📣 Here We Go, Monday, Here We Go. Make it a great week.

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☁️ Baldwin | Mostly Cloudy, 67
🌧️ Williamsport | Showers, 73
🌂 Fort Washington | PM Showers, 83

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (73-51) | Washington 4-6 | Tue-Thu vs. Atlanta
⚾ Pirates (58-65) | Seattle 3-10 | Mon-Wed vs. Texas
⚽ Union (Leagues Cup Quarterfinal) | Mazatlán 1-1 (PK: 4-3) | Wed vs. Columbus

👂 What We’re Hearing. Gov. Josh Shapiro will address the delegates at the DNC, while Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is also expected to speak.

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Joanna McClinton and Sen. Scott Hutchinson.

🗞️ Pennsylvania Headlines >> Your Inbox. 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. Harris Issues a Pre-Convention Call For Unity During Western PA Bus Tour

“Vice President Kamala Harris spent the last day before the Democratic National Convention got underway in Chicago touring on a bus in Western Pennsylvania, joining campaign workers in Rochester calling potential voters, delivering Prantl’s baked goods to firefighters in Aliquippa, dropping in on a local high school football practice, and seeking refreshments at a Sheetz and a Primanti’s.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Kamala Harris, Tim Walz Rally Supporters at a Series of Visits in Allegheny, Beaver Counties. (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Harris’ Momentum Is Growing. Our Polling Expert Explains Whether It’ll Last. (POLITICO)

Related

Donald Trump to Visit York Factory Today to Give Economic Speech. “Trump is expected to speak on the economy, which was also the focus of his Saturday rally, though he did veer off into tangents including claims that Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro was bypassed as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate because he is Jewish.” (PennLive)

• Donald Trump Visiting York City Business Monday to Speak on Economy. (York Dispatch)
• Live Coverage: Donald Trump Campaigns at Precision Custom Components in York. (York Daily Record)

Trump Rips Harris As Too Radical, Ridicules Her Looks and Laugh at Luzerne County Rally. “Former President Donald Trump took the stage to chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!,” then labeled Vice President Kamala Harris a “radical, left lunatic” during a rally Saturday in Wilkes-Barre Township.” (WVIA)

• Trump Receives Enthusiastic Welcome From Large Crowd During Fifth Visit to Mohegan Arena. (Scranton Times Tribune)
• Valley Residents, Representative Want Trump to Focus on Economy at PA Rally. (CNHI News)
• Trump Holds Narrow Lead in Emerson College Poll. (DV Journal)

State

2. How Harrisburg Works: What Happens If Pennsylvania’s Governor Steps Down

“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is staying put.

But his recent consideration in the veepstakes raised the possibility that the Democrat, whose national profile continues to rise, would not serve all of his four-year term. (Since being passed over for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the vice presidential slot, Shapiro has repeatedly said he’s happy with his current job.)

If Shapiro were to move to a higher office, the process of replacing him would follow rules laid out in the Pennsylvania Constitution.” (Spotlight PA)

Related

Meet Austin Davis, Who Was Prepared to Become PA’s Governor if Josh Shapiro Became VP. “Austin Davis knows Pennsylvanians aren’t thinking about their lieutenant governor. But that hasn’t stopped him from trying to make an unknown office more useful.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Project 2025 Wants to Prosecute Swing State Election Chief Over 2020 Vote. “Project 2025, the conservative agenda designed for a possible second Trump administration, calls for the Justice Department to “investigate and prosecute” the top election official in Pennsylvania over the 2020 election as part of a dramatic overhaul of federal law enforcement.” (USA Today)

Fight to Keep RFK Jr. Off the PA Ballot Heads to Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg on Tuesday. “Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy’s hopes of appearing on the Pennsylvania ballot this November hinge on what happens in a Harrisburg courtroom this week.” (PennLive)

Five of Pennsylvania’s ‘Fake Electors’ From 2020 Are Back on Trump’s 2024 Slate. “The Republicans cast ballots and signed an ‘alternative’ certificate for Trump, as if he had won the popular vote. Would they do it again?” (Votebeat)

Around The Commonwealth

3. PA Budgets $600 Million in Tax Credits For Private School Aid. State Law Prevents Oversight

“The debate over private school vouchers in Pennsylvania has flared up time and again in Harrisburg under the leadership of Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat willing to split with many in his party in his support for school choice.

Amid this hubbub, though, some policymakers and education advocates point out that the Keystone State already runs what could be considered a dress rehearsal for a traditional voucher system.

For those wondering what the programs might say about bringing a broader voucher initiative to the commonwealth, there’s a problem: State law forbids officials from gathering the information necessary to figure out if the scholarships are working.” (Beaver County Times)

Related

Philly to Host First Debate Between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. “The first of two announced presidential debates between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take place at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, ABC News announced Friday.” (PennLive)

The DNC Invited Pennsylvania Influencers. Some Say It’s Too Expensive to Go. “Getting invited to the Democratic National Convention as part of its first-ever influencer cohort is one thing, but actually going is another.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• How Democrats Reversed the Script on the GOP. (Jonathan Martin)
• The Philly Debate Gives Harris a Chance to Tell Trump Directly, ‘Say It To My Face.’ (Chris Matthews)
• How Big a Convention Bump Will the Democrats Enjoy? (David Shribman)
• Election-Year Fentanyl Fear Mongering Isn’t Helping Solve America’s Crisis. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The Republican Party Could Be the Conservative Party America Needs — If The Democrats Force Them To Be. (Jamelle Bouie)
• 10 Ways Trump is Throwing Away the Election. (Keith Naughton)
• Vance’s Accusation of Stolen Valor Dishonors Himself and All Veterans. (Ken Stringer)

1 Thing

5. Major League Players Share Tips With Little League Stars

““Let’s Go Tigers” and “Bienvenidos” were just some of the signs players from the Southwest and Cuba teams brought to greet the players from the Detroit Tigers, who arrived at the Williamsport Regional Airport Sunday morning before the Little League Classic game.

For Spencer Torkelson, Tigers first baseman, going to the Little League World Series meant achieving a lifelong dream.

“I played Little League,” Torkelson said. “My team didn’t make it. The other team in my hometown did and I was so jealous.”” (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)

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