😀 I’ve got Friday on my mind. Make it a great weekend.
Weather in Pennsylvania
☔ Żaneta | Showers, 75
🌂Kulpmont | Cloudy, with a chance of rain, 70
☁️Telford | Cloudy, 72
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (94-65) | Friday-Sunday vs. Washington
⚾ Pirates (74-85) | Milwaukee 2-5 | Friday-Sunday vs. NY Yankees
🏈 Temple (1-4) | Army 14-42 | October 5 vs. UConn
🏈 Pennsylvania State (3-0) | Saturday vs. Illinois
⚽ Union (9-9-12) | Saturday vs. AtlantaUnited
🏈 Eagles (2-1) | Sun vs. Tampa Bay
🏈 Steelers (3-0) | Sun vs. Indianapolis
🎂 Happy birthday. Early cake and candles for Representative KC Tomlinson (Sunny.).
📊 PoliticsPA Poll Tracker (average of the last 5 PA polls)
President: Harris +1.2% | Senate: Casey +6.0%
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The most critical story
1. The key demographic situation in Pennsylvania that could torpedo Kamala Harris
“America’s second Catholic president visited his childhood neighborhood in April when he employed a bit of ritualized Irish Democrat politicking.
Joe Biden local ties and cultural roots helped him to victory in 2020 here in Lackawanna County, the population center of increasingly red northeastern Pennsylvania. In this most Catholic part of the swing state, with the second-largest Catholic population, Biden overtook Hillary Clinton his 2016 pace, which enabled him to narrowly win statewide by one percentage point.
But now that Democrats are fighting for the state with Kamala Harris as a candidate, their chances of winning in the region or performing well enough there to maintain the state’s position appear much smaller. “Local Democrats are concerned not only about losing Biden – an older, white Catholic with working-class sympathies – from the top spot on the candidate list.” (POLICY)
Elsewhere
Trump’s messaging on immigration is full of misinformation. But it holds up in PA. “We have to send them back to where they came from,” Boyd Sweinberg, a 63-year-old government worker, said last month at the Luzerne County fair. “We know they are here. We just haven’t seen them yet.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
3 takeaways from Harris and Trump’s visits to Western Pennsylvania. “It’s safe to say that Western Pennsylvania is currently the center of the political universe. But as a political reporter, I was recently reminded that according to the Big Bang theory, the center of the universe is the place from which everyone and everything escapes as quickly as possible.” (WESA policy)
Former President Donald Trump returns to Erie for the second time since entering the ’24 race. “Former President Donald Trump is returning to Erie on Sunday to rally supporters in critical Bellwether County, the Trump campaign confirmed in an email Thursday.” (Erie Times-News)
The DNC will send funds to all state parties to support lower-vote races. “The nearly $2.5 million investment aims to help break Republican majorities in deep red states and strengthen voter engagement efforts across the U.S.” (POLICY)
Country
2. U.S. House of Representatives Announcement: 8th Congressional District
“This is the first in our series highlighting key U.S. House races in the commonwealth.
The 8th Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties. Democrat Matt Cartwright is the incumbent president facing a Republican challenger Rob Bresnahan” (PolitykaPA)
Elsewhere
Why in vitro fertilization played a key role in the Lehigh Valley race for Congress. “Perceived risks to in vitro fertilization have made the reproductive health care procedure a central issue in the Lehigh Valley congressional race.” (Morning talk in Allentown)
Shapiro slams Donald Trump for ‘completely false’ claims about Haitian immigrants in Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said during a recent podcast that former President Donald Trump’s repeatedly debunked claims about Haitian immigrants in Charleroi, Pennsylvania are “complete and absolute nonsense….” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
PA treasurer candidates argue over campaign financing and investments. “A Democratic challenger for state treasurer is calling for more transparency from her GOP incumbent opponent, even as she is accused of conspiracy theories and failing to accurately report her campaign finances.” (PennLive)
The AP’s richest person is pumping millions of dollars into the race for attorney general. “Dave Sunday’s spate of spending has sparked allegations from his Democratic opponent Eugene DePasquale that the Republican is trying to shield the dollars from the public to avoid ties to donor billionaire Wall Street trader Jeff Yass.” (PA reflector)
Philadelphia District Attorney Wins Legally Against GOP Impeachment Proposal. “Pennsylvania legislators who tried to improperly impeach Philadelphia’s progressive elected prosecutor tried to stretch the process into two different legislative sessions, the state supreme court ruled Thursday.” (AP)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Early voting is now available in 9 Pennsylvania counties
“Now that the Pennsylvania Department of State has approved the official list of candidates, counties across the Commonwealth are printing ballots and mailing absentee ballot requests without an excuse to voters who requested them.
According to DOS, ballots are currently available in nine counties in the state. Registered voters can go to their county elections office, request an absentee ballot, fill out the ballot and return as soon as it is finished – or what many call “early voting.”
Elsewhere
Allegheny County announces absentee ballots will be delivered soon. “To date, 175,000 mail-in ballot applications have been processed, election officials say; 6,700 poll workers were recruited. (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
As voting begins, legal questions arise regarding absentee ballots in Pennsylvania. “From so-called ‘undated ballots’ to so-called ‘naked ballots,’ the range of cases in state and federal courts centers on what to do when voters return mail-in ballots on time but fail to comply with all rules for having their votes counted.” (WVIA)
Pennsylvania’s hampered elections office is facing criticism from both sides. “A battleground Pennsylvania county with a history of voting errors is facing fierce criticism from activists on both sides of the political spectrum over its handling of the 2024 presidential vote.” (Guardian)
Breaking down GOP growth and Democratic voter decline in Pennsylvania, county by county. “Although Democrats had a significant advantage in Pennsylvania in 2008 following the campaign and election of Barack Obama, the Republican Party has grown since then. Independent and third party voters are also seeing steady growth.” (WESA)
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania Man admits he voted five times in two elections. How did he do it?. “A 62-year-old Montgomery County man pleaded guilty to committing voter fraud after registering to vote at three locations and casting five votes in the 2020 and 2022 elections.” (Bucks County Courier Times)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Small businesses deserve a fair chance to compete in the PA cannabis market. (Chad Harlacker)
- Lies about Haitian immigrants harm them and America. (Krystyna Flowers)
- Pennsylvania State Grange raises alarm on mental health in rural areas, says Shapiro must act. (Matthew Esbenshade)
1 item
5. Farewell, farewell, Lantern
“Vice President Kamala Harris received an unfriendly welcome from a spotted lanternfly this week after her plane landed in Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Executive Sarah in love quickly neutralized the threat. She flicked a bug out of Harris’s pants and stepped on it.
“My instincts kicked in and I ripped it off her pant leg and crushed it,” Innamorato said. “I looked up and saw her looking at me questioningly and a little scared. I said, ‘Welcome to Allegheny County.'” (Greensburg Tribune Review)
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