Bob Asher announces that he won’t seek another term as Republican National Committeeman, while an exclusive poll from a Democratic PAC shows a close race in PA’s 1st Congressional District. Here is the Playbook. 

Asher Ends RNC Re-Election Bid: A leading Pa. Republican will step aside after decades guiding the party. 

Exclusive: Dem PAC Poll Finds Tight PA1 Race: The survey from House Majority PAC shows Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick leading Democrat Christina Finello 45-to-44. Former VP Joe Biden holds a 14 point advantage over President Trump in the purple district.

Benninghoff Elected House Majority Leader, Cutler Elected Speaker: The Centre County Republican will take over for Bryan Cutler, who was elevated to House Speaker on Monday afternoon.

PA8: Barletta Named Honorary Chairman for Bognet Campaign: The one time Senate hopeful and former Luzerne County Congressman described Jim Bognet as a “strong conservative voice” for the 8th District and someone who will “proudly work” with President Trump.

Haley Endorses Scheller: Lisa Scheller, a former Lehigh County Commissioner and businesswoman who is the GOP candidate for the 7th Congressional District, sent out a tweet on Monday announcing that former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has endorsed her bid for office. 

For results on races called prior to today, check out previous Playbooks starting from June 3.

Primary Election Update: 

INCUMBENT LEADS: HD22 Dem: State Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) leads Enid Santiago by 55 votes, which is slightly more than 1%, in this majority Latino district, according to county website results. Lehigh Valley Live reports that although Schweyer declared victory in the race, Santiago is calling for a special election for the seat. 

LEADER: HD75 GOP: Mike Armanini holds a 3 point lead over Lisa Becker in the three candidate race to succeed state Rep. Matt Gabler (R-Clearfield). The winner will face Democrat Ryan Grimm in the fall for the GOP friendly district. 

INCUMBENT LEADS: HD175 Dem: State Rep. Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) who holds a 1,109 vote lead, 7%, over Vanessa McGrath, Jeff Dempsey, and Andre Del Valle in the four candidate primary among in-person votes, declared victory in the primary. 

INCUMBENT LEADS: HD182 Dem: State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia), who leads challenger Marisa Shaaban by 2,825 votes, 15%, with all of the in-person votes accounted for, while the mail-in votes are still coming in, declared victory in the primary. The GOP candidate in this safe Dem district is Drew Murray. Sims added 1,000 plus votes to his lead in the race as of Friday morning, when he held a 1,786 vote advantage in the race. 

INCUMBENT TRAILS: HD188 Dem: Rick Krajewski holds a 2,624 vote, 21%, lead over state Rep. James Roebuck Jr. (D-Philadelphia) in the four candidate primary and declared victory in the race on Monday. 

LEADER: TOSSUP: HD198 Dem: Darisha Parker now holds a 267 vote lead in the primary over Bernard Williams, while Fareed Abdullah and Supreme Dow also trail for the seat held by outgoing state Rep. Rosita Youngblood (D-Philadelphia). As of Friday morning, Williams held a 122 vote lead in the primary. The margin between first and last place is also slim. 

Harrisburg & DC   
Spotlight PA: After sudden Turzai resignation, GOP elevates new leadership in Pa. House
AP: House votes to make Republican Rep. Cutler its next speaker
AP: Infections exceed 82,000, as new reported deaths slow
AP: Attorney of kicked protester seeks officer’s name
Inquirer: Democrats hope Joe Biden’s VP choice can help him win Pa. But who can do that?
Inquirer: Pennsylvania’s new medical marijuana player aims to ramp up production and drive down prices
Inquirer: Who’s Biden’s best VP choice? Pa. insiders weigh in. | Morning Newsletter
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Mr. Speaker: Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler takes the gavel
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Mail-in ballots and the Pa. Primary | The Numbers Racket
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: With Cutler at the helm, Pa. House GOP promises new ideas, hands-off style
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Senate panel unanimously passes ban on police chokeholds
Patriot News: Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler elected speaker of Pa. House of Representatives 
Patriot News: Centre County Republican Kerry Benninghoff elected as Pa. House majority leader 
Patriot News: Pa. Senate committee approves police reform bills banning chokeholds, requiring use of force policies 
Patriot News: Pa. Senate shaping plan to permit bars, other liquor licensees to host slots-style video gaming terminals 
Patriot News: Gov. Wolf pushes back deadline for DEP to ‘develop a strong plan’ for RGGI participation 
Patriot News: More than 450 new coronavirus cases reported in Pa. 
WITF: Former Pa. governor Tom Ridge laments ‘sad’ Trump fears about voting by mail 
PLSReporter: Cutler elected Speaker, Benninghoff majority leader in House leadership shake-up
PLSReporter: Bill barring police chokeholds gains unanimous Senate committee approval 
PLSReporter: Senate Committee moves to reinstate Turnpike employees cut due to pandemic 
PLSReporter: COVID-19 by the numbers: A statewide look at the coronavirus in Pa.
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Pa.’s paid out $18B in unemployment claims 
Beaver County Times: Pennsylvania jobless rate falls to 13% in May
CNN: Democrats look to weaponize Trump’s ‘slow the testing down’ comment
KDKA: Pa. Senate Committees Pass Police Reform Bills, Will Go To Full Senate For Vote    

