Good Monday Morning. It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

PA Weather
Ambridge | Increasing Clouds, 45
Altoona | Mostly Sunny, 49
Allentown | Sunny, 47

PA Sports
Eagles | SAT vs. NY Giants, 8:15p
Penguins (21-15-6) | MON vs. Anaheim
Flyers (18-18-7) | MON vs. Boston
76ers (27-16) | TUE vs. LA Clippers

What We’re Hearing
“There’s never a steady state in politics; it is always complex, always shifting, and it is never easy to navigate it.” – David Urban

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Rep. Michael P. Zabel. Someone with an upcoming birthday who deserves a shoutout? Let us know.

Visit us online at PoliticsPA.com. Are you getting this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up for free and get your own subscription emailed to you every weekday morning. Join the PoliticsPA community.

Top Story

1. A Day Away

“On Tuesday at noon, Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro will recite the 35-word oath committing to uphold the U.S. and state constitutions and become Pennsylvania’s 48th governor.

Standing before Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd, the Philadelphia-area Democrat will place his hand on a stack of three Bibles, each one carrying personal and historical significance to him.” (PennLive)

Related

Bumps Ahead: Some Of The Challenges Awaiting PA Gov.-Elect Shapiro. “Josh Shapiro styled his gubernatorial campaign on taking on the big fights. But now that he’s got the job, many Pennsylvanians will probably be happy enough with a governor who can deal with big problems.” (PennLive)

• Five More Cabinet Posts Filled By Shapiro. (PoliticsPA)
• Shapiro Announces Seven Senior Staff Appointments. (PoliticsPA)

What To Know About This Week’s Inauguration And What’s Ahead For The Shapiro-Davis Administration. “Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov.-elect Austin Davis — Democrats who won big in the November election — will take the oath of office this week, marking the beginning of a new administration with an ambitious policy platform and likely challenges with navigating a divided Legislature.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Secrecy Has Dominated Shapiro’s Transition To PA Governor. It May Be A Sign Of What’s To Come. “For nearly two months, a team of advisors has been working to ensure Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has a smooth transition from attorney general to head of the nation’s fifth-most populous state. Yet the public may never know anything about the team’s work — or who is funding it.” (PennLive)

Harrisburg

2. Commonwealth Court Sets Special Election Dates For Feb. 7

Tuesday, February 7 will be Super Tuesday in Allegheny County.

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that the state House special elections in the 34th and 35th Districts will be held on that date, alongside the 32nd District election that was already agreed upon. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Theorizing Why The 16 State House Republicans Backed A Democrat For Speaker. “If you read Random Notes last Saturday, I mentioned in passing 16 Republican state reps who voted for Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-126, Berks, for House speaker. I’ll take a look today at the politics of their decision.” (Times-Tribune)

PA Lawmakers Hopeful In Wake Of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Complex Legacy. “As the sun sets on Gov. Tom Wolf’s eight-year run, a reconstituted General Assembly says it welcomes the future that lies ahead, with some taking comfort in a familiar promise of bipartisanship that often precedes a new administration.” (The Center Square)

PA Lawmakers Once Again Propose Moving Up The Presidential Primary. “Pennsylvania is a hugely important political battleground, but it hasn’t traditionally mattered much in presidential primaries.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A GOP Postmortem: What Went So Wrong In PA?

“The Pennsylvania GOP is trying to figure out what went so horribly wrong in 2022.

After the party’s disastrous midterm races, Republicans in the critical battleground state are conducting a postmortem, holding focus groups throughout the state and interviewing thousands of voters about everything from abortion to former President Donald Trump in hopes of getting to the bottom of their losses.” (POLITICO)

Related  

Driven By Election Deniers, This County Recounted 2020 Votes Last Week. “On the 797th day after the defeat of former President Donald J. Trump, a rural Pennsylvania county on Monday began a recount of ballots from Election Day 2020.” (New York Times)

Advocates: PA Recount Law Needs Update; About 150 Petitions Filed In November Across State With No Change In Outcome. “Good-government advocates and voting experts say Pennsylvania should change a recount law that was weaponized by activists and delayed the state’s certification by several weeks.” (LNP)

Kenyatta Is Preparing To Run For PA Auditor General. “Philadelphia State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta is preparing to run for auditor general next year, a move that reflects the Democrat’s rising profile since his unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Philly’s Largest Municipal Union Has Endorsed Brown For Mayor In Surprise Vote. “Philadelphia’s largest labor union for city workers has endorsed grocer Jeff Brown for mayor, providing a major boost to the first-time candidate and rankling several other contenders who were caught off guard by the unscheduled vote of the union’s leaders.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Republican Oh Leaning Toward Joining Crowded Contest Of Democrats For Philly Mayor. “Philadelphia City Councilmember David Oh could announce a run for mayor as soon as next month.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Ex-PA DEP Secretary: Agency’s Underfunding Will Test New Leader. “A former secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection says the new leader will have his management skills tested at an agency that’s been constrained by a decade of underfunding.” (WESA)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Voter ID Proposal By PA Lawmakers Is An Insidious Way To Dilute Black Political Power. (Solomon Jones, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Why Are Democrats Doing Everything In Their Power To Stop Voter ID Laws. (Jennifer Stefano, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Right Lesson To Take From Martin Luther King, Jr. (Svante Myrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Local Republican Groups Paralyzed By MAGA Insurgencies And Infighting. (Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• A New Governor, A New Year, A New Chance To Clean Up The Chesapeake Bay. (Harry Campbell, PA Capital-Star)
• Impeachment Farce Should Finally End. (Citizens Voice)
• Gov. Wolf Leaves 2,540 With Second Chances; Most Pardons In PA History. (Bill O’Boyle, Times Leader)
• Illinois Is 9th State To Ban Assault Rifle Sales. PA Should Become The 10th. (Paul Muschick, Morning Call)
• Special Elections Are Set Now, Right? (Tribune-Review)

1 Thing

5. The Party, The Menu

“What do Wiz Khalifa, Smokey Robinson, and the rock band Mt. Joy all have in common? No, it’s not the start of your uncle’s Spotify playlist — unless your uncle is Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

“Guests at Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro’s inaugural party Tuesday night will nibble on potato chips, sip famous Farm Show milkshakes and fill their plates with sandwiches from convenience store rivals Sheetz and Wawa.” (PennLive)

Thanks for starting your day with us.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
Please invite your friends to subscribe to the PoliticsPA Playbook