Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Senate Democrats have refused to fund the federal government unless Republicans agree to extend tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Ryan Mackenzie supports the tax subsidies but echoed Republican demands that no deal can be struck until the federal government is funded.

Candidates for Southern Lehigh School Board participated in a forum Tuesday at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are seven candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Candidates for Parkland School Board will participate in a forum tonight at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are six candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Northampton County Council voted down a measure Thursday that would have required administrators to seek the council's approval before spending money on planned satellite voting offices in Bethlehem and Washington Township.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure released his proposal Thursday for the 2026 county budget. The proposal keeps taxes flat.

From its founding via executive order at the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiencies, or DOGE, intended to accomplish a number of lofty goals. But has DOGE lived up to its promise?

Thousands of federal employees are expected to go on furlough and millions more will be expected to work without pay after Congress failed to reach a short-term funding deal by Wednesday's deadline.

Pennsylvania's counties, school districts and social service agencies are warning of mounting layoffs, borrowing costs and damage to the state’s safety net as the politically divided state government enters its fourth month of a budget stalemate.

Candidates for East Penn School Board will participate in a forum tonight at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are seven candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Candidates for Allentown School Board will participate in a forum tonight at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. Seven of the 8 candidates on the ballot are expected to participate.

Amid accusations of sexual harassment, the former mayor is out — and four candidates are in the running.

Many of the nine candidates seeking one of five seats on the board said the race has been insulated from clashes over social issues.

Easton City Council approved a measure to increase the salary for the police department's unfilled community advocate position and establish a new internship at City Hall.

Candidates have formed two groups: one made up of mostly incumbents, and the other made up of Republican challengers. Transparency, spending and projected overcrowding in the district's middle and high schools have become key issues in the race.

Easton's City Council primary will feature seven candidates competing for three open seats. Priorities for the contenders include affordable housing and neighborhood development.

Democrats in Lehigh and Northampton counties requested three times more mail-in ballots than their Republican neighbors for next week's primary election.

Culture war issues are hot topics in the races for four of the nine seats on the Nazareth Area School Board up for election this year. Three incumbents are not seeking re-election.

East Penn School Board race features two contentious slates of candidates.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, in order to vote in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary.

Three of the four incumbents are not seeking re-election to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners this year. That leaves the Democratic primary — and future control of the board — wide open.

Democratic mayoral primary candidates Peter Melan and incumbent Sal Panto Jr. addressed affordable housing, parking and other topics in a debate organized by Lafayette College. The election is May 16.

Easton's Democratic primary will feature a faceoff between longstanding Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and councilman Peter Melan.