June 25th Playbook

Former Vice President Joe Biden will visit Lancaster today to boost the Affordable Care Act, while a Democratic internal poll shows a close race in PA10. Here is the Playbook.

Biden To Boost ACA In Lancaster Visit: Former Vice President Joe Biden’s speech on Thursday in Lancaster will be his fourth address in Pennsylvania in June.

DePasquale Poll: Perry Leads 50-47: The survey from GBAO Strategies shows Rep. Scott Perry leading Democrat Eugene DePasquale 50-47. Former VP Joe Biden holds a 1 point edge over President Donald Trump in a district Trump carried by nearly 10 points in 2016.

Cook Keeps PA as Toss Up In Latest Presidential Ratings: Pennsylvania is one of five states in the Toss Up column for the general election.

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   
Patriot News: Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden plans stop in central Pa. Thursday 
Patriot News: Police reforms move forward in Pa. Legislature
Patriot News: Bill aimed at easing employment barriers for Pa.’s ex-offenders goes to governor’s desk
Patriot News: Gov. Wolf predicts COVID-19 resurgence in fall, offers hope it won’t force new round of school and business closings
Patriot News: Pa. state universities may look a lot different in the next three years 
Patriot News: Disbanding local police is common in Pa. But it’s caused larger problems for state police
AP: Pennsylvania lawmakers begin passing police reform bills
AP: Nursing homes continue to be hit hard by coronavirus deaths
Spotlight PA: Effort to track police use of force in Pa. would lack racial data, public transparency
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: The General Assembly passed a police hiring database and a chokehold ban. But nothing is on Wolf’s desk yet. 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Changes to landmark Senate bill overhauling Pa.’s probation system costs it support among criminal justice reformers 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Wolf: ‘We need to redouble our efforts’ on fighting COVID-19 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. business, immigration advocates caution against Trump work visa order
PLSReporter: House, Senate pass police reform bills as advocates set sight on further changes 
PLSReporter: While lawmakers tout revised probation, parole overhaul, activists assail changes 
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. coronavirus recovery: State asks for more flexibility for SNAP benefits
WHYY Newsworks: College consolidations coming? Plan to shake up higher-ed in Pa. moves forward
StateImpactPA: Pa. lawmakers hear from industry, environmental advocates on impact of cap-and-trade program
Beaver County Times: Casey says Americans want ‘transformative’ change in policing reform legislation 
WESA: Wolf Administration Wants More Flexibility In Adminstering Food Assistance During Pandemic
Inquirer: Joe Biden’s cautious coronavirus campaign is trying to be anything but a Trump rally
KYW Newsradio: Pennsylvania House, Senate advance police reform bills
National Journal: Philly Mayor Forms ‘Kenney PAC,’ Fueling Speculation About 2022 Gov Bid 
National Journal: Dem Internal Poll: Perry Leads DePasquale 50%-47%
KDKA: State Lawmakers Pass Bill Reforming Pennsylvania State System Of Higher Education
The Hill: Ex-DHS secretary: Both parties should work to expand mail-in voting 
The Hill: Former DHS Secretary: ‘Absolutely no’ evidence mail-in voting leads to fraud
Politico: Pro-Biden super PAC launches positive ads amid fundraising dip
CNN: Joe Biden expected to make new healthcare push after Trump’s ‘slow down the testing’ comment
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Lawmakers begin to tackle voting reforms ahead of presidential election  

