🌄 Good morning! Greetings to the fresh week
📰 PA Policy Playbook Headlines. Inside the AOC vs. Shapiro Proxy war. Shapiro to State Senate: “Get back to work” and “Do their part.” How the Lehigh Valley electorate has changed. No cheesecakes at the PGA Championship.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Cartwheel. Dariusz Rucker
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Murrysville | Mostly radiant, 63
🌤️ Hummels Quay | Partly radiant, 64
🌤️ Fleetwood | Partly radiant, 63
Sports PA
⚾ Pirates (22-19) | San Francisco 6-7 | Tuesday-Thursday vs. Colorado
⚾ Phillies (19-22) | Colorado 0-6 | Tuesday-Thursday in Boston
🏀 Sixes (0-4) | New York 114-144
🏒 Flyers (0-4) | Karolina 2-3 (OT)
⚽ Union (1-2-9) | New England 1-2 | Wednesday – Orlando City
✅Primaries 2026. Check out our Pennsylvania primary previews, polls and prediction markets.
💬 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 crucial story
1. AOC vs. Shapiro Proxy War
“Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is quietly trying to derail a leftist congressional candidate New York is championing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAxios learned.
Why it matters: The May 19 primary elections represent an early test of strength for two potential rivals in the 2028 presidential campaign.
The contest is also a microcosm of the nationwide civil war between the liberal and centrist wings of the Democratic Party.” | Axles
Elsewhere
Shapiro endorses Harvie in PA-01. “Bob Harvie’s campaign for the 1st Congressional District got a big boost on Sunday when Gov. Josh Shapiro formally endorsed a Bucks County commissioner.” | PoliticsPA
PA-03: Big money flows into Philadelphia congressional race as all three leading candidates hit the airwaves. “Progressive groups spent $1 million on Chris Rabb ads, while deep-pocketed Philadelphia construction unions send out mailers to boost Sharif Street. Al Stanford ads have been on TV for months.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
The Philadelphia congressman could play a powerful role if Democrats win large. “U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle won’t talk about it without knocking first. If Democrats gain a majority in the House of Representatives in November, he will chair a powerful committee tasked with overseeing the federal budget process. ” | WHTM
PA-07: Who can defeat the Trump-loving AP congressman? 4 Democrats present their arguments. “The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner of the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District will be showered with millions in campaign cash in hopes of unseating a seemingly vulnerable GOP incumbent and helping turn the House of Representatives blue in this year’s midterm elections. | PennLive
PA-10: Democratic candidates speak ahead of primary elections. “Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District Democratic Primary Election Enters Final Stage as Former TV News Anchor Janelle Stelson and Justin Douglas Deliver Their Closing Speeches to Democratic Voters in FOX43 Interviews” | WPMT
Country
2. Shapiro to State Senate: ‘Get back to work’ and ‘Do their part’
“We urge the Pennsylvania State Senate, now scheduled to reconvene on June 1, Governor Josh Shapiro he stated that the chamber should “get back to work” and “get the budget to my desk as soon as possible.”
Speaking in Lancaster County on Friday, the governor was asked by PoliticsPA to respond to the Democratic Party’s statement Sense. Jay Costa AND Vincent Hughes that Republican senators are “wasting their time.”
“But they should go back to work. They should do their job. They should get the budget on my desk as soon as possible. ” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
The governor is calling on federal authorities to issue a disaster declaration for agricultural producers affected by the crop freeze. “Governor Josh Shapiro visited Lancaster County on Friday and called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite disaster assistance for Pennsylvania farmers affected by severe April freezes.” | PoliticsPA
PA House Democrats are planning a bill to protect minority voters after a landmark Supreme Court ruling. “State House Democrats plan to introduce legislation that would tighten Pennsylvania’s standards for minority voter representation, following last week’s Supreme Court decision that created a less stringent interpretation of the federal Voting Rights Act.” | PennLive
Shapiro maintains a forceful financial advantage while Garrity lags in fundraising. “Governor Josh Shapiro’s campaign fundraising continues to dwarf the efforts of Republican challenger Stacy Garrity, as he finished the latest reporting period with more than $36 million more in available cash than she did.” | PennLive
McCormick says gas prices could drop soon. “Sen. Dave McCormick told Axios on Thursday that gas prices should drop quickly once the Iran war ends, which he believes will happen relatively soon.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Around the Republic of Poland