Philadelphia 
Inquirer: City Council puts money for the arts back into budget, but the Philadelphia Cultural Fund remains cut drastically
Inquirer: ‘Good jobs’ in exchange for lower taxes is Philly City Council’s plan to soothe parking industry
Inquirer: Philly proposes $43 million Schuylkill trail extension to include bridge with scenic overlook 
Inquirer: The company buying the bankrupt Philly refinery wants a cheaper price 
Inquirer: Rename Taney Street in Philly is the latest campaign to erase a racist past 
Inquirer: Casinos and indoor dining can open soon in N.J., and Philadelphia passes 25,000 confirmed coronavirus cases
Inquirer: A surge in explosions at night stirs Mount Airy woman’s bid to bar consumer fireworks in the city
Billy Penn: It’s the first year fireworks are legal in Philly, and police have gotten nearly 1,000 complaints
WHYY Newsworks: ‘We don’t smell that gas anymore’: Activists mark anniversary of blast that shut down PES refinery
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. coronavirus recovery: Philadelphia eclipses 25,000 cases
Philadelphia Tribune: Here’s all the ways that Philly is helping small businesses recover from COVID-19 losses
KYW Newsradio: As region prepares to move to ‘green,’ officials remind residents the virus isn’t gone
KYW Newsradio: Philly Queer March lifts voices of Black trans women
KYW Newsradio: Temple University poll finds half want to wait a bit to travel post-pandemic
Philly Voice: Philly small businesses struck by looters can apply for grants
Philadelphia Business Journal: Former Philadelphia Bar chancellor to lead Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts

SEPA
Montgomery Media: Montgomery County commissioners disagree on mail-in ballots 
Montgomery Media: Gale objects to Montgomery County extending disaster declaration 
Montgomery Media: State pulls funding from 2 Montgomery County road projects due to coronavirus losses 
Montgomery Media: Hospitalizations due to coronavirus continue to decline in Montgomery County
Bucks County Courier Times: Warminster Dems, GOP raise $6,400 for local VFW 
Bucks County Courier Times: Joan Cullen fighting back on county news release, request for resignation
KYW Newsradio: Bucks health official already looking at COVID-19 guidelines for schools next fall
Pottstown Mercury: June 22 Update: 456 positives bring statewide coronavirus total to 82,186, according to Department of Health
Bucks Local News: Attorney for planning board member demands Bucks County Commissioners retract ‘false claims”
Daily Local News: Chester County land preservation board announces funding opportunities 
Daily Local News: Chester County judicial vacancy to be filled

Pittsburgh 
WESA: County Election Officials Assess Primary, And Propose Changes Ahead Of November 
WESA: ‘They Failed To Police The Police’: Rep. Ed Gainey On Proposed Reforms 
WESA: Activists Call On Pittsburgh Public Schools To Remove Police From All Buildings
WESA: COVID-19 Cases On The Rise In Allegheny County, Many From Out-Of-State Travel
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh holds 1st meeting for Community Task Force on Police Reform
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County reports biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since early May 
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh community voices strong emotions on school police 
Post-Gazette: VA Pittsburgh cautious and ‘calculated’ as it slowly reopens to veterans 
Post-Gazette: City, union reach 5-year agreement for Citiparks employees, park rangers 
Pittsburgh Business Times: Allegheny County reports rise in Covid-19 cases 
Pittsburgh Business Times: How Allegheny County is mobilizing to fight Covid-19 rise — and how businesses can help 
Tribune Review: Protesters demand end to police in Pittsburgh Public Schools 
Tribune Review: Allegheny County concerned with jump in coronavirus cases
City Paper: Photos: Protesters gather in Oakland to demand removal of police officers from Pittsburgh Public Schools
KDKA: Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Issues Response To Demands For Police Accountability From ‘Black Activist and Organizer Collective’ 
KDKA: Pa. Senate Committees Pass Police Reform Bills, Will Go To Full Senate For Vote 
KDKA: ‘They Are There To Protect Us, But That’s Not What They’re Doing’: Protesters Call For Police To Be Removed From Pittsburgh Public Schools 
KDKA: ‘Concerning’: Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Reports Big Jump With 45 New Coronavirus Cases, Bringing Countywide Total To 2,220 

SWPA 
Altoona Mirror: Ebensburg Borough Council votes to take action
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Ebensburg council condemns Confederate flag display, approves changes to future events 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Pa.’s paid out $18B in unemployment claims 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Public meeting to be held on proposed sale of city’s sewer system
Tribune Review: Increase in Westmoreland coronavirus cases not a worry — yet
Beaver County Times: Pennsylvania jobless rate falls to 13% in May
Observer-Reporter: No plea, sentencing for former clerk of courts in row office theft case 
Observer-Reporter: Toothman asks that his case be assigned to Judicial Diversion Program 
Observer-Reporter: Washington, Greene report no change in COVID cases, while Allegheny experiences an increase