Philadelphia 
Inquirer: Philadelphia announces plans to remove Columbus statue after repeated violence at Marconi Plaza 
Inquirer: Facing pandemic and protests, Philly too ‘frayed’ for a supervised injection site right now, judge rules
Inquirer: Philly protesters honor Black women killed by police; at Clark Park, a community scream for Black transgender victims
Inquirer: Philly employees got paid millions for work the city couldn’t verify was done, watchdog says
Inquirer: Self-styled ‘vigilante’ arrested in assault at South Philly’s Marconi Plaza
Inquirer: Penn will commission a study of its police force and withdraw support from Philly’s police foundation
Inquirer: ‘Why aren’t you arresting them?’ Philly officials investigate police after assaults against Fishtown protesters.
Inquirer: He spent 22 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. His lawsuit says Philly police detectives knew his case was flawed. 
Inquirer: Black trans communities suffer a greater mental-health burden from discrimination and violence
Inquirer: Two Black Philly museums launch capital campaign to ‘defend Black memory’
Inquirer: Kenney plans to remove the Columbus statue in South Philly | Morning Newsletter
Billy Penn: Everything we know about the feds’ case against the Philly protester charged with torching police cars
Billy Penn: Two of Philly’s unique Black history institutions are fundraising to survive
WHYY Newsworks: Krasner tells Columbus supporters to leave baseball bats and hatred at home
WHYY Newsworks: Where should Marconi Plaza’s Columbus statue go? Philly officials taking suggestions 
WHYY Newsworks: Will Philly’s new police reforms work? Experts say the evidence is ‘mixed’
Philadelphia Tribune: City Council committee advances bill requiring employers to give workers paid-time off for coronavirus-like health emergencies
Philadelphia Citizen: Yesterday’s Protests, Today 
Philly Voice: Philly declares intent to remove Christopher Columbus statue from Marconi Plaza
KYW Newsradio: Philadelphia police detain reporter among dozens at ‘defund police’ protest
KYW Newsradio: Kenney says he’ll seek removal of Columbus statue from Marconi Plaza
KYW Newsradio: Federal judge who approved safe injection site in Philly puts a hold on his order
KYW Newsradio: Man charged with assault, ethnic intimidation after Black photographer punched in South Philly
KYW Newsradio: No new COVID-19 cases for 3 weeks in Philadelphia’s homeless shelter system

SEPA
Daily Local News: Herrin wins big; Chester County Democratic slate completed
Daily Local News: Three local senior centers receive $140,000 in state funding
Daily Local News: Chester County businesses prepare to go ‘green’ Friday
Daily Local News: June 24 Update: Department of Health says 495 new coronavirus positives bring statewide total to 83,191
Delaware Valley Journal: Kerslake Casts Doubt on Chester County Elections in Wake of 19-Point Loss
Bucks County Courier Times: Census: As America diversifies, Bucks stays 88% white
Bucks County Courier Times: County Democratic, GOP chiefs weigh in on Cullen issue
Delco Daily Times: Schoolhouse Senior Center in Folsom gets $30,123 grant
Delco Daily Times: Glen Mills Schools violated state abuse laws, state auditor general finds
Pottstown Mercury: Pennsylvania Senate passes key police reform measures; would ban chokeholds
Montgomery Media: Business owners describe hurdles, challenges from coronavirus
Montgomery Media: Montgomery County reports 5 more coronavirus deaths, 38 new positive cases

Pittsburgh 
WESA: Peduto Responds To Activists’ Demands For Police Reform
WESA: Hallam Seeks To Extend COVID-19 Testing To All County Employees
WESA: Gender Equity Commission Urges Reforms To Ensure Justice In The ‘New Normal’
WESA: Public Officials Are Concerned About COVID-19 Spike. UPMC Is Not.
Post-Gazette: Peduto: Historic moment ‘much larger than police reform’
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County DA’s office lauded for dropping charges against protesters
Post-Gazette: After five years of development, Pittsburgh releases final draft of 10-year Bike Master Plan
Post-Gazette: Rep. Doyle, taking aim at tech giants’ legal shield, throws cold water on Trump’s feud with Twitter
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh officials: New ‘silent’ alarm system cuts down on first responder stress, streamlines info
Post-Gazette: Wilkinsburg borough manager fired, disputes allegations made by mayor
Post-Gazette: Two Pittsburgh school board members seek more transparency from school police
Post-Gazette: Wilkinsburg coffee shop owner files lawsuit claiming defamation by WESA-FM story
Post-Gazette: COVID-19 update: Pa. reports nearly 500 new cases, 87 more in Pittsburgh region
KDKA: ‘Third Quarter Of The Civil Rights Movement:’ Mayor Peduto Says More Than Just Police Reform Needed
KDKA: ‘Most Of Us Our Father Figures, Role Models’: Pittsburgh Public Schools Police Officers Speak Out For The First Time Amid Calls To Remove Law Enforcement From Schools
KDKA: Pittsburgh Public School Board Members Introduce Resolution Calling Into Question The Effectiveness Of School Police Officers
KDKA: LGBTQIA+ Activists Protest Outside Bar In Downtown Pittsburgh
KDKA: Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Reports 45 New Coronavirus Cases And 5 More Deaths
Pittsburgh Business Times: What Allegheny County says about the rise in Covid-19 cases allegheny-county-covid-cases
Pittsburgh Current: A-B-Cs Without C-O-P-S: Some Education Advocates Pushing For Removal Of Police From Schools
Tribune Review: Allegheny County health officials warn of coronavirus spread in younger people
Tribune Review: Pittsburgh Council split on hiring consultant for review of police actions during protests
Tribune Review: Allegheny County reports 45 new covid-19 cases, matching highest total in nearly 2 months
Tribune Review: Trafford councilman criticized for transphobic joke about state health secretary
City Paper: Why Trump’s new immigration restrictions could devastate Pittsburgh
City Paper: Photos: Pittsburgh Action for Black Trans and LGBQIA+ Lives protest 941 Saloon
City Paper: RMU student IDs will no longer be named ‘freedom cards’ after a petition calls it dehumanizing

