🥶 Good morning! Scraping the frost off the windshield in the morning
🗞️ Headlines. CPR moves the PA-08 congressional race to a tie. Fundraising as part of the Provincial Competition. Carlisle Dems View opening. Titusville Cookies “The Coolest Thing Made in Pennsylvania”
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Money (that’s what I want). Barrett Strong
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Lisa Chapel | Sunny, 73
☀️ Mercersburg | Mostly sunlit, 60
☀️ Merion Station | Sunny, 58
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (6-6) | San Francisco 0-5 | Friday-Sunday vs. Arizona
⚾ Pirates (7-5) |San Diego 2-8 | Friday-Sunday at Chicago Cubs
🏀 Sixes (43-36) | Thu in Houston
🏒 Leaflets (40-26-12) | Thu in Detroit
🏒 Penguins (40-22-16) | Thu in New Jersey
⚽ Union (0-0-6) | Saturday vs. Montreal
🔈 What we hear. announcer Mike Johnson wraps up the break with a two-day campaign sweep in Pennsylvania as Republicans work to retain four highly competitive House seats in the battleground state. Johnson is scheduled to be a special guest at fundraisers Ryan Mackenzie reps, Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Bresnahan AND Scott Perry.
💬 Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s leading source of unbiased political news and analysis. Tips and press releases can be submitted [email protected].
📕 PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here.
The most critical story
1. Cook Political Report Moves PA-08 Congressional Race to Tie
“Has Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s stock trading escapades caught up with him?
According to the Cook Political Report, the answer is yes.
The self-described “preeminent forecaster and producer of federal and state election rankings” moved the NEPA contest between Bresnahan (R-08) and Democrat Paige Cognetti from “Lean Republican” to “Toss-up,” giving “America’s Swing State” three coin-toss contests in the U.S. House of Representatives.” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
Deluzio, Lee Say Trump’s rhetoric toward Iran makes him unfit to be president. “U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Navy veteran who strongly opposed Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, said the president’s diatribes against Tehran ‘deserve the president being removed from office.'” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Democratic presidential candidates arrive in New York to campaign on behalf of judicial activists at the Al Sharpton conference. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke first, warning that ‘everyone is less safe’ under President Donald Trump’s leadership and blaming him for a nationwide rise in anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry.” | AP
PA-03: Al Stanford’s congressional campaign used artificial intelligence to answer a candidate questionnaire. “Political campaigns are increasingly using artificial intelligence to power software and other voter targeting tools. However, its use to craft candidate statements remains controversial.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Country
2. Shapiro sets first-quarter fundraising record with $10.5 million; Garrity reports a $1 million contribution
– You don’t win the game in the first quarter.
Just ask the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI – or 51, if you have trouble calculating Latin numbers – who led the New England Patriots 28-3 at halftime before losing in overtime.
But you can certainly put some distance between yourself and the competition in the first quarter.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro did just that after his campaign reported that his campaign contributions and receipts totaled $10.498 million in the quarter ending March 31.” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
Why Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth has a unique understanding of non-citizen voting. “There is someone in Pennsylvania who has perhaps more experience with non-citizen voting than anyone else, a Republican who discovered hundreds of non-citizens who registered to vote and cast ballots in Philadelphia: Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt.” | Let him vote
Butler County special election for Scialabba’s House seat scheduled for August. “Cranberry Township Republican Stephenie Scialabba resigned from her seat representing House District 12 last week. However, voters in the Butler County district will have to wait until late summer to elect someone to complete the remainder of her term.” | THAT’S ALL
Shapiro, Fetterman, McCormick Ask DHS to Improve Security for NFL Draft. “An estimated 700,000 football fans are expected to flock to Pittsburgh in just a few weeks for the 2026 NFL Draft. And while elected officials have said the Steel City is prepared to host the three-day event, three statewide lawmakers are demanding additional support from the Department of Homeland Security.” | Central Square
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Carlisle Democrats have a infrequent chance to flip the GOP stronghold in the Statehouse
“Carlisle-area Democrats gathered Wednesday evening to hear from the candidates who are challenging the Republican candidate in a state House district that has long been considered unaffordable.
But Democrats are increasingly sanguine about their chances as election results both locally and nationwide show stiff opposition to the GOP, even in local races in deep red districts.’ | PennLive
Elsewhere
The Pennsylvania Conservative Leadership Conference begins Thursday. “In what’s called ‘the largest conservative state conference in America,’ the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference begins its three-day deliberations on Thursday at Camp Hill.” | PolitykaPA
Willow Street Man launches Doug Mastriano’s signature campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania. “The main goal, he said, is for Mastriano to gain enough support to win the Republican primary against state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the party-endorsed candidate.” | LNP
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Northwest Pennsylvania wants | Robert Wilson
- Getting rid of “swipe fees” for merchants would punish consumers | Pat Toomey
- We shouldn’t have to pay for Josh Shapiro’s 21-person PR team | Krzysztof Mikołaj
- The Pennsylvania Constitution is 250 years elderly…and as relevant as ever | Brent Landau
1 item
5. Titusville Bakery has a reason to smile; Warner’s Original Cookie and Eat’n Park Classic are ‘the coolest thing made in Pennsylvania’
“The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry has announced the “Coolest Thing Made in Pennsylvania” for 2026, and the winner has roots in the same local town as the oil industry.
According to a press release from the chamber, out of 56 products made in Pennsylvania and from various industries across the commonwealth, Eat’n Park’s “Smiley Cookie” won the title after more than 40,000 votes.
This cookie is well known as the “face” of the Pittsburgh-based Eat’n Park restaurant chain, but what’s less known – except to locals – is that it was created right here in the green hills of northwestern Pennsylvania at Warner’s Bakery in Titusville. | Derrick
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