🍻 Ladies and Gentlemen, The Weekend. Make sure you have a great one.
PA Weather
☀️ McKees Rocks | Sunny, 69
☀️ Fort Indiantown Gap | Sunny, 67
☀️ Allentown | Sunny, 68
PA Sports
🏒 Penguins (1-1) | Detroit 6-3 | Sat vs. Toronto
🏒 Flyers | Fri vs. Vancouver
🏈 Penn State (5-0) | Sat vs. USC
🏈 Pitt (5-0) | Sat vs. California
🏈 Eagles (3-2) | Sun vs. Cleveland
🏈 Steelers (3-2) | Sun vs. Las Vegas
👂 What We’re Hearing. Pennsylvania has the most money booked through Election Day for its U.S. Senate race at a whopping $75.5 million.
🎂 Happy Birthday. Belated cake and candles for Rep. Dan Moul (Thurs.)
📊 PoliticsPA Polling Tracker (avg. of last 5 PA polls)
President: Harris +0.8% | Senate: Casey +4.6%
🗞️ Political News From THE Swing State. Where can you find all the latest news on what’s happening in Keystone State politics? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 AM. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.
Top Story
1. Obama Urges Black Men to Show Up For Harris As He Campaigns In PA
“Former President Barack Obama gave a blistering critique of his White House successor Donald Trump and urged Black men to show up for Kamala Harris as he campaigned in Pittsburgh on Thursday at the start of a swing-state tour for the Democratic ticket.
At a campaign field office to thank volunteers, Obama said he wanted to “speak some truths” after hearing reports on the ground that there was lower enthusiasm for Harris than there was for his own candidacy and that some Black men were thinking of sitting out the election.” (AP)
- ‘Let’s Go Do It’: Barack Obama Issues Stern Plea to Black Voters During Get-Out-The-Vote Speech in Pittsburgh. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Elsewhere
Fact Check: Trump, On a Lying Spree, Made At Least 40 Separate False Claims In Two Pennsylvania Speeches. “We went through the speeches Trump made at his two Wednesday campaign rallies in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, one in Scranton and one in Reading. In those two addresses alone, he uttered at least 40 separate false claims.” (CNN)
Trump Promises To Revive Coal In PA, Even Though the Natural Gas Industry Is Suffocating It. “It may not matter if Trump’s promises are empty, so long as people feel their only other option is promises that have been broken.” (WESA Politics)
Biden’s Real Pennsylvania Edge That Is Now Gone For Democrats. “Delaware is reliably Democratic in presidential politics. But since Biden’s hometown area popularity stretches north, Biden’s status as a practical local just across the Pennsylvania state line, in Chester County, is a conspicuous electoral hole that Harris will have to fill.” (Washington Examiner)
Harris Maintains Narrow Poll Lead in Pennsylvania, but Underlying Voting Trends Favor Trump. “It is impossible to overstate how important winning the Keystone State is to the Electoral College prospects for both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.” (The Cook Political Report)
State
2. Why Harris’ Pennsylvania Chances Are Tied to a Statewide Dynasty
“Four months after Bob Casey and Barack Obama shared a stage in Pittsburgh in 2012, they both scored convincing Election Day victories. So it’s easy to see why Casey relished Obama’s return to his side on Thursday night.
The senator will have a far less tested partner at the top of the ticket in Kamala Harris. This time around, the presidential candidate may need Casey more than he needs her.” (Semafor)
Elsewhere
PA-17: Mercuri and Deluzio Answer Questions About Their Plans For Western PA. “As voters begin to finalize their decisions in the upcoming elections, one contested race in western Pennsylvania will be important for Beaver County’s representation in Congress.” (Beaver County Times)
PA-07: Congressional Leaders Stump For Wild, Mackenzie In Competing Lehigh Valley Events. “The U.S. House’s leading lawmakers each visited the Lehigh Valley Thursday in a bid to sway voters in the region’s congressional race, a seat that could carry national implications.” (LehighValleyNews.com)
PA-10: GOP Ad Says Janelle Stelson Wants Taxpayers to Pay For Transgender Inmates’ Surgery. Her Campaign Says It’s False. “An ad about gender affirming surgery is causing a stir in a PA congressional race. A similar ad falsely implied former PA Secretary of Health Rachel Levine is an inmate.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
PA-10: Perry Is In the Battle of His Political Life. He’s Been Battling for Decades. “Scott Perry once preached bipartisan civility. He transformed into one of the most conservative and cantankerous voices in Congress.” (NOTUS)
PA-01: Ehasz Hits Fitzpatrick on Quiet Campaign. “Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz is hitting Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in the weeks ahead of Election Day by calling him invisible and afraid to engage with voters.” (Punchbowl News)
Around The Commonwealth
3. Shapiro Helps Dems in Swing States, Pennsylvania Races
“Gov. Josh Shapiro is working behind the scenes to help Democrats get control of Congress and statehouses in November.
Shapiro has become one of the most sought-after Democratic surrogates, embarking on a cross-country tour that includes stops in swing states and all over Pennsylvania with more to come before Election Day.” (Punchbowl News)
Elsewhere
Meet Eugene DePasquale and Dave Sunday, the Frontrunners To Be PA’s Next Attorney General. “The multi-million-dollar fight to become Pennsylvania’s next top prosecutor is underway, and the Democratic and Republican candidates see the office differently.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Garrity Campaign Tries to Walk Back Election Denial. “State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has publicly cast doubt on the 2020 election. Her campaign says it was a misunderstanding” (Penn Capital-Star)
Six GOP Congressmen Sue to Have PA Military and Overseas Ballots Set Aside In November Election. “Six Republican members of Congress are suing the Pennsylvania Department of State, arguing that ballots from overseas voters — including members of the U.S. military — are susceptible to fraud because those voters are not subject to ID requirements applied to U.S.-based absentee voters.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Editorial
4. What’s On Your Mind
- 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Cast Your Vote For President. (Mickey Edwards)
- What Does Elon Musk, the World’s Richest Man, Want From Pennsylvania … and America? (Will Bunch)
- Let’s Address Youth Mental Health Issues Before They Reach a Crisis Point. (Rep. Arvind Venkat)
- Casey, Jr. Runs Against His Father’s Legacy. (Paul Kengor)
- The Dangerous Spread of Misinformation. (Lori Falce)
1 Thing
5. America’s Favorite Fat Bear
Grazer — “a large adult female with a long straight muzzle” — is the winner of this year’s Fat Bear Week, the annual popularity contest among bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
- 🏆 Grazer was last year’s champion, too.
- This year, she beat out Chunk, a dominant male who killed one of Grazer’s cubs. (Axios)
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