3. How has the Lehigh Valley electorate changed since the last midterm elections?
“While the number of Lehigh Valley voters has increased by almost 5% in the four years since the last midterm elections and now stands at more than 484,000 registered voters, the number of Democrats has decreased by more than 5,000, or 2.4%, while the number of Republicans has increased by more than 13,000, or 8.2%.
But the number of people who chose to be a member of neither major party has grown at an even faster rate – 16.2% in four years, now surpassing 101,000 voters in the Lehigh Valley, a fresh Morning Call analysis of registered voters shows.’ | Morning talk in Allentown
Elsewhere
PA Supreme Court ruling on voting records creates uncertainty for counties. “Last month, in a rare unanimous decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the public should have access to highly detailed election results data, making it easier for researchers to analyze voting patterns and for those concerned about voter fraud to check the results. But it is unclear how many counties will be able to share that data because of unanswered technology issues and concerns about keeping ballots secret in some jurisdictions.” | PA reflector
Two senators from southwestern Pennsylvania face GOP primary challengers. “State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin, faces a challenge in the GOP primary from Harry Young Cochran of Connellsville, who is seeking to win his fourth term in the state’s 32nd Senate District. In the west, state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll, faces Republican challenger Al Buchtan of Cumberland Township, who is also seeking a fourth term in the state’s 46th Senate District.” | Uniontown Herald-Standard
HD-148: Extremely crowded primary school replacing State Rep. Mary Jo Daley plays in Montco. “Four candidates are vying for Daley’s seat: former Narberth Mayor Andrea Deutsch, Pennsylvania House staffer Megan Griffin-Shelley, environmental lawyer Jason Landau Goodman and criminal justice researcher Leo Solga.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
HD-45: Catena apologizes for Mailer’s attack on rival over transgender athletes. “Pat Catena, the Allegheny County Council chairman running for a House seat, is apologizing for a campaign mailer that accused his rival Brittany Bloam of being ‘supported by a far-left group that advocates for transgender athletes in our sports.'” | THAT’S ALL
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Stay and Fight – Why John Fetterman Should Remain a Democrat | Terry Tracy
- Why is the Dem Dark Money group spending money to get me – a GOP consultant – to go Democrat? | Krzysztof Mikołaj
- A $15 minimum wage shouldn’t be a problem | Colin McNickle
- How Pennsylvania’s New Paid Leave Law Leaves the Sandwich Generation Behind | Kate Perepezko
- Shapiro betrayed Pennsylvania children in 2023. He can’t do it again in 2026 | Andrew Lewis
- Open primaries are a bad idea | Pat Wandling
- Clean debate on emissions controls | Grandstand overview
1 item
5. 7,000 Wawa donuts and 600 Isgro desserts bring Philly flavor to the PGA Championship, but without cheesecake
“There will be no cheesesteak available for purchase at the 2026 PGA Championship, but options from Wawa, Isgro Pastries and several other Philadelphia-area companies will be on the menu at Aronimink Golf Club when play begins next week.
Patina Group, the PGA of America’s catering partner, will source various products and ingredients from more than a dozen other local companies. Wawa will provide 7,104 donuts for the tournament, and South Philadelphia-based Isgro Pastries will prepare 600 desserts, including 90 pounds of Italian cookies. LeBus Bakery in King of Prussia will provide 1,400 bagels, and Levante Brewing Co. from West Chester 2,600 cans of its The Mink IPA beer. | Philadelphia Business Journal
Thank you for starting your week with us.
Make it great. See you on Tuesday.
