McCormick Not Gaining Ground. Commonwealth Court Says Yes to Counting Undated Ballots. Yass Directs Dollars to Support Coleman. PA Towns Losing People. Here is the Playbook.

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News

In Memoriam: Peter J. Daley 1950-2022: Longtime state Rep. Peter John Daley II has died at the age of 71.

PA Senate Race: McCormick Not Gaining Ground on Oz: With 27 of the 67 counties in the Commonwealth reporting, Dave McCormick has not picked up significant ground in the recount of the Republican Senate recount against Mehmet Oz. 

• City & State PA: Bob Casey weighs in on state’s U.S. Senate race, criticizes GOP
• Inquirer: Democrats are attacking McCormick and Oz as Fetterman remains sidelined by stroke
• Post-Gazette: Commonwealth Court rules counties must tally undated ballots in Oz-McCormick U.S. Senate race
• The Hill: Senate Democrats targeting McCormick, Oz ahead of recount
• PennLive: McCormick has ‘uphill battle’ to surpass Oz in Senate primary race: recount report co-author

PA Governor Race: Mastriano Shares Docs, Agrees to Interview with 1/6 Committee: Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor, has shared documents and agreed to an interview with the January 6 Select Committee, according to a report in POLITICO.

• AP: EXPLAINER: Can Pa. GOP candidate make voters re-register?
• WHYY: GOP insiders begin to reluctantly support Mastriano, as Democrats tout unity
• Inquirer: Doug Mastriano will be interviewed by the Jan. 6 congressional committee and he provided some documents
• PennLive: Mastriano defends remarks comparing gun-control efforts to Hitler’s policies 
• PennLive: House committee probing Capitol attack received some documents from Mastriano, but are there more?
• AP: Pa. court orders contested ballots counted in Senate primary
• AP: Mastriano willing to talk to Jan. 6 committee, spoke to FBI
• City Paper: Doug Mastriano’s largest donor is Shake Shack’s bread maker

‘Josh Shapiro and Sharif Street at odds over leadership of Pa. Democratic Party’: Philly Clout reports that “state Sen. Sharif Street has been campaigning for months to be chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Josh Shapiro, the party’s nominee for governor, just declared support for another candidate.”

‘PAC linked to billionaire Jeffrey Yass donated heavily to Coleman’s 16th Senate campaign’: Armchair Lehigh Valley reports that “Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania gave more than $376,885 in donations and in-kind contributions.”

‘Court strikes down recount effort in 36th State Senate District’: LNP | LancasterOnline reports that “the push for hand recounts of Republican primary ballots cast in two Lancaster County legislative races was rejected almost entirely in orders issued Thursday by President Judge David Ashworth.”

‘Nov. 8 election for 117th state House District won’t have a Democratic candidate’: Citizens Voice reports that “Republican Mike Cabell will not have a Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 general election for the 117th state House District because no one received at least 300 votes as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary election.”

‘70% of Pennsylvanians believe the state is going in the wrong direction, something that may affect their vote: poll’: PennLive reports that “the Harrisburg-based conservative policy center found bipartisan support exists for some of the ideas to improve Pennsylvanian’s attitude about the direction the state is heading.”

City & State PA’s Biggest Winners & Losers This Week: City & State PA highlights the three winners and losers in Pennsylvania politics this week.

‘An outdated parking rule in Pa. law threatens the safest kind of bike lanes’: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “Pennsylvania law on street parking is decades old. It limits protected bike lanes.”

‘Pa.’s Dr. Rachel Levine gets expanded federal portfolio’: PennLive reports that “Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary of health in the Biden administration, will oversee the newly-created federal Office for Environmental Justice, which will focus on things including impacts of pollution and climate change on minorities and disadvantaged communities.”

‘Most Pennsylvania towns are losing population. See where your town ranks’: The Allentown Morning Call reports that “U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates for more than 2,500 cities and towns in Pennsylvania show that the majority of the state’s places are losing people.”

‘Pennsylvania natural gas hits highest price in last decade, report says’: StateImpactPA reports that “Pennsylvania natural gas prices have spiked to their highest level in the last decade.”

Regional Spotlight: North by Northwest
Centre Daily Times: Centre County voters largely followed statewide trends in the 2022 PA primary. Here’s a look
Centre Daily Times: Centre County sees highest voter turnout for nonpresidential primary in past 10 years
WJET: Could Pennsylvania see a suspension in gas tax holidays?
WJET: Protest over baby formula vote held at Rep. Mike Kelly’s office
WJET: City council approves more ARP funding for local businesses
WJET: Erie region’s unemployment numbers continue to decrease
WJET: Mayor Schember outlines plans for Erie’s future
Erie Times-News: Dozens of McDowell students walk out of class in silent protest
Erie Times-News: Here’s what Erie childcare centers are doing with $11.3 million in ARPA funds
Erie Times-News: Erie daycare centers receive millions in ARPA funding
Erie Times-News: Members respond to Davis’ request for Redevelopment Authority resignations
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Moms Demand Action group hosts rally at Market Square
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Early city budget discussions await full disclosure of audits
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: W’sport city council approves treasurer, riverwalk grant
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Hearing touts region’s need for rural broadband expansion
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Group calls for another look at 2020 election
Centre Daily Times: Centre County takes first step toward creating ‘robust’ homeless prevention program

Opinion  
Ed Rendell: Impose limits on gun access — and term limits on Congress
John Baer: Who’s more likely to address gun violence first, the U.S. Congress or Pa. Legislature?
Paul Muschick: Readers share their ideas for preventing mass shootings: Hefty ammo tax, psychological test for assault weapon purchases
Steve Paul and Vanessa McGrath: Committeepeople are the most important election officials you’ve never heard of
Will Bunch: Mastriano’s crazy scheme to undo 2020 election could be the first item if he’s governor
John L. Micek: Wolf admin touts $1.75M grant to Berks Co. baby formula maker | Thursday Morning Coffee
Inquirer Editorial Board: Kenyatta Johnson should stop blocking Washington Avenue safety plan
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Stop-and-frisk accountability bill will help, not hurt, policing
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Put up the tents, Pittsburgh
Kyle Sammin: Let America build again
Solomon Jones: Why the war on gun violence is also a battle against systemic inequality
Sydney Etheredge: If Roe goes, the vulnerable will be hurt most. And what else will go too?
Eric T. Turner: I’ll die trying to save you: One teacher’s message to his students