Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

WLVR News Director Jen Rehill talks with journalists Tom Shortell and Micaela Hood.

Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta declined to discuss complaints about Taiba Sultana's petitions for state representative, saying he did not want to interfere with any potential investigation.

Two recently formed super PACs are attacking Republican Ryan Mackenzie in the GOP primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. But Mackenzie and others allege it is an effort by Democrats to interfere in the crowded primary.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk is yet to officially launch a re-election campaign, but it's safe to assume he'll run in 2025 for a second 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.

Northampton County Elections Office is seeking 10 additional county registered voters to serve as poll workers for the primary election on April 23 and general election on Nov. 5.

The legislation would allow gun owners to keep their weapon stored in their car, but would make it a misdemeanor offense to bring it inside a polling place.

The nominating petition for Taiba Sultana, a candidate for Pennsylvania's 136th House District, contained a questionable signature belonging to a Lisa Boscola. State Sen. Lisa Boscola and incumbent state Rep. Robert Freeman are accusing her of fraud.

Tuesday served as a preview of the political campaigns to come as candidates filed paperwork to appear on the April primary ballot. Voters will decide races for president, Congress and the General Assembly among others this year.

Candidates for president, Congress, the General Assembly and Pennsylvania's row offices must file their petitions with the state by Tuesday. Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley could be a critical swing region at both the national and state levels.

Kevin Dellicker, an intelligence officer in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, nearly upset former Lehigh County Commissioner Lisa Scheller in the 2022 GOP primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. He'll hope to defeat Democratic incumbent Susan Wild in next year's race.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure previously vetoed three measures that could create term limits for most county officials. On Thursday, county council overrode all three.

Maria Montero, a member of former Gov. Tom Corbett's administration, declared her candidacy for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District with the FEC this week. She'll aim to unseat Democratic incumbent Susan Wild in the 2024 congressional race.

Sen. Bob Casey's reelection campaign announced he raised $4 million in the last quarter. The Scranton native will need the money if the 2024 race is anywhere near as expensive as the $167.2 million U.S. Senate campaign in 2022 ultimately won by John Fetterman.

Former state Sen. Pat Browne, one of Governor Josh Shapiro’s cabinet nominees, has officially become Secretary of Revenue. He represented the Lehigh Valley for nearly three decades.

Maria Shantz was one of a group of Republicans who signed a controversial pledge to create policies around gender and rejecting "wokeness."

According to the Lehigh County elections office, the candidate has moved out of the area.

A Pennsylvania state court on Tuesday rejected the latest Republican effort to throw out the presidential battleground state's broad mail-in voting law.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola said she will remain a Democrat but will promote the centrist ideology of the centrist Forward Party co-founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

Allentown voters could see five questions on their ballots in November if the proposals are approved.

Republicans leaders are working to increase the number of conservatives who vote by mail. But they may have their work cut out for them after years of attacking the mail-in ballot system.

Following a vote of the Northampton County Council Thursday night, three amendments to the county's home rule charter will appear on the November ballot.