November 6 Playbook: Closing Time

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PA Weather
🌂 Erie | Becoming Cloudy, Showers, 62
🌤️ State College | Mostly Sunny, 55
☁️ Scranton | Increasing Clouds, 56

PA Sports
🏈 Penn State (8-1) | Maryland 51-15 | Sat vs. Michigan
🏈 Pitt (2-7) | Florida State 7-24 | Sat vs. Syracuse
🏈 Temple (3-6) | Navy 32-18 | Sat vs. South Florida
🏈 Eagles (8-1) | Dallas 28-23 | Nov. 20 vs. Kansas City
🏈 Steelers (5-3) | Sun vs. Green Bay
🏀 Sixers (4-1) | Phoenix 112-100 | Mon vs. Washington
🏒 Flyers (5-6-1) | Los Angeles, 0-5 | Tue vs. San Jose
🏒 Penguins (4-6-0) | San Jose 10-2 | Tue vs. Anaheim

What We’re Hearing
“These are the elections where the candidates have the greatest touch on your daily life.” – Gerald Feaser Jr.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Paul Schemel and Rep. Mark Gillen.

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Top Story

1. Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Poll Finds

“President Joe Biden is trailing Donald J. Trump in five of the six most important battleground states one year before the 2024 election, suffering from enormous doubts about his age and deep dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and a host of other issues, new polls by The New York Times and Siena College have found.

The results show Mr. Biden losing to Mr. Trump, his likeliest Republican rival, by margins of four to 10 percentage points among registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Mr. Biden is ahead only in Wisconsin, by two percentage points, the poll found.” (New York Times)

Related

Four Things We’re Watching For In Pennsylvania’s General Election. “Tuesday’s general election might not have the fanfare — or anywhere near the expected turnout — of a presidential election, but it will hold clues for next year’s race and act as a barometer for how both parties are doing in Pennsylvania.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Pennsylvania School Board ‘High Stakes’ Elections Carve A Path For 2024. “Pennsylvania conservatives are about to test the voltage of education politics. School board elections are set to occur across the country on Tuesday. But few of these once-quiet contests have become as vicious, sophisticated, expensive and injected with dueling endorsements from political committees and national organizations quite like campaigns in the Keystone State.” (POLITICO)

Big Money: Once-Sleepy School Board Campaigns Break The Bank In 2023. “Local school board candidates continued to pump unprecedented levels of money into their campaigns over the last few months, with Republicans in several districts raising nearly $20,000 or more.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

• A School Board Race Is Pennsylvania Is Heating Up, With Gender Policies On The Ballot. (NPR)
• Inside the Knock-Down, Drag-Out Fight Over the Soul of a Pennsylvania School District. (Mother Jones)

State

2. Can A Hedge-Fund Patriot Win A U.S. Senate Seat in Pennsylvania?

“Since last year’s losses, David McCormick has shown himself the better man, getting back into the arena and detailing his chops with a campaign manifesto and biography, Superpower in Peril. Indeed, the candidate comes across as more substantive on policy and far more grateful to his country than Mehmet Oz ever did.

But the presumptive GOP nominee faces a far tougher contest next cycle against third-termer Senator Bob Casey Jr.—and one more demanding than anything fellow veteran J.D. Vance faced next door to win Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat last year. ” (The American Conservative)

Related

Why Gov. Shapiro’s High-Wire Act On Environment, Energy Is Coming To An End In PA. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has to decide whether to side with the environmental or union labor wing of his Democratic Party.” (PA Pressroom)

Sipe Named State’s Chief Information Security Officer. “James Sipe, a cybersecurity leader who has worked with some of the largest companies in the world, has been named to serve as the Commonwealth’s next Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).” (PoliticsPA)

What Would Recreational Marijuana Legalization Do For Pennsylvania Tax Revenue? “Seven years after Pennsylvania legalized marijuana for medical use, lawmakers are debating whether to allow recreational use — and what that would look like.” (Tribune-Review)

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Look To Increase Voting Access For People Behind Bars. “People in jail over misdemeanors or awaiting trial can vote, but very few do. A big reason is because jails don’t have policies on voter registration or how to help inmates get mail-in ballots.” (WESA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Candidates Race To The Finish Line In Critical Elections For Allegheny County Executive and District Attorney

“Four candidates in two critical Allegheny County races used the last week before Election Day to make final pitches to voters and get supporters to the polls, in elections with huge implications for local government that have drawn national attention as early bellwethers for the 2024 presidential contest.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Innamorato, Rockey Seek Remaining Votes In Last Stretch Of Allegheny County Executive Race. (WESA)
• Allegheny County Executive Candidates Weigh In On Abortion And The Environment. (CBS Pittsburgh)

Related

These Delco Teens Aren’t Old Enough To Vote, But They Run Your Local Polling Station. “If you’re voting in Tuesday’s municipal elections in Delaware County, the friendly faces checking you in at the polling station may not be old enough to vote themselves.” (WHYY)

Election 2023

• 5 Things To Watch On Election Day In Allegheny County. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Will Heated Local Races Boost Turnout? What Are Pa.’s Latest Voter Registration Numbers? We Got That. (PennLive)
• County Commissioner Seats Up For Grabs In Tuesday’s Election. (DuBois Courier Express)
• Delaware Valley Election Preview. (DV Journal)
• Lanco Voters Broke ‘off-Year’ Turnout Record In 2021; Will They Do It Again? (LNP)
• Thousands Use Mail-In Ballots Locally. (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
• Mail-In Ballot Returns Piling Up At Election Day In PA Approaches. (Meadville Tribune)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• Cherelle Parker For Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• A Simple Way To Improve Politics: Elect Good Candidates. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Josh Shapiro Is The Least Productive Pennsylvania Governor Of The Last 50 Years. (Jennifer Stefano)
• Bethany Hallam’s Infamous Tweet Meant More Than She Thought. (Salena Zito)
• Dark Money Has No Place In Pennsylvania Courts. (Kadida Kenner)
• With The World On Fire, A Cowardly, Timid News Media Is A Threat To U.S. Democracy. (Will Bunch)
• The Last Chance For A Two-Party Allegheny County — Forever. (Brandon McGinley)
• A Republican In Moderate’s Clothing Is Still A Republican. (Adriana E. Ramírez)
• We Must Return Truth To Politics In America. (Mark S. Singel)
• ​​The Best Defense Of Democracy Is An Informed Electorate. (Beth Ann Rosica)

1 Thing

5. The Hot New Wedding Gift

“With the cost of buying a home at historic highs, more couples are asking for help with a down payment as a wedding gift.

🏡 By the numbers: The share of couples who include “home funds” in their wedding registry has increased by 55% since 2018, according to the wedding planning and registry website The Knot.

Nearly a fifth of couples who registered on the website are asking for help on a down payment for their first home, The Knot and Zillow Home Loans found.” (Axios)

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