Pennsylvania
In politically riven Pennsylvania, primary voters will pick candidates in presidential contest year
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The two parties in Pennsylvania’s state House and its congressional delegation are nearly evenly divided, and that won’t change once results are in from next week’s primary election.
But come November, the candidates the parties will select April 23 for hundreds of legislative seats could alter what has been years of policy paralysis in Harrisburg and the similar partisan deadlock in Congress.
The state’s voters will also cast primary ballots for this year’s marquee contests for president and U.S. Senate. Democratic incumbents Joe Biden and Bob Casey and Republican challengers Donald Trump and Dave McCormick are shoo-ins to appear on the fall ballot.
Both parties will pick candidates for state attorney general, which was in Republican hands before Democrats went on a winning streak starting in 2012.
In the two other statewide “row office” contests, Republicans Stacy Garrity, the treasurer, and Tim DeFoor, the auditor general, will find out which Democrats will try to unseat them in the fall.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
It took months and several special elections before Democrats were able to nail down their return to majority control of the state House last year, elevating one of their own to speaker in a chamber where the partisan breakdown is now 102-100. One seat, in a Poconos district where a Republican resigned in February, is vacant and will be filled by special election on primary day.
With the entire chamber on the ballot this year, Republicans would love to flip it back, denying Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro legislative leverage in policy and budget battles.
In the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 28-22 majority, Democrats would need to flip at least three seats in order for Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis’ tie-breaking vote to give them control.
Among the 25 Senate seats up this year, nearly half the total, or 12 incumbent senators, face no opponents this year.
There are contested Senate primaries in both parties for notable vacancies in a Republican-held seat in the Harrisburg area and a Democratic-held seat in Pittsburgh. The third vacancy is a Republican majority district in northern York County.
LEGISLATIVE SHAKEUP
Democratic Rep. Nick Pisciottano, of Allegheny County, is leaving the House to run, along with two other Democrats and two Republicans, for a state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny.
Rep. Dawn Keefer, R-York, is departing the lower chamber in a run to succeed retiring Sen. Mike Regan, R-York. Another House departure is Rep. Patty Kim, of Dauphin County, facing off against another Democrat for the nomination in the third Senate district involving a retirement, that of Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin. Two Republicans also are vying to succeed DiSanto.
DiSanto’s seat is widely seen as the Senate Democrats’ best chance for a pickup. Their longshot bid for the majority also likely would require beating Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sen. Devlin Robinson, a first-term Republican whose district surrounds the western side of Pittsburgh.
Sen. Dave Argall, of Schuylkill County, who heads the GOP’s Senate campaign effort, said a razor-close win for Brewster four years ago makes that a battleground, but their efforts to stay in the majority are wider.
“There are going to be battles all across the state, but it’s still pretty early to predict which ones are going to rise to the top of the list,” Argall said.
Lawmakers in nearly half of the 203 House seats, and slightly more Democrats than Republicans, have no primary or General Election opponents this year and can plan on serving another term starting in January.
There aren’t many House vacancies this cycle: just nine seats held by Republicans and four by Democrats. Retiring members include Berks County Rep. Mark Rozzi, who spent a brief but notable time as House speaker early last year before fellow Democrats could muster the votes to elect their first choice to lead the chamber, Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia.
Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, of Lehigh County, and Rob Mercuri, of Allegheny, are relinquishing House seats to run in Republican primaries for Democratic-held congressional seats. Hedging their bets are Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, of Erie, and Rep. Jared Solomon, of Philadelphia, seeking reelection in the state House and running in Democratic primaries for state treasurer and state attorney general, respectively.
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
All 17 of Pennsylvania’s incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives are running for another term, each with at least one opponent in the primary or fall elections. Court-ordered redistricting after the 2020 Census produced a 9-8 Democratic edge, and when the incumbents ran for reelection two years ago, all 17 were reelected.
In Allegheny County, freshman U.S. Rep. Summer Lee has a Democratic primary opponent, Bhavini Patel, as well as a Republican positioned to take on the Democratic winner in November.
In a district Democrats hope to flip, a race north of Philadelphia could signal how much power the abortion issue has in the suburbs. U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a centrist Republican, has a primary opponent whose anti-abortion position would not permit exceptions for rape or incest.
There is a three-way GOP primary for the nomination to take on Lehigh Valley Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in the fall. Wild’s previous two wins were by single-digit margins. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat from the Scranton area who also has been repeatedly targeted in recent years, has no primary opponent, but a Republican looks to challenge him in November.