NEPA
Citizens Voice: Wilkes-Barre mayor: Body cam initiative will ‘come to fruition’ 
Citizens Voice: More mayors considering body cams for police 
Citizens Voice: Council to vote on settlement in jail death suit 
Citizens Voice: 6 new COVID-19 cases, 1 new death reported in county
The Times Leader: Cartwright announces over $6M for The Wright Center 
The Times Leader: Source: Ex-Luzerne County judge Conahan no longer in prison 
The Times Leader: WB playgrounds reopen today, but not hoops, nets or splash pad
The Times Leader: 6 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Luzerne County; 1 more death
Times-Tribune: Supreme Court declines to take over Scranton tax dispute 
Times-Tribune: Lackawanna County drug court gets $2 million grant
Times-Tribune: Some Lackawanna County libraries to reopen Wednesday
Times-Tribune: No new deaths, 13 new COVID-19 cases in local counties   

South Central 
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster Republican Bryan Cutler elected Speaker of Pa. House
LNP | LancasterOnline: Clean air advocates lobby for stricter limits on air pollutants present in Lancaster County
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster County’s smallest businesses seek triple the aid available from local recovery fund
LNP | LancasterOnline: Monday’s COVID-19 updates: Pa. sees 82K cases to date, Lancaster County reports 4K
Patriot News: Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler elected speaker of Pa. House of Representatives 
Patriot News: CBS21 anchor Robb Hanrahan begins to show signs of recovery according to wife
York Dispatch: York County officials crafting plan for divvying up CARES funding 
York Dispatch: York County breaks record with 55 new COVID-19 cases; testing blamed
York Daily Record: York County sees jump in COVID-19 numbers
Carlisle Sentinel: Cumberland County taps COVID recovery coordinator to manage CARES Act funding 
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: 6 more cases in Cumberland County as York County sees another COVID-19 spike

Lehigh Valley      
Morning Call: Lawmakers hope House leadership change will let Lehigh Valley issues like property tax reform get more discussion
Morning Call: Dieruff student joins national call to remove police officers from schools
Morning Call: Pennsylvania coronavirus update: State reports 456 new positive tests to make overall total 82,186
Morning Call: As Columbus statues fall across the country, Easton has no plans to remove its sculpture
Express Times: Pa. coronavirus updates: State tops 82K cases as rate ticks upward. Lehigh Valley still on track for green-phase reopening. ESU closing unused coronavirus field hospital. | Pa. COVID-19 county case map (6/22/20) 
Reading Eagle: Berks County elections board certifies primary results
Reading Eagle: Reading FOP leader: City force already defunded
Reading Eagle: Defunding the police would undercut accountability, Berks law enforcement officials, educator, say
Reading Eagle: Coronavirus cases in Berks County rise by 45 over 3-day period
Reading Eagle: Lack of child abuse reports amid coronavirus crisis worries experts

North by Northwest
Patriot News: Centre County Republican Kerry Benninghoff elected as Pa. House majority leader 
Erie Times-News: Elections board to state: Give us more time
Centre Daily Times: Reopening updates: Centre County adds 4 COVID-19 cases, and other updates for June 22

Opinion  
Jim Bognet: In Going to War With Our Past, Democrats Put Their Future in Doubt
Inquirer Editorial Board: Pa., N.J. must improve vote-by-mail   
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Reopening college campuses 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: New cigarette warnings
York Dispatch Editorial Board: Pandemic can’t be ignored away
Salena Zito: An unknown monument, pivotal to our history, is safe from historical purges 
Charlie Gerow: The 2020 campaign is emerging 
John L. Micek: House Repubs set to hold leadership elections today. Who will move up? | Monday Morning Coffee
Tony Norman: To ‘B’ or not to ‘b’ — that is the question
Carol Clark Lawrence, James B. Straw, and V. Chapman-Smith: Why Octavius V. Catto remains a civil rights icon in Philly
Tamara Konetzka and Rachel M. Werner: Nursing homes serving black and Latino residents need more support | Expert Opinion
Joshua Friedman: For the anniversary of Philly refinery explosion, a call to end environmental racism
Ernest Owens: Yes, Defund the Police, But Here Are More Ways to Abolish Cop Culture
Johnny Myers: Remembering Ax Handle Saturday 
Bridget Mary McCormack: Leveraging technology for long-term change in the face of COVID-19
Dick Polman: John Bolton refused to help when it mattered most. But there is an upside 
Anwar Curtis: I’m a Black man in 2020. These are the questions I’m asking myself. There are no easy answers 
Gene Therapy: Lookin‘ for laughs in all the wrong places
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Masking pollution
Kavitha Muralidharan: How COVID-19 is changing the way doctors care for patients with Huntington’s disease | Expert Opinion