Campaign cash already flowing in Pa. ahead of pivotal 2026 midterms
Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation outraised their Democratic counterparts by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, on average, during the first half of the year, according to federal election filings. Chris Borick, a political science professor at Allentown’s Muhlenberg College, said the fundraising gap is less of a reflection of any...
Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026
LOS ANGELES — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year, leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028. “Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history...
Texas Republicans propose new U.S. House map with more winnable GOP seats
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a new congressional map that creates five additional GOP-leaning districts, bolstering their chances of maintaining control as they brace for a challenging midterm election. The redrawn map comes during a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, as President Donald...
Wisconsin elections officials find clerk broke laws over uncounted ballots
MADISON, Wis . — Wisconsin elections officials declared Thursday that the former clerk of the state’s capital city broke several laws related to not counting nearly 200 absentee ballots in the November presidential election, but they stopped short of recommending criminal charges be brought. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted...
$5,000-per-plate dinner with McCormick at Carnegie museum spurs backlash
A private event billed as a dinner and fireside chat featuring U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and his wife at the Carnegie Museum of Art has generated backlash and raised concerns about the propriety of the museum offering space for such a gathering, which cost $5,000 to attend. The dinner occurred...
Adelita Grijalva wins Democratic primary for Arizona U.S. House seat held by her late father
PHOENIX — Adelita Grijalva won the Democratic primary Tuesday for a southern Arizona U.S. House seat long held by her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, one of the most senior and progressive power brokers on Capitol Hill. Adelita Grijalva will face Daniel Butierez, a painting company owner who...
‘Who’s got next?’ Democrats already lining up for 2028 presidential race in early voting states
SENECA, S.C. — The first presidential primary votes won’t be cast for another two and a half years. And yet, over the span of 10 days in July, three Democratic presidential prospects are scheduled to campaign in South Carolina. Nearly a half dozen others have made recent pilgrimages to South...
Who is Zohran Mamdani? State lawmaker seeks to become NYC’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani was a state lawmaker unknown even to most New York City residents when he announced his run for mayor back in October. On Tuesday evening, the 33-year-old marked his stunning political ascension when he declared victory in the Democratic primary from a Queens rooftop bar...
Judge blocks Trump’s election executive order, siding with Democrats who called it overreach
ATLANTA — A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to overhaul elections in the U.S., siding with a group of Democratic state attorneys general who challenged the effort as unconstitutional. Trump’s March 25 executive order sought to compel officials to require documentary proof of citizenship for everyone...
Wisconsin lawsuit seeks to ban Elon Musk from offering $1 million checks to voters
MADISON, Wis. — A government watchdog group in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to prohibit billionaire Elon Musk from ever again offering cash payments to voters in the battleground state like he did in this spring’s hotly contested Supreme Court race. Musk handed out $1 million checks to three...
Marbles engaged to settle tie votes from Westmoreland primary
In years past, ties between Westmoreland County election candidates were broken by drawing marbles from an old Dr Pepper soda bottle covered in tape. On Friday, election officials upgraded their system somewhat and drew marbles from a reusable water bottle to determine the winners of three ties in the May...
Westmoreland court sets deadline to apply for Ligonier Valley School Board appointment
Eligible residents of Ligonier Valley School District have until June 25 to apply to Westmoreland County Court to be considered for appointment to a vacant seat on the school board. The court set that deadline for receiving resumes and letters of recommendation from those who are interested in filling a...
Write-in candidates will play a role in Delmont, Murrysville council elections
Write-in votes will play a role in the 2025 general election for members of Murrysville and Delmont councils. In Murrysville, incumbent Republican Jamie Lingg did not receive enough votes on the GOP ballot, but, according to unofficial results from the county election bureau, she received 54 Democratic write-in votes. That...
Judge tosses Democratic committees’ lawsuit over the Federal Election Commission’s independence
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order that Democratic Party officials claim could undermine the independence of the Federal Election Commission. U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali in Washington ruled late Tuesday that there’s insufficient...
2 new faces expected to join Hempfield Area School Board
Two new faces are expected to join the Hempfield Area School Board next year, and two incumbents will return for another term, according to primary election write-in results posted Tuesday. Newcomers Lindsay Stevens and Daniel Graft and incumbents Scott E. Learn and Jerry Radebaugh won both the Republican and Democratic...
Westmoreland’s municipal primary tiebreakers set for Friday
Four ties that occurred in the May 20 municipal primary will be broken at noon Friday in the Westmoreland County Courthouse. There will be marbles drawn to break the ties, said Scott Ross, election bureau director. Deborah Vernon and Cynthia Adams tied for the Democratic nomination for Arnold council with...
Republican push for proof of citizenship to vote proves a tough sell in the states
AUSTIN, Texas — President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have made it a priority this year to require people to prove citizenship before they can register to vote. Turning that aspiration into reality has proved difficult. Trump’s executive order directing a documentary, proof-of-citizenship requirement for federal elections has been blocked...
Pa. is the last state to elect poll workers. Local officials say they’re short thousands of candidates
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Pennsylvania voters went to the polls last week to help carry on a centuries-old practice that no other state does: elections to choose their election workers. “It was a...
Leechburg Area students worked the polls thanks to innovative program
Leechburg Area students Rocco Vigna, 17, and Nevin Steele, 17, spent election day serving their community. The two juniors from West Leechburg were the first students to participate in a program that allows students living in Westmoreland County to work at polling places. The boys spent half a day at...
Podcast: Reviewing the Pittsburgh mayoral primary
On primary day in Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Democratic mayoral candidate Corey O’Connor bested incumbent Ed Gainey for the seat on the general election ballot this fall. His challenger will be Tony Moreno, who won the Republican primary for mayor. TribLive reporter Julia Burdelski, who covers Pittsburgh City Hall, joins host...
Warden-Rodgers defeats Kettering for Ross commissioner Democratic nomination
After seeing a contested Democratic primary for only one Ross commissioner seat, township residents will have contested races for four commissioner seats in November’s general election, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. In Ross’ Ward 6, newcomer Haley Warden-Rodgers defeated appointed incumbent Commissioner John W. Kettering for the Democratic...
Newcomer earns Republican nomination for Scottdale mayor
Five years ago, Lindy House and her husband were looking for a permanent home and fell in love with the community of Scottdale. This year, she decided to give back to the borough in the biggest way she knew how: by running for mayor. “The big thing I want to...
Shaler Area School District to see contested races for 3 school board seats
Shaler Area School District voters will see contested November elections in two of the district’s three regions, with at least three new members likely to join the nine-member board, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. Five of the board’s nine seats are up for election this year, with four...
Quaker Valley Area primary results
Candidates in the uncontested municipal and school board races in the Quaker Valley area cruised through the May 20 primaries and earned party nods, according to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division. Aleppo Republican incumbents Daniel Darragh and commissioners’ President George Jones received 91 votes and...
5 candidates all advance for Hampton School Board
All five people running for the Hampton School Board will have a chance to win one of four seats in November, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. Board members Denise Balason, Jill Hamlin, Gregory Stein and Larry Vasko were all seeking reelection in the May primary. Three of the...