Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

Democratic VIPs including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DNC Chair Ken Martin and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild attended the town hall at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Thursday night. The evening came with a rebuke to attendees from the church pastor.

At a virtual town hall Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said he did not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security, called for peace in Ukraine, and gently pushed back on how the Trump administration handled cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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.

Former President Trump's endorsement of Dr. Mehmet Oz could have mixed results, some say.

A Lehigh County probe showed 288 cases of people depositing more than one ballot - a violation of the law.

Norberto Dominguez says a shortened timeframe to campaign affected his decision.

In most cases the violators can't be identified, so no one will be prosecuted.

Lisa Scheller and Kevin Dellicker are seeking the Republican nomination for the 7th Congressional District.

Attention focused on a candidate not in attendance -- Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Six candidates -- 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats -- are vying for the Lehigh Valley's new state Senate seat.

Among the demands: moderators be registered Republicans who live in Pennsylvania.

Candidates say they intend to run for the Lehigh Valley's new Senate seat as well as a 3rd state House seat in Allentown.

Amy Cozze has left the Northampton County elections department and is now working for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)

The party is launching its campaign for the wide-open races of governor and U.S. Senate.

Pennsylvania is losing a seat in the U.S. House because of population losses in the 2020 Census.