Pennsylvania
Democrats take hope from upset win in a GOP-leaning Pennsylvania state Senate district
Democrat James Andrew Malone narrowly won a special election for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in a stretch of Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities.
MANHEIM, Pa. — Democrat James Andrew Malone narrowly won a special election for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities, scoring an upset in a district that a Democrat hasn’t represented in the chamber for 136 years.
Malone’s victory over Republican Josh Parsons in Tuesday night’s election might provide a light in the darkness for Democrats struggling to unify around a strategy to counter President Donald Trump — and who are at each others’ throats publicly.
Malone said the chaos around Trump’s first two months in office helped him.
“If President Trump were trying to accomplish his agenda in a very methodical and cohesive and by-the-book way, we wouldn’t have as much vitriol as we do right now,” Malone said in an interview Wednesday.
“But he’s chosen to do it the way he does everything, right? Throw a brick in the basket and see what comes out,” said Malone, the mayor of tiny East Petersburg, population 4,500.
One of the top Democrats in the state Senate said Malone’s victory shows the national party the value of talking about protecting Social Security and health care access, amid what he sees as the chaos and pain that Trump’s administration is sowing.
“As much anger that people have, they have anxiety too,” Sen. Vince Hughes of Philadelphia said. “And last night’s election sends a message that people are going to respond.”
The Associated Press called the race Wednesday after receiving information from county officials that there were fewer ballots left to be counted than the margin in the race. Parsons conceded Wednesday. A Malone victory narrows GOP control of the state Senate to a 27-23 seat advantage.
Pennsylvania’s Republican Party chairman, Greg Rothman, said he didn’t think Trump’s performance in office hurt Parsons. The prices of gas and eggs are dropping and the federal government hasn’t cut Social Security or Medicare, he said.
Rather, Democrats did a better job at getting their supporters to vote early by mail, he said, while the more traditional Republican campaign apparently didn’t work.
“We need to take this as a wake-up call to the Republican Party that we can’t be complacent and we can’t just run campaigns like we’ve always run campaigns,” Rothman said. “We need to embrace early voting.”
Malone, 51, said he also was helped by Parsons’ confrontational and secretive style that alienated some Republican voters.
“That got around, you know. I have a contingent that literally just don’t want to see Parsons at the state level,” Malone said.
Parsons is a Lancaster County commissioner, military veteran and former prosecutor who has talked about having visited the White House four times and working with Trump staff on policy issues.
A Democratic flip of that district is a major upset. Trump won the district with 57% of the vote in November’s presidential election over former Vice President Kamala Harris. He went on to win the battleground state of Pennsylvania by almost 2 points.
A Democrat last represented Lancaster County in the Senate in 1889, Democrats say.
The election comes amid Democratic infighting and a torrent of frustration and anger over Senate Democrats in Washington, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, ensuring the passage of a Trump-backed spending measure that rank-and-file Democrats had opposed.
Schumer said the bill’s passage avoided a government shutdown that would have been worse. Following the vote, internal dissension burst into the open, with tension unusually high following the disastrous November election in which Democrats lost control of the White House and Congress.
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Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter.
DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A major downtown street will be repaved under a resurfacing contract awarded this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Borough officials, who have lobbied for years to have East and West State Street resurfaced, announced the news on Wednesday via its Facebook page.
When the project happens later this year, the work will be fully paid for under a major $8.3 million project bid award by PennDOT to repave 16 miles of state highways in Bucks County.
This marks the first time that State Street will be resurfaced since the 1990s, said borough officials, who credited an organized lobbying effort by local leadership and the community for pushing the project forward.
In its Facebook posting, the borough thanked State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, State Rep. Tim Brennan, Borough Council, Mayor Noni West, residents and business owners who brought the street’s condition to PennDOT’s attention.
State Street runs through the heart of the borough and serves as a heavily used business, tourism, and residential corridor for the town. It is home to the County Theater, a popular local and regional tourist attraction, the historic Doylestown Inn, and many other businesses.
More detailed timing and work plans are expected once the state finalizes its construction schedule.
One person is dead, and two others were taken to the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The crash happened around 4:45 p.m. at East Bristol Road and Brownsville roads, police said.
Police said a person driving a Toyota RAV4 was involved in a domestic-related incident in Lower Southampton Township before the crash.
The person driving the Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle while attempting to pass a Hyundai Kona, according to police.
The Toyota then became airborne, struck a Honda SUV and a Ford pickup truck and rolled over. The driver of the Toyota died in the crash, police said.
The driver of the Hyundai Kona left the road and came to a rest after striking a fence on Bristol Road, according to police.
It’s unclear if any drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Bensalem police.
Pennsylvania
Digital News Publishers Launch Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) to Advocate for Local News Organizations – Saucon Source
The publishers of two dozen local news brands across Pennsylvania today announced the official formation of the Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA).
The new Harrisburg-based organization is dedicated to bringing together digital-first local news organizations to strengthen the independent press, modernize laws and policies, and ensure the long-term sustainability of community news.
“The news industry is in a period of profound transformation, and digital news publishers need a seat at the table,” said Tom Sofield, PiNA’s president and publisher of LevittownNow.com.
PiNA’s mission is to provide these publishers with a collective voice, advocating for policies that reflect the modern reality of news consumers, local businesses and civic organizations.
An immediate focus for the new association is the reform of Pennsylvania’s outdated public notice laws, which currently prohibit digital outlets from publishing legal notices. PiNA seeks the right for qualified and established digital outlets to compete against incumbent print outlets and for local municipalities to choose the publication and medium that’s best for their communities. PiNA’s proposed amendment draws from similar legislation in Virginia that was signed into law in 2024.
“PiNA publishers have long been ready to compromise and find policy solutions that work for all Pennsylvanians,” said PiNA secretary and treasurer Davis Shaver, publisher of LebTown. “When lawmakers and local government organizations say they want the ability to self-publish notices, it’s a result of legacy newspapers treating the print monopoly over public notices as a profit center.”
PiNA’s position is that independent outlets can provide the third-party affidavits of publication required to demonstrate compliance with public notice mandates–an essential role of the notice process that would not be possible if agencies were allowed to publish on their own websites.
“We understand why self-publication is desirable, but it’s not the only way to provide urgently needed financial relief for the onerous print newspaper tax on public notices,” said Shaver. “We’re tired of waiting for legacy newspapers to disrupt themselves. Enough is enough, let’s move on.”
PiNA has already engaged with state legislators from across the Commonwealth. PiNA leadership said that the group has been encouraged to learn that its position has widespread support. In particular, PiNA commends Representative Robert Freeman (D-136) for his leadership on this issue.
PiNA represents a group of serious-minded news organizations and leaders. Its membership spans the Commonwealth, from the most rural area to the suburbs and to the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. PiNA member outlets are read by millions of Pennsylvanians monthly.
“We are coming together to advocate for our staffs, our readers and common-sense policies–like public notice reform–that support a free and modern press,” said Sofield. “By combining our strengths, we can ensure that every community in Pennsylvania has access to reliable local news.”
The association will work to bring collaboration among the locally-owned Pennsylvania small businesses to share ideas and solutions for growth, technology and sustainable revenue models.
“We believe in the power of local news to build stronger communities and improve lives,” said Sofield. “By forming PiNA, we’re creating a base for independent publishers to thrive together.”
PiNA is focused on ensuring that high-quality, trustworthy local news is a permanent fixture in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The founding members of PiNA include Burb Media, EYT Media Group, Fideri News Network, Lazerpro, Lebanon Publishing Company, NCPA Media LLC and Street Light Media Group. The first associate members include West Hills Gazette and Saucon Source.
Member Outlets: AroundAmbler.com, CentralBucksNews.com, explore814.com, exploreClarion.com, exploreJeffersonPA.com, exploreVenango.com, GlensideLocal.com, HorshamNow.com, LebTown.com, LevittownNow.com, MediaPANow.com, MoreThanTheCurve.com, NewHopeFreePress.com, NewtownPANow.com, NorthCentralPA.com, NorthPennNow.com, PerkValleyNow.com, PhillyDaily.com, SauconSource.com, StateCollege.com, WestHillsGazette.com, WillowGroveNow.com, and WissNow.com.
About PiNA
The Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) is a trade association representing digital-first local news publishers. PiNA works to promote the health and sustainability of independent news outlets through advocacy, collaboration and innovation.
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