Pennsylvania
Third-party candidates file to run for president, U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania
Strategists from both major parties fear that he has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades and tip the election against them.
The filings, however, may not be the last word. Legal challenges can be filed through Aug. 8 to contest whether the candidates met the requirement of filing the signatures of 5,000 registered voters.
With its 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is a top-tier prize that has swung between the parties in the last two presidential elections. Both were closely contested: In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and four years later Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump by 81,000 votes.
The Senate contest between Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick could help determine control of the chamber. Three third-party candidates filed to run: John Thomas of the Libertarian Party, Leila Hazou of the Green Party and Bernard Selker of the Constitution Party.
For the open attorney general’s office, Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday are the major party nominees. Third-party candidates filing by Thursday’s deadline were Robert Cowburn of the Libertarian Party, Richard Weiss of the Green Party, Eric Settle of the Forward Party and Justin Magill of the Constitution Party.
For treasurer, the Republican incumbent, Stacy Garrity, is being challenged by Democrat Erin McClelland. Third-party candidates who filed to run for the office are Nickolas Ciesielski of the Libertarian Party, Chris Foster of the Forward Party and Troy Bowman of the Constitution Party.
For auditor general, the Republican incumbent, Tim DeFoor, is being challenged by Democrat Malcolm Kenyatta. Third-party candidates who filed to run for the office are Reece Smith of the Libertarian Party and Alan Goodrich of the Constitution Party.
Pennsylvania
Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police
A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.
According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.
Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.
Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”
Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Pennsylvania
What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania
The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.
Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.
“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.
Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.
In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.
Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.
The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.
“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.
A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.
“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.
One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.
“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”
Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
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