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Top Story

1. How Trump Won Pennsylvania − and What the Numbers Show About the Future of a Pivotal Swing State

“Pennsylvania was for months considered the key swing state that would decide the 2024 election. Candidates, political parties and advocacy groups spent over $1 billion courting the commonwealth’s small number of persuadable voters.

Here’s how Donald Trump won Pennsylvania, and what the votes cast in some of the state’s key counties tell us about the present and future of American politics.

The big story of the night for me was voter turnout in Philadelphia.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Elsewhere

Donald Trump Made His Biggest Gains in the Northeast PA Communities Near Joe Biden’s Hometown. “Four of the top six counties where Trump saw his biggest percentage gains in votes from 2020 are in the Northeast, an Inquirer analysis found, including Lackawanna County and Luzerne County.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Trump Improved Margins In Rural PA But Collapse of Urban Democratic Vote Gave Him the Win. “Donald Trump reclaimed Pennsylvania and the presidency Tuesday when the urban coalition that gave Joe Biden his 2020 victory in the state failed to show up for Vice President Kamala Harris.” (Penn Capital-Star)

A Tale of Two Jets: The Old Media Grapples With Its New Limits. “Donald Trump’s victory isn’t a result of a failure by news outlets to sufficiently hold him accountable. The real answer is one that is a lot more uncomfortable to grapple with: The national news media is more limited in its reach and influence than ever in the modern era.” (Semafor)

Bad News. “Legacy media must compete against a choose-your-own-adventure reality.” (The Atlantic)

State

2. In Backing Trump, Northampton County’s 120-Year Record Of Picking Presidents Carries On

“As the dust settled on a dominant showing by Republicans in Tuesday’s election, Northampton County solidified its reputation as a presidential prognosticator.

Since the dawn of the 20th century, Northampton County voters have backed the winning candidate all but three times, missing only on Hubert Humphrey in 1968, Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Elsewhere

It’s President Donald Trump’s World Now. But is Josh Shapiro on Deck? ““As of right now, if anybody does a list of six potential 2028 Democratic candidates, he’s on the list,” said national Democratic strategist James Carville.” (PennLive)

Senate Leader Says McCormick Not Invited to Orientation, But He Vows to Attend Anyway. “Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, who the Associated Press declared the winner of Pennsylvania’s contentious U.S. Senate race, isn’t being invited to orientation Wednesday for newly elected members.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Lawmakers Head Back to Harrisburg Looking at Same Partisan Split For Another Two Years. “Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, will still be governor. Democrats will still hold a single-seat majority in the 203-member Pennsylvania House of Representatives, while Republicans will hold a 28-to-22 advantage in the state Senate – the same splits that have existed since 2022.” (PennLive)

Controversy Dissipates After Bitter Election Cycle, But Still Legal Work To Be Done, Says Former PA Judge. “John Jones III, a former federal judge who dealt with Republican election challenges in Pennsylvania in 2020, had been preparing for a controversial post-election period as part of Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that had spent months analyzing potential election issues in swing states such as Pennsylvania” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Around The Commonwealth

3. How Did PA Dems Keep State House During a Red Wave? Meet Frank Burns

“Pennsylvania House Democrats have clung to their one-vote majority despite a statewide wave of GOP wins that flipped two congressional seats and may have ousted a veteran U.S. senator.

A huge part of the reason is that state Rep. Frank Burns, a conservative Democrat with a district in the middle of an overwhelmingly Donald Trump-supporting region, held on to his seat.

In this era of Pennsylvania politics, Burns, of Cambria County, is one of the most important members of the state House — both during elections and when it comes to whipping votes in a narrowly divided chamber.” (Spotlight PA)

Elsewhere

Senate Race is Close in PA, Provisional Ballots May Make the Difference. Does Yours Need To Be ‘Fixed?’ “As the race for U.S. Senate remains close in Pa., many eyes are on provisional ballots which may tip the balance. Some, however, may not be counted without action.” (WHYY)

Will Uncounted Ballots Change Election Outcomes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania? “Bucks County officials will meet Tuesday to decide how many of at least 10,200 uncounted ballots will be added to its unofficial election totals.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Election Impact: “60 Minutes” Visits Lehigh Valley For In-Depth Coverage. “Late last week, CBS’s “60 Minutes” came to the Lehigh Valley, speaking to people around the area on the outcome of the election with the 13-minute episode airing Sunday.” (CNHI News)

Bob Brady’s Feud With the Harris Campaign Reignited Long-Held Criticisms of the City Party. But He Says He’s Not Going Anywhere. “Amid broader reflections about the future of the Democratic Party, some are renewing concerns about the city committee’s effectiveness under Brady, who has led it for 40 years.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Allentown Mayor Race: Council Members Line Up to Challenge Matt Tuerk in 2025 Election. “The Allentown 2025 mayor’s race is already shaping up to be competitive, as at least two candidates say they plan to challenge Mayor Matt Tuerk, who is running for reelection.” (Allentown Morning Call)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• What Now for Democrats? (Shanin Specter)
• Pennsylvania Voters Deserve to Have Their Voices Heard. (Ed Rendell)
• I Worked on the Harris Campaign. The Weak Election Effort by Philly Dems is a Sign That Bob Brady Has to Go. (Brendan McPhillips)
• A Republican Win in Philadelphia. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
• 2024’s Other Big Loser? The Mainstream Media. Is There Any Path Forward? (Will Bunch)
• The Biggest Winner of This Week’s Election is the Alternative Media. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• Trump’s Victory is a Permanent Political Revolution. (Brandon McGinley)
• Kamala Harris Lost Because She Took Women For Granted. (Pamela Paul)
• Democracy Isn’t a College Class, It’s a Street Fight. And It’s Dirty. (Thomas Sangrey)

1 Thing

5. The Ultimate Apple Rankings

The definitive list of good and bad apples, according to Brian Frange, a comedian and writer. He started yelling about apples professionally in 2016 and has continued yelling about apples on stages across America and radio shows across the world. So which apple is No. 1?

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