Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Organizers with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Democratic National Congressional Committee and several other groups invited U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to a town hall event Thursday over proposed Medicaid cuts. Instead, the first-term Republican will hold his own telephone town hall.

Philip Ginder, 74, who served on the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners for 24 years, was appointed on Wednesday to fill the vacancy created when Commissioner Robert Piligian resigned in February.

Candidates for Northampton County Council, Allentown City Council, Allentown mayor and Parkland School Board are being challenged in court for allegedly failing to meet legal requirements to appear on the May ballot.

A Lehigh County judge ruled in favor of LoriAnn Fehnel, a Republican candidate for Whitehall Township Commissioner, who challenged that candidate Betsey H. Charles's nominating petition is invalid and should be set aside.

City officials voted in favor of raising the next council president’s salary from $7,600 to $11,400 a year and council members’ annual pay from $7,100 to $10,650. However, City Council decided against salary increases for the next mayor and controller.

This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell speaks with Celeste Dee, owner of Lehigh Valley-based Advantage Political Strategies. The two talk about judicial campaigns.

The vacancy on the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners will be filled at a meeting on Wednesday night. The board interviewed three candidates on Monday night.

Whitehall Township treasurer/tax collector Tina Koren is asking the Lehigh County Court to reject Commissioner Thomas Slonaker's nominating petition for her job.

Whitehall Township commissioner Republican candidate LoriAnn Fehnel filed a challenge March 14 against fellow Republican candidate Betsey H. Charles, 3212 Chestnut St., based on deficiencies on the latter’s petition.

Gerald C. Yob has been mayor of Freemansburg for 44 years. He served on borough council 12 years before that. Yob turns 96 in August, and plans on running for a 12th term as mayor.

The former city councilman pledged to work with schools and businesses on diversity issues.

The Democratic candidate for Lehigh County judge will appeal the decision 'immediately.'

Many of the ceremonies will be restricted and streamed online because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Opponents say a new Lehigh Valley Senate seat splinters rapidly-growing Latino communities.

The city's first Spanish-speaking mayor will be sworn in Jan. 3.

Leigh Chapman will be the Department of State's fifth leader in seven years.

Commonwealth Court is expected to rule soon on a case that could lead to an election probe.

Council will decide on the process for filling the council vacancy after the inauguration.

Rep. Scott Perry called the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol 'illegitimate.'

Splitting a major city into two districts could affect its school funding, she says.

Both Allentown and Bethlehem would be split into different Senate districts under the plan.

Advocacy groups and Democrats want the state to block the request for voters' partial social security numbers and other sensitive information.