☃️ Hello, December. And here we go.

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

PA Weather
☁️ Girard | Snow Showers, 34
☁️ Lamar | Partly Sunny, 36
🌤️ Hamburg | Sunny, 36

PA Sports
🏈 Steelers (9-3) | Cincinnati 44-38 | Sun vs. Cleveland
🏈 Eagles (10-2) | Baltimore 24-19 | Sun vs. Carolina
🏈 Penn State (11-1) | Maryland 44-7 | Sat vs. Oregon
🏈 Pitt (7-5) | Boston College 23-34
🏈 Temple (3-9) | North Texas 17-24
🏀 Sixers (4-14) | Detroit 111-99 | Tue vs. Charlotte
🏒 Flyers (12-10-3) | St. Louis 3-2 (OT) | Thu vs. Florida
🏒 Penguins (10-12-4) | Calgary 6-2 | Tue vs. Florida

🔉 What We’re Hearing. “We need more candidates for office who have authentic, lived experience. Quite frankly, we need less lawyers running for office, less millionaires.” – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill.

📱 Find Us On Blue Sky. PoliticsPA has joined Blue Sky as another option for your social media. Come join us at politicspa.bluesky.social. You can also find us on Twitter @PoliticsPA

Top Story

1. Democrats Still Don’t Agree On the Seriousness of Their Political Problem After Election Defeat

“Nearly a month after a devastating election loss that exposed cracks in the very foundation of their party, Democrats remain deeply divided over the extent of their political problem — or even if they have one.

A number of Democratic leaders are downplaying the strength of Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris as the inevitable result of an inflation-fueled anti-incumbent backlash that shaped elections worldwide. But others are convinced that the Democratic Party is facing an acute crisis that requires an urgent overhaul of its brand, message and economic policies.” (AP)

Elsewhere

Democrats’ Next Debate: What Makes a Good Democrat Now? “Arguments about the future of the party will eventually result in money being thrown at real human beings who Democrats will need to actually win elections.” (NOTUS)

Five Charts That Explain How the Philly Suburbs Helped Trump Win. “Donald Trump improved his margins in Philadelphia’s collar counties. He won Bucks County and did better in working class parts of Delaware County like Upper Darby.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

These Cabinet Picks and Others in Trump’s Inner Circle Got Their Start at Philly-Area Universities. “Pennsylvania was the center of the political universe during the 2024 presidential campaign. And after winning the battleground state and the presidency, President-elect Donald Trump has kept some pieces of Pennsylvania around in his nominations for his cabinet and other high-level positions.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State

2. PA House Democrats Dodged This Year’s Red Wave. Here’s What Some Say the Party Can Learn

“In this year’s election, a Republican political novice unseated U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who has represented Pennsylvania for almost two decades.

GOP candidates swept the statewide races for attorney general, auditor general and treasurer. And after rejecting former President Donald Trump in 2020, the Keystone State landed in the Republican nominee’s column this time around.

But the red wave that crashed over the commonwealth stopped short of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.” (Erie Times-News)

Elsewhere

The Pennsylvania Pol Who’s a Threat to Josh Shapiro. “Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a supporter of President-elect Trump, has become the most popular state pol in Pennsylvania. Yet to many in deep-blue Philly, she’s largely unknown.” (Axios Philadelphia)

2025 Will Start With a 3.5% Pay Raise For Pennsylvania’s Governor, Lawmakers and Judges. “Pennsylvania state lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials will get a heftier salary increase in 2025 than the average Pennsylvanian saw over the past 12 months, under a state law that guarantees them automatic pay raises.” (AP)

• PA Legislators’ Base Pay to Crack $110K For First Time After Latest Round of Raises. (PennLive)

Yearslong Divide On Voting Rights Rages On After Heated Casey-McCormick U.S. Senate Race. “Court battles and questions over ballot requirements linger: ‘As soon as the election is over, it’s time to make decisions’.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A Court Loss Isn’t the End of the Fight For Stricter Gun Laws In PA, Advocates Say. “Pennsylvania is one of 42 states with a law that preempts local governments from passing or enforcing gun statutes stricter than those allowed by the legislature. This has long rankled leaders in big cities, who argue their jurisdictions have unique public safety needs that require their own laws.” (Spotlight PA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Is Now the Longest In the Nation. And It’s Not Over

“It had just finished raining and the Sulphur Run creek bank In East Palestine, Ohio was slippery. Steve Mellon, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, carefully followed Christina Siceloff into the shallow water below.

More than 18 months had passed since a train carrying thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals derailed nearby in February 2023. The creek developed a metallic sheen and gave off a chemical scent. In September, 2024, Siceloff, a resident who lived a few miles away over the Pennsylvania border, was continuing to document the accident’s impacts, accompanied by Mellon.

Mellon was one of the few journalists from any major outlet still on the ground in East Palestine. But none of his reporting on it has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – the paper where he made his name and remains technically employed. Instead, it appeared in the smaller, online-only Pittsburgh Union Progress that he helped start with his co-workers” (Penn Capital-Star)

Elsewhere

In Closing Days of Allegheny County Budget Battle, Debates Continue Over Tax Increase. “Disagreements between the executive and legislative branches on the amount of a tax hike persist. And they continue, just days before the county charter says council must pass a budget and a corresponding property tax rate.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trump’s Plans For Mass Deportations Could Target 47,000 in Philadelphia: ‘No Question It’s Going to Be Ugly.’ “Trump has provided few details, but pledged mass deportations to remove those who lack permission to be here – about 13 million people, roughly the population of Pennsylvania.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

No, Amish Voters In PA Did Not Carry the Election For Donald Trump. “Despite widespread claims on social media from conservative activists, Amish voters cannot be credited with winning Pennsylvania for President-elect Donald Trump, according to vote returns.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Parties Trying to Gauge Any Impact From Amish Vote. (The Center Square)

DelVal Legislators Outline Their 2025 Priorities. “With the election behind them and Democrats holding their one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House, what are the priorities for Delaware Valley legislators? The Senate is solidly in GOP hands — what does that mean for the DelVal delegation?” (DV Journal)

Race For Allentown Mayor: Candidates Offer Dueling Visions For City’s Future. “The two candidates who have officially announced their run for Allentown mayor in 2025 are offering vastly different visions of the queen city’s future.” (Allentown Morning Call)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• A New Day Is Dawning For Pennsylvania’s Republicans As Democratic Leaders Blame Each Other For Losing. (PennLive)
• SEPTA Bailout Shows Need For Permanent Transportation Funding Solution. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• PA Legislators Should Treat SEPTA Funding Like An Emergency. (Alex Bomstein)
• A County Budget Compromise Is Available. Can Innamorato and Council Find It? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Want Better Mental Health? Reduce the Time You’re On Social Media. (Kayliana McNeal)
• Democrats Face an Existential Crisis on X. (Nancy Scola)
• With 5 Words, Trump Kills a Free-Press Measure That Had Bipartisan Support. (St. Louis Post Dispatch)
• An Appeal For Keystone College. (Chris Kelly)

1 Thing

5. A Romp Through The Snow

Sammy, the dog of PopLuck manager Brittany Smith, enjoys his first snowfall in Erie on Nov. 30, 2024.

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