Hello Thursday morning. It’s the start of the new NFL season tonight. #BillsMafia

PA Weather
Punxsutawney | Partly Sunny, 77
Danville | Becoming Mostly Sunny, 77
Pottstown | Mostly Sunny, 79

PA Sports
Phillies (75-61) | Miami, W, 4-3
THU vs. Miami
Pirates (50-86) | Mets, L, 5-1; L, 10-0
FRI vs. St. Louis

Thanks for reading PoliticsPA. Share our newsletter with your friends and colleagues. And visit us online at PoliticsPA.com.

Top Story

1. Fetterman Agrees to One Debate vs. Oz

John Fetterman agreed to a debate in Pennsylvania’s closely watched race for an open Senate seat, a day after Republican Mehmet Oz publicly questioned his opponent’s explanation for rejecting earlier invitations.

Joe Calvello, a spokesperson for the campaign, said Fetterman was committing to one debate. The details have yet to be finalized, although Fetterman said it would likely take place in October.

“We’re absolutely going to debate Dr. Oz, and it was always our intent to do that. It has simply only ever been about addressing some of the lingering issues of my stroke, the auditory processing, and we’re going to be able to work that out,” Fetterman said in a statement.” (NBC News)

Related

John Fetterman Tells Politico He’ll “Absolutely” Debate Mehmet Oz in Mid- to Late-October. “In what may serve as his most straightforward attempt yet to combat claims that he’s hiding from voters, John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, told Politico on Wednesday that he’ll “absolutely” debate Republican Mehmet Oz.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Fetterman Says He Will Debate Oz Ahead of PA Senate Election. (Fox News)
• Fetterman Vows to Debate Oz Amid Criticism (The Hill)

Dems Defend Fetterman’s Low Profile Amid GOP Health Attacks: ‘Why Should He Help Oz?’ “Democrats are waving away GOP questions about the health of Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman, confident the stroke survivor’s condition won’t drag down his candidacy or affect his ability to serve in the Senate.” (POLITICO).

What Are Auditory Processing Issues, And How Are They Treated? “Communication challenges are common in stroke survivors and often occur when the stroke has impacted the left hemisphere of the brain, which handles most of our language functions.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Getting Ex-Rivals Oz, McCormick to Share PA Stage is a ‘Big Deal’: GOP Party Chairman. “In what was touted as a show of unity between two erstwhile opponents that Republicans hope would give Oz’s campaign a boost, he and McCormick attended a panel discussion sponsored by the conservative POLARIS National Security group, whose founder, Morgan Ortagus, was moderator.” (PennLive)

Harrisburg

2. Wolf Administration Expands Access to Voter Registration Forms

“Pennsylvania will now offer voter registration forms at libraries, state park offices, and state-run veterans homes, among other locations, as part of an enhanced effort to reach about 1.7 million people eligible to vote but who are not registered.

The order, signed Wednesday by Gov. Tom Wolf, expands on an existing federal law that requires certain state agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, to provide clients the opportunity to register to vote.” (SpotlightPA)

Related

Wolf Move Expands Voter Registration Forms at State Offices. “Seven additional Pennsylvania government agencies will provide voter registration forms under a new order being signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.” (Associated Press)

New Maps Will Help Decide Where Up to $1 Billion in Federal Money Goes For PA Broadband Expansion. “As Pennsylvania prepares for an anticipated flood of federal funding to improve broadband access, the state must first resolve a basic and yet surprisingly thorny challenge: pinpointing where high-speed internet is still unavailable.” (SpotlightPA)

Elections

3. Toni Shuppe: Could She Be PA’s Next Secretary of State?

“Pennsylvania is one of 12 states where the elected Governor chooses the Secretary of State who serves as the chief elections official. Thirty-five other states directly elect theirs (the position does not exist in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah).

Republican candidate for governor Doug Mastriano has already gone on the record that he has someone in mind to serve in the role should he be elected.

That person could be Toni Shuppe.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

Here Are The Four House Seats That PA Democrats Believe They Can Flip in November. “Democrats may see the commonwealth’s southeast region as their best chance to cut into Republicans’ majority in the Pennsylvania Legislature.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

The Five Seats The PA GOP Feels It Can Flip to Secure a Veto-Proof Senate Majority. “GOP strategists are eyeing a handful of seats occupied by first-term Pennsylvania legislators as key to advancing toward a veto-proof majority in the state Senate.” (Erie Times-News)

Four Hopefuls Seek Nomination Next Week in City Council Special Election. “Four candidates met a Tuesday afternoon deadline for informing Democratic Party leaders that they want to replace Pittsburgh City Councilor Corey O’Connor in District 5. And while the special election to replace him won’t take place until November 8, change already seems to be on the way.” (WESA)

Around the Commonwealth

Cartwright, Bognet Trying to Agree On Debate Terms. “If five-term incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and Republican challenger Jim Bognet agree on anything, it’s that the two candidates in the 8th Congressional District should debate to give voters the opportunity to learn about them before they go to the polls on Nov. 8.” (Times Leader)

Trump Distorts Facts in PA Rally. “As the Department of Justice investigates his handling of highly classified documents, former President Donald Trump spoke for nearly two hours in a rally in Pennsylvania that was filled with false, exaggerated and misleading statements” (FactCheck.org)

DGA Hits Back at Mastriano’s “No Comment Express” Tour. “The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has decided to comment where none is forthcoming from Republican candidate for governor in Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano.” (PoliticsPA)

Councilmember Cherelle Parker Resigns, Plans Run for Mayor. “City Councilmember Cherelle Parker resigned her seat Wednesday in advance of a likely run for Philadelphia mayor.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Philadelphia Poll Workers Are About to Get a Raise. “City Commissioner Omar Sabir said the pay hike should be an incentive to help fill hundreds of Election Day jobs that have required long hours with poor compensation in the past.” (WHYY)

Commentary

• In the PA Senate Race, Will It Matter That Dr. Oz is a “CarpetBagger”? (Christopher J. Galdieri)
• Biden and Trump, Although Not On the Ballot, Dominate Politics and Polarization (John Baer)
• The GOP Are Re-Enslaving All Women On Reproductive Rights (Standard-Speaker)
• Bill Threatens Reproductive Freedom (Carol Taylor)
• Is Krasner Violating The Civil Rights of Philadelphia Police Officers? (Ben Mannes)