🤠 G’day, Tuesday. Thanks for supporting the PoliticsPA Playbook

PA Weather
☂️ Shenango | Afternoon showers, 61
☁️ Blain | Mostly Cloudy, 58
🌤️ Topton | Mostly Sunny, 58

PA Sports
🏀 Sixers (2-11) | Miami 89-106 | Wed vs. Memphis
🏒 Flyers (8-9-2) | Colorado 2-3 | Wed vs. Carolina
🏒 Penguins (7-10-3) | Tue vs. Tampa Bay

👂 What We’re Hearing. In Rep.-elect Ryan Mackenzie’s win over Rep. Susan Wild, the Congressional Leadership Fund says its ads “represented 72% of the GOP’s share of voice.”

📱 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

🗞️ Good Morning Pennsylvania. Find all the latest news on what’s happening in Keystone State politics with 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. PA Supreme Court Again Rules That Philly and Other Counties Cannot Count Undated Mail Ballots

“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling reiterating its previous stance that undated or misdated mail ballots should not be counted in the 2024 election, dealing a blow to Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s hopes that a recount and litigation will help him overcome his just over 17,000-vote deficit to Republican Dave McCormick as of Monday evening.

The 4-3 ruling, which was requested by the Republican Party and opposed by Casey’s campaign, followed moves by elections officials in Democratic-controlled counties — including Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery — to have the ballots counted despite the high court instructing them to exclude those votes earlier in the year. The ruling applies to all counties.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

PA Supreme Court Says Undated/ Incorrectly Dated Mail Ballots Shall Not Be Counted. “In a 4-3 opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled against county boards of elections counting undated or incorrectly dated mail ballots. The decision appears to be a victory for Republican Dave McCormick and a defeat for Democrat Bob Casey Jr. as a recount of the state’s U.S. Senate race is underway.” (PoliticsPA)

• Bucks County, Others Can’t Count Votes Disputed In McCormick-Casey Race: PA Supreme Court. (Bucks County Courier Times)
• Bucks County Board Chair Says Comment About Violating Election Law Has Been Misinterpreted. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Top Democrat on Ethics Panel Says She Wants to Publish Gaetz Report. “Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, said Monday, “It should certainly be released to the Senate, and I think it should be released to the public, as we have done with many other investigative reports in the past,” she told a small group of reporters.” (POLITICO)

State

2. How Tech Affected ‘The Information Environment’ of the 2024 Election

“Advancements in AI technology, and the changing “information environment” undoubtedly influenced how campaigns operated and voters made decisions in the 2024 election, an elections and democracy expert said.

Technologists and election academics warned a few months ago that mis- and disinformation would play an even larger role in 2024 than in 2020 and 2016. What exactly that disinformation would look like became more clear in the two weeks leading up to the election, said Tim Harper, senior policy analyst for democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Elsewhere

Ryan Mackenzie Prepares For Congress and U.S. Policy Shifts on Spending, Immigration, Energy. “The Lehigh Valley’s newly elected congressman anticipates the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress will examine recent federal spending packages with an eye toward pulling back funding for projects and policies approved by the outgoing Biden administration.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

PA Lawmakers Say Candidates Choose to Pay $250 Late Fee to Avoid Revealing Donors. “A Department of State report shows sixty-six candidates for the state Legislature — including 22 incumbents — missed a deadline for filing campaign finance reports just before the Nov. 5 election, a dynamic that has sparked bipartisan condemnation and calls for bigger penalties.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

State Awards $5 Million In Grant Money For 11 Major Sporting Events Coming to PA. “The Sports Marketing and Tourism Program was created to attract high-quality, amateur, and professional sporting and e-sports events to Pennsylvania.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Council President Joins Allentown Mayor’s Race Against Incumbent, Colleague

“Just like the adage says, the race for Allentown mayor is getting crowded.

City Council President Cynthia Mota is the third candidate to announce a campaign for the city government’s top job.

She joins Councilman Ed Zucal in trying to stop Mayor Matt Tuerk from claiming a second term in 2025.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Elsewhere

Donald Trump Is Considering Two Billionaires With Strong Philly-Area Ties For His Treasury Secretary. Who Are They? “Howard Lutnick or Marc Rowan could oversee banks, money printing, and tax collection, along with making recommendations on trade and tax policy.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Innamorato and Older County Residents Defend Her Proposed Budget, Tax Increase. “Greater demand for services warrants $114M for older adults and caregivers and $64 million for DHS Area Agency on Aging, county executive says.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• We Must Value Democracy More Than Expediency. (Sen. Bob Casey)
• Say It Ain’t So, Bob. (Larry Platt)
• Don’t Ignore Election Day Interference. (York Dispatch)
• Time For Post-Election Sanity: Approve Nippon-U.S. Steel Deal. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• A Worldview For the Highly Educated Helped the Democrats Lose. (David Brooks)
• Trump Elects New Age of Republicans to His Cabinet. (Noah Aberegg)
• Defund Public Education? Or Be True to Your Schools. (Richard Robinson)

1 Thing

5. Why the Gettysburg Address Is One of the Most Famous Speeches in History

“On the morning of November 19, 1863, approximately 15,000 people descended upon Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to officially dedicate its National Cemetery.

The cemetery’s dedication ceremony had been delayed by a month out of deference to the schedule of the keynote speaker—celebrated orator Edward Everett.

The world little noted nor long remembered Everett’s two-hour oration—except for its verbosity. By contrast, the 10-sentence speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln became perhaps the most famous in American history.” (History.com)

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