😀 Hello Thursday. Starting to warm up here in the Commonwealth. Thanks for your support of the PoliticsPA Playbook.

PA Weather
☀️ Greensburg | Sunny, 85
☀️ Lebanon | Sunny, 88
☀️ Glenside | Sunny, 86

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (46-21) | Boston 6-8 | Thu vs. Boston
⚾ Pirates (32-35) | St. Louis 2-4 | Thu vs. St. Louis
🏒 Hershey | Cleveland 3-2, OT (Eastern Conference final)

👂 What We’re Hearing. “I refuse to let my constituents be mistreated by a wealthy corporation that gets richer every year from exploiting their labor. Their fight is my fight.” – Sen. Nikil Saval who was arrested during a demonstration on behalf of striking Aramark workers

🗞️ Pennsylvania. The Ultimate 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. To Beat Trump, Biden ‘Must Have’ The Rust Belt — Plus Omaha

“President Joe Biden’s most likely path to re-election is a narrow one that relies on the same three states that gave Donald Trump the Oval Office in 2016 and then yanked it away from him in 2020 — Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — along with a single electoral vote from an Omaha-based congressional district.

Put another way, if Trump takes any of the Big Three Rust Belt states in November, it is probably an indication that he has won back the White House. Less than five months from Election Day, they are the real battleground, according to many operatives in both parties.” (NBC News)

Related

Seeking to Win Over PA Voters, Trump and Biden Launch Different Campaigns. “Polls show the race for the White House may be close in Pennsylvania, but less than five months from the election, President Joe Biden’s campaign has a far more prominent statewide campaign ground game.” (PennLive)

• The Trump Campaign Opens A New Outreach Office in a Heavily Latino Part of Pennsylvania. (ABC News)
• Hollywood’s A-Listers Are Lining Up Behind Joe Biden. Will Their Support Matter in November? (AP)
• Campaigns Can Now See What You Watch on TV. It’s Changing Everything. (NOTUS)

Stelson Wants PA Voters To Commit Before She Moves. They Might. “Janelle Stelson is trying to do something no central Pa. Congressional candidate has done since at least World War II: win a seat in a district they don’t live in.” (PennLive)

Republicans Who Defied Subpoenas Vote To Hold Garland In Contempt For Defying Subpoena. “Unlike the attorney general, Reps. Jim Jordan, Scott Perry and Andy Biggs ignored congressional subpoenas over their ties to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.” (HuffPost)

Houlahan Asks Johnson To Reverse Perry Intel Committee Appointment. “Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-06), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, called on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to rescind his appointment of Rep. Scott Perry (R-10) to the committee.” (PoliticsPA)

State

2. Pennsylvania Seniors Usually Vote Republican. That Could Change In 2024, Experts Say

“The children of the ’60s are now in their 70s, and that’s one reason the demographic most likely to vote could be in President Joe Biden’s camp rather than former President Donald Trump’s this November.

“That’s absolutely a correct observation,” said Bob Ward, a partner in the polling firm Fabrizio Ward, which has provided polling services for the senior citizens lobby AARP. “They are more inclined to vote Democratic than other older voters. The seniors are more Democratic as the baby boomers fill out the senior ranks.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Elections 101: How Recounts Work in Pennsylvania. “In 2020, former President Donald Trump’s campaign paid $3 million so Wisconsin would recount votes in two counties. The result: Joe Biden’s lead grew by 87 votes. Such a recount would not be possible in Pennsylvania.” (Votebeat Pennsylvania)

Fetterman ‘At Fault’ in Maryland Crash. “Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was speeding and “at fault” for the car accident that he and his wife, Gisele, were involved in on Sunday morning in Maryland.” (PoliticsPA)

What Data Tells Us About Pennsylvania’s Response to Trump Verdict. “In the Keystone State, a subtle yet powerful shift is taking place that could redefine the next presidential election.” (PoliticsPA)

Kitchen Table Politics Podcast: Five Months to Go – Polling Pennsylvania. “Co-hosts Ari Mittleman and Kyle Sammin sat down with Muhlenberg College Professor Chris Borick for an in-depth discussion on best practices for polling Pennsylvania and analysis of the latest data.” (Broad + Liberty)

A Bill To Repeal Pennsylvania’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban Will Be Considered In The State House. “Lawmakers said the legislation would provide a bulwark for marriage equality against judicial activism.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Deluzio Named to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Rep. Chris Deluzio announced his appointment to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the remainder of the 118th Congress.” (PoliticsPA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Black Pastors Call on Shapiro to Enact Lifeline Scholarships

“Black pastors from across the state held a press conference at the Capitol this week, calling on Governor (Josh) Shapiro to “courageously lead us beyond the toxic, bipartisan politics and preferences that undermine a quality education for every child in Pennsylvania.”

Led by the Black Pastors United for Education, a network of non-sectarian, bipartisan pastors and congregations, the group’s founder, Reverend Joshua C. Robertson, presented an open letter to the Governor, signed by sixty pastors across the Commonwealth.” (Broad + Liberty)

Related

Costello Nominated to U.S. District Court for Eastern PA. “Pennsylvania senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey celebrated the nomination of Mary Kay Costello to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. If confirmed, Costello will sit in Philadelphia and will be President Joe Biden’s ninth federal judge appointment in Pennsylvania.” (PoliticsPA)

‘The System Is Fair:’ PA Voters Unlikely To Be Bothered By Hunter Biden Conviction. “There appears to be little fanfare after a guilty verdict came down in the second most high-profile felony case of a political figure during the 2024 race for president.” (WHYY)

State Lawmakers Want To Prevent Universities From Closing Abruptly Like UArts. “The legislation is part of a number of strategies House Democratic leaders said they’re taking to try to hold UArts accountable for the abrupt closure.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Luzerne County Election Board and Bureau Discuss Their Roles In Ballot Adjudication Process. “Following a sometimes-contentious discussion, board members agreed that acting Election Director Emily Cook will prepare a manual of standard operating procedures for how to process ballots and perform other duties in the adjudication process that follows each election.” (Citizens Voice)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Federal Policy Changes Would Hamstring Pennsylvania’s Economy and Hurt Patients. (Steven Infanti)
• Gov. Shapiro, We Must Invest in Educational Freedom. (Rev. Joshua C. Robertson)
• Give All Students A True Opportunity to Rise. (Emily Greene)
• It’s Time To Criminalize Deepfakes. (Tribune-Review)
• Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Would Be Life Changing For People With Disabilities, Caregivers. (Dr. Val Arkoosh)
• Black Republican Doesn’t Know His Black History. (Elwood Watson)

1 Thing

5. GOP Romps in Congressional Matchup

“The most exciting action at the annual Congressional Baseball Game had nothing to do with watching America’s pastime played by non-athletes.

Protesters took to the field during the charity fundraising matchup between Democratic and Republican members of Congress on Wednesday night, temporarily disrupting the slow-paced, high-error game that ended with the GOP on top for the fourth year in a row, 31-11.” (Roll Call)

Thanks for starting your morning with us.
Please invite your colleagues
to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook