🎉 TGIF. The deadline to register to vote is Monday.
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Ligonier | Sunny, 68
☀️ Woolrich | Sunny, 66
☀️ Pottsgrove | Sunny, 69
Sports PA
🏒 Leaflets (1-3) | Seattle 4-6 | Saturday vs. Vancouver
🏒 Penguins (3-2) | Friday vs. Karolina | Sun vs. Winnipeg
🏈 Temple (1-5) | Saturday vs. Tulsa
🏈 Eagles (4-2) | Sun vs. NY Giants
🏈 Steelers (4-2) | Sun vs. NY Jets
⚽ Union (9-10-14) | Saturday vs. Cincinnati
📫 Report on postal votingT. Pennsylvanians have requested 1,758,409 mail-in ballots and 692,561, or 39 percent, have already been returned. Democrats returned 450,379 (67%) of requested requests, while Republicans returned 179,208 (35%).
👂 What we hear. NRDC Votes, an independent political spending committee dedicated to preventing hazardous climate change, will spend $250,000 on digital communications urge voters to reject Rob Bresnahan in PA-08.
🎂 Happy birthday. Early cake and candles for Vice President Kamala Harris AND His. Scott Martin (Sunny.)
🗞️ Political news from the Swing State. Where can you find the latest information on political events in the Keystone State? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Guide. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8am. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and sign up now.
The most essential story
1. Why Republicans care about a solid blue Pennsylvania county
“JD Vance on Thursday afternoon, he delivered an optimistic message about the Trump campaign that was at odds with the city’s political reality. He promised that Republicans would not only show up in a Democratic stronghold, but win it.
It would be difficult to find a Republican in Pittsburgh or its suburbs who agreed with Vance’s views. Trump will almost certainly lose the county he is in. However, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania’s second most populous county, is home to more than 250,000 registered Republicans. That’s more Republican voters than any other county in the state, and the final margin Trump loses could determine victory in Pennsylvania and the presidency. (known)
Elsewhere
Are Philadelphia’s suburbs the key to the White House? Why Trump and Harris Are Refocusing on Collar Counties. “The intense renewed focus on Philadelphia counties shows no sign of slowing as both campaigns enter a new phase of the presidential race — one aimed at attracting their voters to the polls, not persuading new supporters.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Fearful that Democrats’ blue wall could crack, governors are going after Kamala Harris. “The Democratic governors of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin went on a quickly organized bus tour this week, traversing the fall landscape to emphasize the urgency of Vice President Kamala Harris in must-win states where some Democrats fear she is struggling. ”(AP)
- Liz Cheney urges Republicans to vote for Kamala Harris. (CBS Pittsburgh)
Trump’s rambling speeches are rallying his critics and unsettling his allies. “Trump advisers and allies worry that Trump’s impetuosity and scattershot style on the campaign trail are unnecessarily risking victory in battleground states where the margin for error is shrinking.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
- On Sunday, Trump will host a town hall at the Lancaster County Convention Center. (LNP)
Democrats see warning signs for Harris with Latinos in Pennsylvania. “Hispanic political and business leaders in Pennsylvania have privately warned Kamala Harris’ campaign that she is not doing enough to engage Latino voters and elected officials in the state, jeopardizing her chances of defeating Donald Trump here.” (POLICY)
Country
2. Casey and McCormick weigh in on inflation, taxes and more
“In many ways, the economy is booming.
Unemployment is low, the labor market is strong and inflation – after rising sharply to a 40-year high in 2022 – has fallen significantly.
But we wouldn’t know that by listening to the major party candidates running for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, who have created lingering voter malaise over widespread price hikes.” (PA reflector)
Elsewhere
CPR: Scott Perry’s race is starting to turn up. “Republicans remain optimistic that Perry will make it to the finish line, but Janelle Stelson’s spending attack has put this race in the Toss Up column.” (Cook Political Report)
If dollars were votes, Pennsylvania Democrats would measure office counts by curtains. “Here’s one thing that Pirates fans and politicians alike know: If you want to be competitive in October, you have to raise and spend money before the season starts.” (WESA policy)
What does a state treasurer do and who runs for office in Pennsylvania? “Incumbent Republican Stacey Garrity faces Democratic challenger Erin McClelland to lead the department responsible for protecting and managing government money and administering programs designed to empower families financially.” (Key)
Nouri Attacks GOP Voters Abroad Lawsuit. “The Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District on Thursday criticized a lawsuit that seeks to require election officials to conduct background checks for overseas ballots.” (CNHI News)
Browne is asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to intervene in a case involving Senate tax records. “Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne filed an appeal Wednesday asking the state Supreme Court to block the state Senate’s subpoena for testimony about Allentown’s economic development program.” (Penn Capital Star)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. In Pennsylvania, Talk Radio reaches the ears of rural voters
“As the 2024 campaign comes to a close, there is a key dynamic in Pennsylvania and other swing states: the ultimate influence of talk radio.
Depending on your political point of view, talk radio is either a refreshing breath of air and a break from the big-city, left-wing news channels that populate cable television, or a repository of misinformation and mischaracterizations presented in a programming format that the left-leaning Center for American Progress says is undeniably conservative. (Inside the Radio)
Elsewhere
These Pennsylvania counties are notifying voters of mail-in ballot errors. “Philadelphia is among more than half of Pennsylvania counties that, according to an ACLU analysis, notify voters if they submitted faulty absentee ballots and allow them to correct errors before polls close.” (Axios Philadelphia)
A Republican congressional candidate is challenging Delaware County’s voting machines. “Three and a half weeks before the election, the Republican candidate for the 5th U.S. Congressional District on Friday filed a motion for a preliminary injunction alleging that some of the testing voting machines scheduled for use on November 5 were found to be equipped with software enabling data manipulation. (Delaware County Times)
Lawmakers see more registered voters this election. “Two Republican federal lawmakers see an increase in voter turnout in rural districts ahead of the Nov. 5 election, which will be an important race for president, vice president and U.S. senator for Pennsylvanians.” (Sun Williamsport newspaper)
Haven’t received your absentee ballot? Erie County voters will get it. “There were delays in shipping some batches of ballots from the U.S. Postal Service or from ElectionIQ, an Akron, Ohio-based post office with which the district contracts.” (Erie Times-News)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 item
5. Young Americans swipe left to see Trump voters
“Politics enters the dating sphere when young people say how someone else’s vote will affect their feelings.
- Why it matters: The consequences are more severe for supporters of former President Trump.
By the numbers: According to a New Generation Lab poll, 43% of 18- to 34-year-olds say they would rate a date more negatively if they were told they voted for Trump.
The other side: 19% say they would have a negative opinion of someone who voted for Vice President Harris” (Axles)
