Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

The Lehigh Valley's congressional showdown already is shaping up to be among the nation's costliest races for 2026. Tom Shortell and Chris Borick break it all down in this week's Political Pulse.

More than a month past the budget deadline, Lehigh Valley state Sens. Jarrett Coleman and Nick Miller offered little optimism a deal was around the corner.

U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Lisa McClain praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for helping manufacturing companies and workers during a tour of Ampal Inc. in Lower Towamensing Township.

Between delayed state funding and federal cuts, Second Harvest Food Bank does not have enough food to meet demand, its leaders say.

Lehigh Country Controller Mark Pinsley criticized President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie for gutting the social safety net and Democratic leaders for failing to offer effective resistance.

Mark Pinsley is the fourth Democrat to challenge Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley's battleground district in the 2026 midterm.

Ed Zucal lost the Democratic primary by more than 60 percentage points but earned almost 500 write-in votes from Allentown Republicans to carry the contest into November.

This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick discuss how President Trump is attempting to redefine citizenship, including challenges to century-old legal findings.

The Lehigh Valley’s James Lawson Freedom School is a six-week summer program that uses a multicultural literacy curriculum and an intergenerational teaching model.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said Congress should intervene if the Trump administration fails to release details of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The sex offender and financier's death in custody in 2019 has sparked years of speculation and conspiracy theories.

The League of Women Voters of Lehigh County hosted the forum where the pledge signed onto by the "true Republicans" was center stage.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will address New Hampshire Democrats at their state convention Saturday, marking his first trip to an early primary state. His dominant victory in the 2022 governor's race raised Shapiro's political star in national circles.

Under the new format, prompts on the computer screens in driver’s license centers in Pennsylvania will take the user to a template to register to vote.

LV Print Center in Allentown produces millions of political materials every election cycle, mostly for Democratic candidates. Their work has been used at every local, from local school board candidates to President Joe Biden, according to owners Maggie Wert and Ervin Fetherman.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with reporters Tom Shortell and Brittany Sweeney.

Republicans have long demonized mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, and experts say it's cost the party elections. Win Again PAC, formed by rivals Dean Browning and Lisa Scheller, is attempting to get irregular GOP voters to embrace the method and swing close races.

There's two new candidates in the Allentown School Board race and one in the Southern Lehigh School board race.

Lehigh County officials determined the proposed legislation had more than a dozen problems, making it too problematic to present to Allentown voters. The bill would have dispatched an EMT and mental health professional to certain calls and prohibited other first responders from going.

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

Conservative voters walked away impressed with Vivek Ramaswamy's performance in Wednesday's Republican presidential debate, but most still pined for former President Donald Trump.

"PBS NewsHour" filmed a segment of “America at a Crossroads" at the PBS39 studios in Bethlehem. Former longtime PBS anchor Judy Woodruff fronts the series.

State law gives Northampton County Republicans a little over a week to find a candidate willing to take on Democrat Stephen Baratta in a high-profile race for district attorney.