Happy Masters Weekend. What primary polls can really tell us. Where are the women in PA politics? GOP fundraising doubles up Dems. Here is the Playbook.

PA Weather
Erie | Showers, 44
Elizabethtown | Sunny, 59
Emmaus | Mostly Sunny, 61

PA Sports
76ers | lost at Toronto, 119-114; SAT vs. Indiana; SUN vs. Detroit
Flyers | d. Columbus, 4-1; SAT vs. Anaheim
Penguins | lost at NY Rangers, 3-0; SAT vs. Washington; SUN vs. Nashville
Union | SAT at Columbus
Pirates | lost at St. Louis, 9-0
Phillies | weekend vs. Oakland

News

What Primary Polls Can Tell Us: Welcome to poll season. Whether it is traditional polling entities or those funded by campaigns, expect to see numbers and more numbers released during the next 40 days.

PA Women Underrepresented in Local Politics: Where are the women? And why is Pennsylvania in the bottom quartile when it comes to women in local politics?

GOP Super PAC Doubles Up Dems: The Congressional Leadership Fund and the related American Action Network – both of whom traditionally support House Republicans and their policies – are dramatically outraising their Democratic counterparts.

Readers Poll: GOP Should Nominate Gale for Governor: Montgomery County commissioner Joe Gale finished first in the PoliticsPA readers poll for the GOP nomination for governor. 

PA Senate Race: ‘Trump suggests he’ll decide on Pennsylvania GOP Senate endorsement in ‘about a week’’: Fox News reports that “with primary day in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania just under six weeks away, former President Donald Trump has yet to takes sides in the crowded, divisive, and expensive GOP Senate primary in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. But that may change very soon.”

• McClatchy: In Pennsylvania Senate race, Republicans go national, while Democrats keep it local
• Inquirer: Mehmet Oz is worth at least $104 million and maybe a lot more, a new report says
• Inquirer: An ad supporting Conor Lamb sparked a backlash for wrongly calling John Fetterman a ‘self-described democratic socialist’ 
• Post-Gazette: GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick sees Pennsylvania’s natural gas as driver of state’s economy
• Beaver County Times: PA Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta running for U.S. Senate ‘because the status quo will not save us’
• The Hill: McCormick, Oz running neck-and-neck in Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary: poll
• CNN: Fact check: Misleading claims in attack ads against Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidates Oz and McCormick
• AP: Pa. Senate candidate Oz reports at least $100M in assets
• Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Senate candidate talks energy independence

PA Governor Race: ‘Spending in Pa. governor’s race nears $11M’: PennLive reports that “the 10 candidates vying to be Pennsylvania’s next governor combined have spent nearly $11 million so far in their efforts to win their party’s nomination in the May 17 primary, according to Department of State records.”

• Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Capital-Star Q+A: Josh Shapiro on the death penalty, climate and Harrisburg
• Philly Clout: Conservative supporters spend twice what Bill McSwain raised in campaign for governor
• Post-Gazette: Josh Shapiro hauls in just over $4.5 million for gubernatorial run in huge first quarter
• WFMZ: Pa. gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta speaks with 69 News
• Pennsylvania Capital-Star: 5 Pa. environmental advocacy groups endorse Shapiro for governor

‘GOP opposition to proposed Wolf regs on carbon pricing; charter schools could shape coming months’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “in a statement, the Wolf administration said that ‘promulgating regulations is the appropriate avenue for the executive branch to move things forward, since the governor cannot introduce legislation’.”

‘Gov. Wolf makes stop at Millersville University to promote $200M scholarship to boost college enrollment, PA economy’: LNP | LancasterOnline reports that “Gov. Tom Wolf and Democratic state Rep. Jordan Harris of Philadelphia visited Millersville University on Thursday to promote the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program proposal that would pay for Pennsylvania students attending state community colleges or one of the 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education colleges and universities, including Millersville University. Students benefiting from the scholarship, however, must reside in the state for the same number of years in which they received funding following graduation.”

‘Pennsylvania public transit will ride a wave of new cash in 2022’: WESA reports that “Pennsylvania’s public transportation agencies will receive more than $617 million this year — though it is too early to say precisely what impact that money will have.”

‘After nearly a decade as chancellor, Pitt’s Gallagher to step down next summer, move to teaching’: WESA reports that “after nine years at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh, Patrick Gallagher plans to step down as chancellor next summer.”

