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🔊 What We’re Hearing. “They don’t read the news, and particularly over the summer, they don’t watch TV, they just consume very little media. They’re taking their kids to soccer, and politics isn’t important in that same way to them.” – Mark Harris

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Sen. Greg Rothman and Rep. Joe D’Orsie.

📱 Social Media. PoliticsPA has a number of social media outlets for you to get the latest political news from around the Commonwealth: Twitter | Bluesky | Facebook | LinkedIn

Top Story

1. Aument to Become U.S. Senator-elect Dave McCormick’s State Director

“Republican state Sen. Ryan Aument of Lancaster County will take a prominent role in U.S. Senator-elect Dave McCormick’s office, giving up his seat in the General Assembly to serve as the incoming lawmaker’s state director in Pennsylvania, the Post-Gazette has learned.

Mr. Aument, 47, a state senator for almost 10 years currently serving as majority whip, is now working with the McCormick team to build up staff as they prepare to assume control in early January of the handful of regional U.S. Senate offices across Pennsylvania, where Mr. Aument will oversee constituent services and events for Mr. McCormick’s office.

He expects to resign his seat just prior to Mr. McCormick taking office and that his team will keep the office staffed through the transition to ensure “here in the 36th District constituents continue to receive the quality of service they’ve come to expect.”” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

How Dave McCormick Won and Created a Blueprint for Republican Campaigns. “The Pennsylvania Republican went all in for irregular voters. His team thinks it’s the answer for the GOP. “There’s a religion change that needs to be in effect here,” said the campaign’s pollster.” (NOTUS)

Susan Wild Absent From Ethics Committee Meeting After Gaetz Leaks to Press. “Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, was absent from the panel’s meeting last week after being traced as the source of leaks to the press regarding the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, sources told The Hill.” (The Hill)

In Promising to Shake Up Washington, Trump Is In a Class of His Own. “In the history of American politics, there’s no shortage of presidents who promised to shake up Washington once they got to the White House. But Donald Trump may prove to be in a class of his own, and he appears more interested in beating the federal government into submission than recalibrating it.” (AP)

National Spotlight Turns to Altoona. “Blair County was thrust into the national spotlight Monday, as the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arrested at the Plank Road McDonald’s after being identified by a patron.” (Altoona Mirror)

State

2. Republicans Are Thinking About Who Will Run For PA Governor in 2026. One Name Tops Lists

“In Pennsylvania, the next big election never feels far away.

After a 2024 presidential race in which Republicans dominated statewide contests and Democrats held on by a hair in the state House, political insiders’ attention is already turning to the 2026 gubernatorial race.

One candidate stands out: Treasurer Stacy Garrity won her reelection race by the largest margin of any 2024 statewide candidate in Pennsylvania, and as Charlie Gerow noted, she’s clearly interested in higher office.” (Spotlight PA)

Elsewhere

PA Lawmakers Protest Coast Guard Cuts in Pittsburgh. “Members of Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation urged the Coast Guard Monday to restore staffing and maintain equipment levels at its Pittsburgh station, which has responsibility over the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Bill Targets ‘Rogue’ Officials After U.S. Senate Recount Dust-Up. “Local officials caught defying Pennsylvania election law may find themselves without a job. Rep. Joe D’Orsie is drafting legislation that would give the state House the power to remove county and municipal officials from office. It’s similar to the impeachment process and would ultimately require voter approval.” (The Center Square)

Schuylkill County’s Sen. Argall Again Named Chair of Senate Majority Policy Committee. ““Chairing the Majority Policy Committee allows me to examine a great variety of legislative ideas through public hearings and careful review, including the shortage of quality housing, the spread of blight and the impact of crime on our largest cities and smallest neighborhoods,” Argall said.” (WVIA)

Bucks Resident Christian Announces Bid for State GOP Chair. “Bucks County resident Ted Christian is running for state Republican Party chairman, a post now held by Philadelphia lawyer Lawrence Tabas. Tabas, elected by the state party committee, did not reply when asked to comment. It was unclear if he plans to run for the post again in 2025.” (DV Journal)

Around The Commonwealth

3. As Chesapeake Bay Deadlines Loom, Its ‘Big 3’ Governors Meet in Annapolis

“The governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia — Democrats Wes Moore and Josh Shapiro, alongside Republican Glenn Youngkin — are expected to convene Tuesday in Annapolis to symbolically reaffirm their commitments to the bay restoration and approve plans to map out a new strategy for addressing pollution in the watershed over the next 12 months.” (Baltimore Banner)

Elsewhere

Biden Creates Native American Boarding School National Monument to Mark Era of Forced Assimilation. “President Joe Biden designated a national monument at a former Native American boarding school in Pennsylvania on Monday to honor the resilience of Indigenous tribes whose children were forced to attend the school and hundreds of similar abusive institutions.” (AP)

Delco Stays Silent On Mystery $7.6 Million That Helped Backfill 2025 Proposed Budget. “Delaware County is keeping quiet about $7.6 million dollars that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere on the second version of the county’s proposed budget. Without that tranche, the county’s proposed tax increase would have had to remain at 28 percent, as opposed to the 23 percent tax hike the county later put forward and will vote on Tuesday.” (Broad + Liberty)

New Kids In Town. Here are profiles on some of the newest members of the state House.

• Nate Davidson Says He’ll Carry on the Fight For PA Sexual Abuse Survivors. (Penn Capital-Star)
• Brenda Pugh Says Her Focus Will Be On Lowering Taxes and Fighting Addiction. (Penn Capital-Star)
• Gary Day Says He’ll Return to the State House as a Budget Watchdog. (Penn Capital-Star)

Time to Move New Castle Forward. “Wearing a “Mayor Mark Elisco Making New Castle, PA Great Again” shirt he received from a resident, Elisco over around nine minutes highlighted goals for the next year and looked back on his first year leading City Council.” (New Castle News)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• What Can PA Learn From California’s Minimum Wage Proposition? (Athan Koutsiouroumbas)
• A Radical Answer to Our Partisan Supreme Court. (Bruce Wilder)
• Now What? A GOP Governing Agenda. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
• York Must Put Principles Over Fear in Immigration Debate. (York Dispatch)

1 Thing

5. Smith Named Teacher of the Year

“Leon Smith, an educator at Haverford Township School District, has been named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

Smith is a secondary teacher at Haverford High School in the Haverford Township School District in Havertown. He has spent 22 years at the district and teaches 9th grade Honors and Advanced Placement Social Studies, as well as 10th-12th grade African American Studies. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelors in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland at College Park, a Masters in Educational Leadership in Technology Integration from Pennsylvania State University, and a PK-12 Principal certification from Cabrini University.” (DOE)

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