Six Democrats are on the primary ballot in a district held by U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a York County Republican who was deeply involved in efforts by then-President Donald Trump to overturn Trump’s 2020 election defeat. Perry’s prominent role in the ultra-right Freedom Caucus in Congress and some close reelection contests over the past six years also are making him a target for Democrats this year.
STATEWIDE ROW OFFICES
After Shapiro’s election as governor two years ago created a vacancy in his former job as state attorney general, he nominated his protege, Michelle Henry, to serve through the end of this year. She is not seeking to stay in the job.
Five Democrats are running for the nomination: Philadelphia attorney Keir Bradford-Grey, former auditor general and state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, of Allegheny County, former prosecutor and Bucks County solicitor Joe Khan, Philadelphia state Rep. Jared Solomon and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
Two Republicans are running: York County District Attorney Dave Sunday and state Rep. Craig Williams, of Delaware County. Sunday received his party’s endorsement, while Williams has been helping lead House Republicans’ efforts to remove from office progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat.
For auditor general, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, of Philadelphia, and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley are the Democrats seeking to run against DeFoor in November. Kenyatta finished third in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in 2022 won by John Fetterman.
Garrity, the state treasurer, has no opposition in the GOP primary. Democratic voters will choose between Bizzarro and Erin McClelland, an addiction recovery and human services professional from Allegheny County.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin is stepping down • Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin will resign from his position in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s cabinet next month, the governor’s office announced Friday afternoon.
Mumin was confirmed in June 2023 about six months after Shapiro took office and has presided over some of the administration’s early successes such as increasing funding for K-12 public schools by $1.5 billion over the last two budgets and providing free breakfast for 1.7 million public school students.
Mumin will resign Dec. 6 and Executive Deputy Secretary of Education Angela Fitterer will take over as interim secretary. A statement from Shapiro’s office did not say why Mumin is stepping down.
Shapiro said in a statement that Mumin has dedicated his life and career to ensuring that Pennsylvania children have a quality education that sets them up for success.
“He has led the Pennsylvania Department of Education with passion and integrity. I am grateful for his service to Pennsylvania’s students and educators and wish him great success in his future endeavors,” Shapiro said.
Mumin said it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as education secretary.
“I began my career as a teacher in a classroom, and those early experiences watching students get excited about learning inspired me to become a principal, a superintendent, and ultimately Secretary of Education, so I could continue to fight for those students to get more support and more opportunities,” Mumin said. “I’m so grateful to Governor Shapiro for this opportunity to lead the Pennsylvania Department of Education and help build a bright future for Pennsylvania’s students and educators.”
State Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill), chairman of the Legislature’s education committee, said he wished Mumin the best and added, “I look forward to working with Acting Secretary Fitterer and the governor’s nominee to improve our education system, from Pre-K to graduate school.”
State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford), the ranking Republican member of the House Education Committee, said that from his point of view in the legislature “there were some definite bumps” during Mumin’s tenure as he presided over transformational change in the department.
“It’s important to understand that running a bureaucracy of that size … is different than being a great superintendent in a school district, big or small,” Topper said. “I think there are times when those coming from the academic world find it a little jolting what they’re going to encounter in the realm of government. I think he found it challenging, as all of these roles are.”
Before Shapiro tapped Mumin for his cabinet, he served as superintendent of the Lower Merion school district in Montgomery County. Mumin, who began his career as a classroom teacher in the Franklin County community of Scotland in 1997, also has served as superintendent of the Reading public schools.
Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney at the Public Interest Law Center, said Mumin’s background gave him a useful perspective on Pennsylvania’s schools. Lower Merion is among the state’s wealthiest communities, while Reading is one of the least.
“He came to office with the experience of seeing everything that Pennsylvania public schools can offer and the kind of disparity that underfunding public schools creates,” Urevick-Acklesberg said, adding that an important part of Mumin’s legacy will be the first steps the commonwealth took toward bringing its public schools into constitutional compliance.
Mumin’s tenure coincided with the resolution of a decade of litigation over the state’s public education funding formula, which a group of school districts, parents and advocates argued put students in less wealthy areas at a disadvantage because of its reliance on property taxes.
