Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Public Safety Commission member Chris Peischl is running for a seat on the Board of Commissioners. He has worked in Emergency Management Services for the past 30 years and has served in several positions in the Greenawalds Fire Company, including firefighter and assistant chief.

Diane Kelly, the president of South Whitehall commissioners, is running for re-election. She was first elected to the board in 2019 and is the longest-standing member.

Senior Judge Edward Reibman ruled William Rowe can stay on the Republican primary ballot because his challenger failed to establish standing in the case.

At a press conference Thursday, DA candidate Stephen Baratta criticized incumbent district attorney Terry Houck over three cases from his tenure. Houck hit back in response.

Kerry Myers, who represents the Easton area on Northampton County Council, will not appear on the primary ballot after losing a petition challenge.

Shapiro wants to eliminate both the sales and use tax and the gross receipts tax on cell phone services. Doing so would save Pennsylvanians $124 million each year.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Capehart denied the appeal of Patrick Palmer, who argued election staff should accept his paperwork because he paid a filing fee on time.

Mayor Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. was accused of sexual harassment in 2021. As part of the ensuing settlement, the township's government now has a new sexual harassment policy.

Patrick Palmer, an Allentown School Board director, argued in Lehigh County Court he should not be denied a spot on the primary ballot. County officials ruled he missed the March 7 filing deadline by a matter of seconds.

A change in district boundaries caused Schlossberg to move his local headquarters.

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.

Mark Pinsley announced Friday, Dec. 1, that he will run for auditor general in 2024. The position oversees financial and performance audits of Pennsylvania state government.

County Executive Lamont McClure reiterated Thursday he will not step down after the county experienced widespread problems with its voting machines on Election Day. Despite the problems, the county's Election Commission certified the results last week.

Republican Kat Copeland is hoping her experience as a federal and local prosecutor will help her become Pennsylvania's next attorney general.

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.

County Executive Lamont McClure on Friday accepted the resignation of Charles Dertinger, his director of administration and a longtime political ally. As director of administration, Dertinger oversaw the county elections division, which came under scrutiny in the wake of widespread voting machine problems in the Nov. 7 election.

The Northampton County Republican Committee's legal team is in discussions with the Pennsylvania Republican Committee's legal team on how to proceed toward decertifying the county's election machines.

By a 4-1 vote, the Northampton County Election Commission certified the Nov. 7 election results, despite widespread problems with its voting machines.