💔  Mixed Emotions Monday. Happy for your Birds. Heartbroken for my Bills.

🗞️  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

PA Weather
☀️  Pittsburgh | Sunny, 35
☀️  Harrisburg | Sunny, 40
☀️  Philadelphia | Becoming Sunny, 41

PA Sports
🏈  Eagles (17-3) | Washington 55-23 | 2/9 vs. Kansas City
🏒  Penguins (20-23-8) | Seattle 1-4 | Mon vs. San Jose
🏒  Flyers (22-22-6) | NY Islanders 1-3 | Mon vs. New Jersey
🏀  Sixers (17-27) | Cleveland 132-129 | Chicago 109-97 | Tue vs. LA Lakers

📅  What’s Happening Today. Guess who’s back? The House convenes at noon and the Senate returns to business at 1 p.m.

📱  Social Media. Are you socially active? 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. Battlegrounds Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Are Back in the Spotlight With High-Stakes Court Elections

“Republicans put Pennsylvania and Wisconsin back in the win column in the 2024 presidential race, and they’re hoping that momentum carries over to contests this year that will determine whether their state Supreme Courts retain left-leaning majorities or flip to conservative control.

The outcome can be pivotal in deciding cases related to abortion, election disputes, voting laws and redistricting for Congress and their state legislatures.

Money is pouring in and expected to eclipse the $70 million-plus combined spent on the states’ Supreme Court races two years ago.” (AP)

Elsewhere

The John Fetterman Experience. “As Democrats seek answers in the political wilderness, some are nodding toward… John Fetterman—the hulking, shorts-wearing, sometimes inscrutably anti-party politician—as a model for the sort of unexpected Democratic leader who might emerge as an antidote to Trump.” (Puck)

McCormick, Lee Trade Barbs About Political Right’s “True Religion.” “Two members of the Pennsylvania delegation in Congress – Sen. Dave McCormick and Rep. Summer Lee – traded barbs on what Lee said was the political right’s “true religion”” (PoliticsPA)

The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Page Takes on Trump. “The Wall Street Journal editorial page is saying what even the business leaders excited by Donald Trump’s economic promise haven’t — that they are worried about the rule of law and the Trump family money chase.” (Semafor)

Former Sanders, Fetterman Campaign Consultants Start New Firm Aimed at Winning Back Working-Class Voters. “They said they’re aiming to elect more nontraditional candidates with a populist, anti-establishment streak. They’re even open to fielding left-leaning independents who eschew the Democratic Party label altogether.” (POLITICO)

Pennsylvania Democrat on Immigration: If ‘You’re Committing Crimes, You Got to Get Sent Back’. “Rep. Chris Deluzio said on Sunday that his constituents agree with most Americans that immigrants who entered the country without legal status and commit crimes should be deported.” (The Hill)

State

2. PA Republicans Planning ‘Unified and Strategic’ Approach to Unseating Josh Shapiro in 2026

“At least 12 times in 2021 and early 2022, Pennsylvanians heard about a different Republican who wanted to be governor, among them two former members of Congress, a surgeon, a former U.S. attorney, an HVAC company owner and three state senators.

Democrats talked seriously about only one person, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, and things didn’t end well for Republicans. On Nov. 8, 2022, the winner of the nine-way Republican primary election battle — state Sen. Doug Mastriano — was trounced by Mr. Shapiro in a 56%-to-42% general election vote.

Republicans say there won’t be a repeat.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

Escalating Demand and Diminished Supply Has Spiked PUC Concern About the Future Ability of State’s Electric Grid. “Data centers, bitcoin operations, and electric vehicles are driving up demand for electricity as extreme weather conditions strain the power grid even further.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Rejected Mail Ballots in PA Fall by 57% From 2024 Spring Primary. “The Shapiro Administration capped a successful 2024 presidential election year by announcing a 57 percent decrease in the percentage of mail ballots rejected in the November general election compared to the April primary.” (PoliticsPA)

Trump Order Canceling Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Leaves Some PA Sites in Limbo. “After President Donald Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office Monday canceling the $500 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and stopping distribution of any remaining money, the future of charging stations in Pennsylvania — and across the country — is in doubt.” (Pittsburgh Union Progress)

PA Unemployment Rate Rises to 3.6%. “The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate was two-tenths of a percentage point above the December 2023 level of 3.4 percent.” (PoliticsPA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Parties Race to Choose Special-Election Nominees For 35th House District

“Family, friends, and former colleagues marked the passing of House member Matt Gergely in a funeral service last week. This week begins the hurried process of finding candidates to replace him — with Democrats and Republicans following different processes to do so.

Doing so will speedily resolve a deadlock in the House — which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats as a result of Gergely’s death. But it also means the two parties have until only Feb. 3 — next Monday — to submit the names of their nominees for inclusion on the ballot.” (WESA)

Elsewhere

Could a ‘Safe’ Democratic House Seat Flip to the GOP? “With President Donald Trump’s popularity among working-class voters, could a Republican win a special election to fill an Allegheny County seat?” (DV Journal)

Republicans Choose Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons to Run in 36th Senate District Special Election. “Parsons secured 119 votes of the 197 ballots cast from eligible GOP committee members who live in the 36th. The runner-up, state Rep. Brett Miller, received 78 votes.” (LNP | Lancaster Online)

The Montgomery County Township Official Who Sparked Outrage With a Gesture That Looked Like a Nazi Salute Has Resigned. “Towamencin Township Supervisor Laura Smith posted a now-deleted video in which she hit her chest three times and then extended her arm out in front of her, similar to Elon Musk’s gesture last week.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Northampton Co. Controller Announces Run For County Executive. “Northampton County Controller Tara Zrinski will run for county executive this year. Before becoming the county controller in 2024, Zrinski served as an at-large member of Northampton County Council for six years.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Philly DA Primary: What to Know About Larry Krasner vs. Patrick Dugan. “Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner could have his work cut out for him in the Democratic primary.” (City & State)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Why the Change in the Sixers Arena Plans Could End Up Being the Best Outcome For Center City. (Ed Rendell)
• We Can’t Change Washington, But We Can Change Pittsburgh. (Adriana E. Ramírez)
• Inflated Drug Costs Hurt Pennsylvanians. (Jennifer Riley)
• Trump’s “America First” Is Not Realism. (Jonathan Kirshner)
• It’s Time For Shapiro to Get Moderate ‘Stuff’ Done. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
• Where Does Pennsylvania Fall With the Future of Recreational Marijuana? (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Eliminating the US Department of Education Would Diminish Resources For Lancaster County Students and Burden Local Taxpayers. (LNP | Lancaster Online)

1 Thing

5. Fly, Eagles, Fly

We’re going back to the Super Bowl, baby!

Why it matters: The Eagles have a chance to win the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy — and avenge a stinging Super Bowl loss to Kansas City in 2023.

Driving the news: The Birds are going to New Orleans to face the Chiefs on Feb. 9.

• Philadelphia will look to stop Kansas City from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. (Axios Philadelphia)

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