SWPA 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Cambria County receives $11.75M in COVID-19 relief funding
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Lawmakers begin to tackle voting reforms ahead of presidential election
Beaver County Times: Markie’s Law gets closer to passing Legislature 
Beaver County Times: Beaver County gets $31,000 to fight homelessness
KDKA: Beaver Co. Board Of Commissioners Discussing Creating New Health Department For County
Observer-Reporter: Gas royalties are not as royal, attorney for lease-holders says
Observer-Reporter: Washington County records three new cases of COVID-19
Altoona Mirror: Funds sought for transit center
Altoona Mirror: Grant will combat homelessness

NEPA
The Times Leader: Democrat Wegman will face Meuser in 9th Congressional District
The Times Leader: Plans for in-person Luzerne County Council meetings discussed
The Times Leader: Rose Tucker Center receives $14,191 grant
The Times Leader: 1 new case of COVID-19 confirmed in Luzerne County; 1 more death
Citizens Voice: Wegman declared winner in 9th District primary
Citizens Voice: Department of Labor to hold town hall meeting
Citizens Voice: 1 new COVID-19 case, 1 new death reported in county
Times-Tribune: If you work in an office, green phase doesn’t mean back to normal
Times-Tribune: Lackawanna has first new COVID-19 death in a week

South Central 
York Dispatch: Biden visiting Lancaster to talk affordable health care
York Dispatch: Poll: Perry holds slight edge over DePasquale 
York Dispatch: COVID-19 death toll hits 40, case count hits 1,400 in York County
Patriot News: Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden plans stop in central Pa. Thursday 
Patriot News: Bill aimed at easing employment barriers for Pa.’s ex-offenders goes to governor’s desk
Patriot News: COVID-19 cases continue to climb at Dauphin County prison
Patriot News: Harrisburg officials set aside a day, supervised locations for residents to set off fireworks
Patriot News: As monuments are toppled nationwide, what should Gettysburg do with its 40 Confederate statues?
Carlisle Sentinel: Cumberland County commissioners haggle with local activists over police reform demands
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: 16 long-term care facilities in Cumberland County affected by COVID-19
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: Cumberland County sees 8 new cases; York, Dauphin see drop in spikes 
York Daily Record: Joe Biden will talk in Lancaster County this week
LNP | LancasterOnline: Joe Biden, former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate, to visit Lancaster this week [update]
LNP | LancasterOnline: Democrats running for President don’t often visit Lancaster County, but here are two who did
LNP | LancasterOnline: It’s been 100 days since Lancaster County’s COVID-19 emergency declaration
LNP | LancasterOnline: City Council calls for removal of Columbus bust behind courthouse
LNP | LancasterOnline: School District of Lancaster raises taxes amid a $13M deficit
LNP | LancasterOnline: Tense protest in Manheim on Tuesday night: ‘This is my home, and it hurts’
LNP | LancasterOnline: A judge will decide West Sadsbury Township’s new supervisor in July
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lebanon, Dauphin, Lancaster counties lead Pennsylvania in rates of new coronavirus cases