A Commonwealth Court judge ordered Shapiro and the General Assembly in February 2023 to correct the inequities and a interbranch commission found the state needed to invest $5.4 billion in underfunded schools to bring them up to par with the state’s most successful school districts.
This year’s budget includes about $526 million toward that goal, but lawmakers were unable to reach a compromise that would guarantee future installments to close the gap.
Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny), who is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, said she was grateful for Mumin’s service and experience as an educator, which helped the administration and lawmakers achieve shared goals such as strengthening career and technical education programs, investing in student mental health, repairs for schools and providing free menstrual products for students.
The governor’s office also credited Mumin with bringing together higher education leaders together to rethink higher education in Pennsylvania, establishing a state Board of Higher Education to provide more support for public universities and make college education more affordable.
Topper said the Education Department’s communications with the General Assembly were often found lacking by some members. Topper pointed to the higher education reform initiative, which the Shapiro administration billed as “a blueprint for higher education,” that many Republicans criticized for lacking detail or a clear proposal for how it would be funded.
Williams noted that the next four years will bring profound challenges for public education, as President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. This week he appointed professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon to head the agency.
“Given the President-elect’s nominee to head the federal Department of Education, any successor to Secretary Mumin must be prepared to defend Pennsylvania students’ constitutional right to a high-quality inclusive public education,” Williams said.
Fitterer, who will serve in Mumin’s place until Shapiro’s nominee is confirmed in the Senate, has a 25-year career in state government, serving in former Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration, as legislative director for the education department and in crafting public policy in the House and Senate.
(This article was updated about 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, to include additional comments.)
Pennsylvania
Democrat Bob Casey concedes Pennsylvania Senate race to Dave McCormick
Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey on Thursday announced he has conceded the race to Republican candidate Dave McCormick more than two weeks after Election Day.
Casey said in a statement that he called McCormick to congratulate him. McCormick’s campaign also independently confirmed the news to Fox News Digital.
“I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate,” Casey said in the statement. “As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last.”
“This race was one of the closest in our Commonwealth’s history, decided by less than a quarter of a point. I am grateful to the thousands of people who worked to make sure every eligible vote cast could be counted, including election officials in all 67 counties.”
RNC FILES TWO LAWSUITS IN PENNSYLVANIA AMID SEN BOB CASEY REFUSING TO CONCEDE RACE
The Pennsylvania State Department confirmed that all counties “have completed their initial count of all votes cast, with the exception of ballots under challenge.”
“This is a major step that marks the end of counties’ initial counting processes and signals that counties begin preparing their results for official certification. Thousands of election professionals have been working tirelessly since Nov. 5 to ensure every eligible vote cast by a registered voter is counted accurately. All of Pennsylvania’s election officials deserve our thanks, as well as our continued support while they complete their duties with integrity,” the message said.
The news comes after McCormick edged out Casey by just 17,000 votes to win the Senate seat, according to the most recent unofficial data from the Department of State – putting Casey well within the 0.5% margin of error required under Pennsylvania law to trigger an automatic recount.
That recount began Monday and was slated to end Nov. 26.
The Republican Party blasted Democrats this week for Casey’s refusal to concede the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, taking aim at the three-term incumbent for moving ahead with a costly recount effort, despite their assessment that Casey lacked any achievable path to victory.
They have also criticized the cost, noting that the recount will cost taxpayers an estimated $1 million.
In his statement Thursday, Casey praised the democratic process and voters who turned out in the Keystone State.
“When a Pennsylvanian takes the time to cast a legal vote, often waiting in long lines and taking time away from their work and family, they deserve to know that their vote will count,” Casey said. “That’s democracy.”
Later Thursday, Casey took to X to thank his supporters.
“During my time in office, I have been guided by an inscription on the Finance Building in Harrisburg: ‘All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.’”
He added: “Thank you for your trust in me all these years, Pennsylvania. It has been the honor of my lifetime.”
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the news “hits me.”
“It’s been a supreme honor to have Bob Casey as a colleague, friend, and mentor,” Fetterman said in a statement. “His legacy is a better Pennsylvania. Unassuming while delivering for PA for nearly two decades, he fought for working Pennsylvanians and unions, rural communities, seniors and people with disabilities—all of us. Bob Casey was, is, and always will be Pennsylvania’s best senator.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify that the Pennsylvania secretary of state had not announced the end of the recount as of Friday morning.
Pennsylvania
First snow of the season hits Western Pennsylvania
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