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👂 What We’re Hearing. “Pennsylvania is a must-win state. Every election cycle, we have seen consistently how important that state has become.” – Lara Trump, RNC co-chair

🤔 Did You Know? This morning’s Emerson College Swing State poll of Pennsylvania shows Kamala Harris and Donald Trump even at 48%. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. holds a four-point edge over Dave McCormick, 48-44%.

🗞️ You Asked for PA News. We Deliver. 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. Pennsylvania’s Uneven Economic Recovery Could Help Trump Here

“Pennsylvania’s economy hasn’t seen the same post-pandemic rebound as other parts of the country, and that could create a problem for Vice President Kamala Harris as she seeks to win the trust of the state’s voters, who have said the economy is their top issue.

There were 1,783 more jobs in Philadelphia in 2023 than in 2019, a 0.3% increase, according to the New York Times, but Pennsylvania has largely come up short on the construction and manufacturing boom that other states have seen. Allegheny County is the only major county in the country where total employment has plummeted by more than 5% since 2019.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Donald Trump Said He ‘Brought Back Steel’ In Johnstown Four Years Ago. He’ll Be Back Friday to Boost His Base. “Johnstown didn’t see a return to steel manufacturing under Trump or Biden. It’s the type of town that could help decide the race between Trump and Harris.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Lara Trump Says GOP to Pour Money Into ‘Must-Win’ Pennsylvania. (Bloomberg)
• Trump Warns of ‘Massive Fraud’ With Mail-In Ballots As Campaign Urges PA Voters to Use Them. (PennLive)

Vance: Kamala Harris “Can Go To Hell” “Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance took a shot at Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris on Wednesday afternoon in Erie when discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.” (PoliticsPA)

• JD Vance Says Harris Will Harm Trucking Industry, Raise Costs, At Erie Campaign Stop. (Erie Times-News)

Fetterman Uses Curses, Insults to Mock JD Vance in Press Release. “Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has a reputation for being crass, and he channeled that energy Wednesday while taking shots at Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance.” (Greensburg Tribune-Review)

Decision 2024: The Attorney General Race. “Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican David Sunday face off in the race for the state’s top legal office” (City & State)

State

2. Auditor Faults PA Agency Over Fees From Medicaid-Funded Prescriptions

“A review by Pennsylvania’s elected financial watchdog concluded there were shortcomings in a state agency’s oversight of fees paid to pharmacy benefit managers in the Medicaid program, but the claims were hotly disputed by state officials.

The report released Wednesday by Auditor General Tim DeFoor said the Department of Human Services allowed $7 million in improper “spread pricing” in the Medicaid program in 2022. Spread pricing is the difference between the amount a pharmacy benefit manager reimburses a pharmacy for a prescription and what it charges the health plan.” (AP)

Elsewhere

With Erie Now 25% Immigrant, Multiracial Coalition Could Flip PA State Senate. “In recent years, the seat in Erie has flipped back and forth between Obama, Trump, and Biden, so the high profile PA State Senate race will likely be a bellwether of what’s happening nationally.” (Payday Report)

Position on School Choice Tricky For Rural GOP Lawmakers. “Any risk to what might not only be the strongest tie that binds a community but may also be among a region’s leading employers could jeopardize an incumbent’s position.” (CNHI News)

McCormick Senate Campaign, Trying To Score Points, Picks the Wrong Philadelphia. “They got the wrong Philadelphia. In a breathless attempt to score political points in Pennsylvania’s increasingly combative U.S. Senate campaign, the minders of U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick’s social media accounts appeared to confuse a news report involving a series of shootings in Philadelphia, Miss. for our own.” (PennLive)

McCormick Touts ‘Bobflation’; Hershey Park Offers Rebuttal. “In a case of live fact-checking, Hershey Park pushed back against Republican senatorial candidate Dave McCormick’s claims that Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and Kamala Harris are driving up prices of Pennsylvanians’ favorite food and experiences, at least in their neck of the woods.” (PoliticsPA)

Deluzio, Fetterman Lay Out Protectionist ‘Make Stuff Here’ Policy Agenda. “U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio and Sen. John Fetterman have outlined a pro-worker agenda that they say will encourage more domestic manufacturing.” (WESA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Where’s My Mail Ballot?

“It isn’t often when you are actually waiting anymore for something to come in the mail.

Think about it. Bills, fliers, catalogs … not much to make you race out to your mailbox on a daily basis.

However … may I offer for your consideration – the humble election ballot.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Chester’s Plans to Rescue the City From Bankruptcy By Selling Water Systems Is Meeting Resistance. “The receiver’s plan to throw a financial lifeline to the bankrupt City of Chester and its distressed pension funds by selling off water assets evidently will be contending with a dam of resistance.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Preliminary Revenue Projections For Pittsburgh Show a Drop-Off In 2025. “There is currently a projected decrease of 5.6% for 2025, but a slight rebound of about 1.6% year over year after that, according to a statement from the mayor’s office. An hour and a half later, the administration corrected the calculations to a projected decrease of 5.5% for 2025, but a slight rebound of about 1.7% after that.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

‘Out of Our Way:’ Speakers Defend Chermak, Gaughan Stands By Criticism of Minority Commissioner. “In a Sunday article on the potential impact of a probable 2025 county property tax hike, the Democratic majority commissioner accused Chermak, the Republican minority commissioner in this and the prior administration, of being “asleep at the wheel” as county finances deteriorated over the past four years.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)

Former Luzerne County Prothonotary, Who Was Partner With Kids-For-Cash Figure, Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion. “Former Luzerne County Prothonotary Jill Moran pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading federal income taxes on legal fees she earned as the owner and operator of The Powell Law Group in Drums, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.” (Citizens Voice)

Luzerne County Drop Box Hosts Must Hold The County Harmless For ‘Anything That Happens’. “Luzerne County Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene has informed both mail ballot drop box hosts not on county government property that they must agree to hold the county harmless for “anything that happens relating to the drop box” for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election.” (Times Leader)

After White Supremacists March in Harrisburg, Experts Say Most Area Leaders Model How to Respond. “As many residents and political leaders follow best practice responding to a hate group, U.S Rep. Scott Perry does not.” (WITF)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Hey, PA Voters, Ready to Decide Who Wins the White House? (John Baer)
• RFK Jr., Trump, and the Cynicism of Conspiracy Theories. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
• We’re Counting On Counties to Protect the Vote. (Philip Hensley-Robin) 
• Shapiro Figured Out How to Combat High Drug Prices — Can It Help Kamala Harris? (Paul Alexander)
• If Donald Trump Wants to Win, More Policy and Fewer Personal Attacks. (Jennifer Stefano)
• A Warning About Extremism From a Former White Supremacist. (Tony McAleer)

1 Thing

5. The Loyalty Reward Downgrade Has Come for Hotel Guests

“Hotel loyalty programs are booming in popularity — which means hotels have pulled back on the actual rewards, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Discounts, upgrades and other perks now require more points than they used to, especially in popular destinations.

💳 “These programs have followed the path of airlines,” John Ollila, who analyzes travel loyalty programs, told the WSJ. “They have become less rewarding for those who stay at their hotels, and more emphasis is placed on revenue that various partnerships and credit cards drive.”

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