schnecksville is expected to cause traffic disruptions throughout the Lehigh Valley, state police warn.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 people are expected for former President Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Schnecksville Fire Hall on Saturday, according to Lehigh County Republican Committee Chairman Joe Vichot.

Northampton County's standard pre-election testing of voting machines drew new scrutiny Monday, as officials seek to avoid another election rattled by machine errors.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey visited the Lehigh Valley on Monday to raise awareness of the PACT Act. Government officials believe veterans may not be aware of expanded health care benefits that they're eligible for since Congress passed the law in 2022.

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court case delayed counties from sending out ballots, leaving voters with less time than usual to send them back in. Northampton County officials are encouraging voters to use drop boxes as a result.

Registered Democrats, Republicans and a few independents who register by Monday, April 8, can cast a ballot in the April 23 primary election.

The former president will visit Schnecksville Fire Hall in North Whitehall Township on Saturday, April 13 — his first visit to the Lehigh Valley since days before the 2020 election.