Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

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.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners have until March 29 to fill the vacancy and will conduct public interviews with candidates on Monday starting at 6 p.m.

H.B. 827 was proposed by State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton. The bill aims to establish a tutoring program in which high school students could receive academic credit for being tutors

The 52-year-old from western Pa. defeated U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and 2 other candidates.

The ACLU contends 257 unsigned ballots from Lehigh County should be counted.

The seat was created when legislative maps were redrawn earlier this year.

Fetterman says he expects to make a full recovery and return to the campaign trail soon.

An overwhelming number of mail-in ballot requests statewide and locally come from registered Democrats.

Acting DOS Secretary Leigh Chapman said her conversation with Lehigh County DA Jim Marting was 'brief' and 'cordial.'

At very least, the remapping has divided the city of Allentown, leaders say.

Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Leigh Chapman warns the move may have a 'chilling effect' on voters.

State official says physically monitoring drop boxes may be a form of voter intimidation.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania and several voting rights advocacy groups have asked Martin to drop the plan.

Low polling numbers have kept Alex Khalil out of debates and largely out of public view.

Michigan was a focal point in Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election. Zach Gorchow of Gongwer News Service tells NPR's Ailsa Chang that election misinformation still looms large there.