‘Social Security offices open their doors for in-person visits, two years after closing for the pandemic’: WESA reports that “after more than two years of being largely closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s more than 1,200 Social Security Administration field offices reopened today.”

‘Pennsylvania pedestrian deaths increase, but not as sharply as national trends’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “in the first half of 2021 pedestrian deaths across the nation increased nearly 20% from the year prior, but Pennsylvania ranked below the national average, according to a study done by the Governors Highway Safety Association.”

‘Gleim stands by circulated substitute teacher comment on social media’: The Carlisle Sentinel reports that “a comment circulating on social media this week may have been made on a private Facebook page using a private account, but state Rep. Barb Gleim, R-Carlisle, said she publicly stands by her words.”

‘Republican National Committee: Schnee’s win a ‘warning’ to every Democrat’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “the Republican National Committee held up Robert Schnee’s victory in the 116th Legislative District state representative race Tuesday as a sign of wins to come.”

Legislative Election Updates

‘Former Harrisburg mayor ends campaign for state House’: PennLive reports that “former Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson has withdrawn from the race for the state House, citing problems with gaining enough nominating petitions. Thompson, a Democrat, was running for the 103rd state House seat.” 

‘Albert thrown off Republican state Senate ballot’: The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that “a state appeals court has thrown two local Republican state Senate candidates off the May 17 primary election ballot.”

‘State House candidate Cashaw’s petitions challenged in court’: The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reports that “a legal challenge has been made against the nomination petitions submitted by Michael Cashaw to run in the upcoming Democratic Party primary for Pennsylvania’s 72nd Legislative District.”

‘Ballot adjudication from special election starts Friday’: The Citizens Voice reports that “the Luzerne County Board of Elections will meet Friday to start the adjudication of ballots from Tuesday’s special election in the 116th state House District.”

‘Former Pottstown School Board member is running for Pennsylvania Senate’: The Reading Eagle reports that “Emanuel Wilkerson is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 24th Senatorial District.”

Regional Spotlight: North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Davis wants to expand Erie County Board of Health. Here’s why
Centre Daily Times: A PA project could cost $800M and improve safety. Centre County residents fear what it’d destroy
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Pa. Health chief visits Union County hospital
Erie Times-News: Salaries approved for Slomski, other top directors
Erie Times-News: County Council splits over clerk starting salary of $82,992
Inquirer: Why COVID hit this Pennsylvania county worse than almost any other in the U.S.
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: American Rescue Plan compliance and oversight assured by firm under contract
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Tioga Borough council members’ bid to remove mayor admonished
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Telemedicine now covered for Lycoming County employees

Opinion  
Joanna McClinton: Ketanji Brown Jackson is now the only former public defender on Supreme Court. This matters.
John Baer: If you want good state government, support those trying to #FixHarrisburg 
Rebecca Rhynhart: Philly needs more police, but not a bigger budget 
Paul Muschick: Is it really a big deal that voters drop off more than one ballot?
Rich Askey: Make education a priority in Pennsylvania’s budget
Susan Spicka: Extremists undermine faith in our schools. We owe it to our kids, community to speak up
Doug Murray: Free and open elections are good for voters – and good for business. This is why
John L. Micek: Bail reformers are facing backlash. Here’s what the facts say | Thursday Morning Coffee
Joyce M. Davis: More poor people died during COVID-19: here’s why | Social Views
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Lessons for Pennsylvania drug laws from Oregon, Portugal 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Well-run elections shouldn’t depend on ‘Zuck Bucks’
LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board: Faced with the chance to secure funding for projects that would benefit his constituents, US Rep. Smucker missed the mark 
LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board: Poultry farmers, stressed by avian influenza outbreak, need access to mental health support
John L. Micek: Public defenders are the bedrock of our legal system. How Tom Cotton damaged that 
James Sikorski Jr.: The speed camera law must be repealed immediately
Nancy Eshelman: A hospital stay confirmed what I already knew: Nurses aren’t paid enough 
Seth S. Tannenbaum: Phillies must do more to diversify their lineup 
Eddy Bresnitz: I’m a physician over age 50 and I’m not getting my second COVID booster yet. Here’s why. 
Solomon Jones: How my family was reminded of the gun violence that many in the city live with every day 
Will Bunch: How Sacramento’s mass shooting killed the myth of ‘tough-on-crime’ prosecutors
Trudy Rubin: The only way to end Putin’s war crimes is to help Ukrainian forces win