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The most crucial story
1. McCormick loses key Pennsylvania Senate job and ousts Casey
“Republican David McCormick won a key U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania as the former CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund defeated three-term Democrats Senator Bob Casey in Tuesday’s elections after accusing the incumbent president of supporting policies leading to inflation, internal unrest and war.
The victory gave Republicans a majority in the Senate, which they wrested from Democratic control this week, and turned out to be the second most expensive race in the country, playing alongside the Republican-won presidential contest Donald Trump in the most important battleground state in the country.” (AP)
Elsewhere
According to the AP, Republican Dave McCormick shockingly unseats longtime US senator Bob Casey. “Three-term Sen. Bob Casey Jr. he didn’t budge. The AP called on Thursday, although votes were still being counted.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
AP announces McCormick victorious over Casey in race for U.S. Senate seat. “Dave McCormick, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP Senate nomination two years ago, capped his comeback with a victory over three-term incumbent Bob Casey Jr.” (PoliticsPA)
Why Trump won – 9 lessons from the 2024 election. “What happened during the 2024 elections was a political earthquake. How did it happen? Donald Trump’s victory starts with the issues that led to a shift to the right in this election – and it was driven by men.” (WQLN)
Kamala Harris had to surpass Joe Biden’s success in the Philadelphia suburbs to win PA. She did worse. “Three of Philadelphia’s four counties remained solidly blue, but Vice President Kamala Harris did not win enough votes in the suburbs to offset losses in the rest of the state.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
What happened and what’s next after the 2024 elections? “Observations on History in the Making, Upcoming House Races, and the Future of Polling.” (Roll call)
Country
2. Welcome to the 2028 presidential election cycle
“As the Democrat quarterback on Wednesday morning Vice President Kamala Harris“Election Night Defeat in Pennsylvania.” Governor Josh Shapiro will take on a novel role: presidential favorite.
Welcome to the 2028 presidential election cycle.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Elsewhere
Scott Perry defeats Janelle Stelson and wins re-election in PA-10. “Unofficial results show that six-term incumbent Rep. Scott Perry (R-10) defeated former news anchor Janelle Stelson in the race for the 10th Congressional District. ”(Penn Capital Star)
The GOP flips 2 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania, and Republican Scott Perry wins again. “Republicans knocked out Democrats in two long-contested U.S. House seats in eastern Pennsylvania, while Republican Scott Perry, one of the chamber’s toughest right-wing members, survived a challenge in a more moderate southern Pennsylvania district.” (AP)
Democrats hope to maintain their majority in the House of Representatives. “In an election that favored Republican incumbents and candidates, Pennsylvania Democrats are hopeful their majority in the Keystone State’s lower house will be maintained.” (PoliticsPA)
The 72nd House race remains undecided as vote counting continues. “As of Wednesday evening, the winner of the race for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ 72nd Legislative District seat had not yet been determined. No timetable has been given for when the result will be known.” (CNHI News)
- Update: Frank Burns (no) leads Amy Bradley (R) by a majority of 936 votes (16,623 to 15,687), with 111 of 125 precincts reporting.
Shapiro welcomes “free and fair” elections in Pennsylvania and vows to protect freedoms. “Gub. Josh Shapiro said “the will of the people must be respected” and congratulated candidates on both sides of the ballot. (PennLive)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Watching everything fall apart in Pennsylvania
“Perhaps it showed when the mayor of Philadelphia said nothing Kamala Harrisname. Chelle Parker last night she watched her fellow Democrats at a private club northeast of Center City. On stage, she beamed with pride at how she could do it Donald Trumpfalse claims on social media, Election Day was conducted freely and fairly throughout her city.
But Parker did not – could not – telegraph her party’s victory.” (Atlantic)
Elsewhere
Republicans flip northeast Philly’s Senate seat in what Democrats called the “most embarrassing part” of election results. According to the Associated Press, “Joe Picozzi, 29, will become the first Republican state senator to represent Philadelphia in more than two decades.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
After Trump and Republicans won in swing-state Pennsylvania, Democrats are looking for answers. “There will be a lot of finger-pointing, and some of it may show up in a political magazine near you. You may hear about how local politicians have tried to use the national ticket to their advantage and vice versa. And while Republicans baselessly complain that Philadelphia is producing votes that aren’t there, politicians in western Pennsylvania have the opposite complaint: that up until Election Day, Philadelphia Democrats told them there would be votes they never actually had. (WESA policy)
Pennsylvania counties counted absentee ballots faster this year than in 2020. “Employees are still not allowed to start processing ballots until Election Day, but changes in staffing and technology have helped them speed things up.” (Let him vote)
Police say false bomb threats were sent to at least 32 Pennsylvania counties on Election Day. “According to a Pennsylvania State Police spokesman, the emailed threats, all unsubstantiated, targeted polling places, election offices and other government buildings, some of which did not include any location.” (PhillyBurbs.com)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Election lessons for Republicans and Democrats. (Sam DeMarco)
- WTF just happened? (Larry Platt)
- Dave McCormick won. Bob Casey should not drag the state through a senseless recount. (Kyle Sammin)
- McCormick is the leader Pennsylvania needs. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
- After 248 years, America is preparing to live under the rule of a king. (Will Bunch)
- A nation on the brink: Why the 2024 presidential election is a murky turning point in American history. (H. James Hulton)
1 item
5. How the death of italics complicates our choices
“The death of cursive has become a problem for voters and election officials.
Young people who vote by mail and have never been taught to use cursive risk having their ballots thrown away if the signature they sign on the mailed ballot envelope does not match the signature on file that the state uses to verify their identity . That’s what happened to about 28,000 voters in Nevada last Tuesday on Election Day.
Cursive has been out of fashion for some time now and has a number of cultural implications. This has prompted the federal government to seek volunteers who can transcribe cursive historical documents before they become as illegible to the average American as hieroglyphs.” (Fast Company)
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