Lehigh Valley      
Morning Call: Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, DA Jim Martin at odds over call for criminal justice reform
Morning Call: Time’s up: Allentown Parking Authority expects to write a lot more tickets next week 
Morning Call: No fans at Pocono Raceway means more economic struggles for businesses amid coronavirus
Reading Eagle: Berks County will launch survey to assess the impact of the coronavirus on the community
Reading Eagle: Reading residents complain about illegal fireworks; police say they have a plan
Reading Eagle: Berks County Prison has remained relatively unscathed by coronavirus pandemic
Reading Eagle: Berks County has 9 new cases of coronavirus as 495 are reported in Pennsylvania
Express Times: Stage set for Slate Belt Black Lives Matter protest, counter protest. Both call for peace.
Express Times: Pa. coronavirus update: Cases reach 83K, deaths total 6.5K. Rise in case rate may be from expanded testing. N.J., N.Y. imposing quarantines on some travelers. | Pa. COVID-19 county case map (6/24/20)

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Comms approve application for CARES Act funding
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Council to vote on loan program for virus-hit businesses and industries
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Mayor makes schedule to fill vacant positions
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: City rehashes ordinance amid complaints
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Masks to no longer be required in county buildings
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Supervisors OK pollution reduction plan with contractor
Erie Times-News: Fate of college committee at center of dispute
Erie Times-News: Merski to host green phase Q&A
Centre Daily Times: Reopening updates: Centre County reports 1 new case of COVID-19, and other updates for June 24

Opinion  
John Baer: To turn around systemic racism, we’ll need to do more than defund the police 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Online voting isn’t ready: States should focus on securing mail-in voting
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Provide greater access to body cameras
York Dispatch Editorial Board: Protect the students of Spring Grove
Eric Jenkins: City Council’s budget tweaks fall short 
John L. Micek: In one deranged press release, Metcalfe gets everything wrong about mask-wearing | Wednesday Morning Coffee
Brian O’Neill: It’s not if you police, it’s how
Jon Devor: Who’s Protecting Our Vote? 
Christine Flowers: Bill Cosby gets another shot at justice
Terrence Alladin: Equal protection under the law means treating bad cops like any other criminal
Samantha Mitchell: Amid Black Lives Matter movement, PAFA has more work to do 
Nathaniel Comfort: Confronting the next stage of coronavirus means accepting uncertainty in science
Enola Hihi: We need to stop EPA’s ‘COVID made me do it’ defense for polluters
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartooning: Covidball season begins
The Angry Grammarian: How passive voice can make protesters seem bad and let cops off the hook

3 Responses

  1. Trump is such a scumbag that no PA voter should feel that he deserves a single vote.

  2. By his own poll, Depasqaule in his home region is not doing as well as Biden? That’s not good news. why would they publicize that? I DON’T UNDERSTAND THEIR CAMPAIGN AT ALL. We’re going to lose to Perry again because of campaign incompetence.

  3. Cook Report is overly hedging their bets concerning Pa. It’s like sports analytics in that stats are relevant but not the only part of the formula. When you have one person in the history of the United States coming from Pennsylvania (being a President) as in James Buchanan and now a second person is positioned to win who openly talks of being born and spending his early years in Scranton, Pa, Joe Biden, this is a big deal for Pa, so I would expect so-called “toss up” house seats Cartwright and Fitzpatrick to break for the Dems. And considering Trump is foundering and unable to get his campaign off the ground this 2020 Presidential race may be that once in a century Dem landslide like it had been for Roosevelt in 1932.

Email:
  • Will tonight's U.S. Senate debate affect your decision?


    • No. I've already decided on how to cast my vote. (81%)
    • Yes. Anxious to hear from both candidates (19%)

    Total Voters: 27

    Loading ... Loading ...
Continue to Browser

PoliticsPA

To install tap and choose
Add to Home Screen