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Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Sen. Carolyn Comitta (Sat.).

Daily Bruce. “I take my hard earned money, And meet my girl down on the block. And Monday when the foreman calls time, I’ve already got Friday on my mind” – Out in the Street

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Top Story

1. Perry, a Far-Right Incumbent, Faces Shifting Political Ground in Pennsylvania

“Like other Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus, Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the group’s former leader, carries a pungently far-right portfolio.

He has been an unswerving loyalist of former President Donald J. Trump. He has bickered with his party’s elected leaders. He has voted against aid to Ukraine and against keeping the government open. He still maintains that the 2020 election was stolen. Such stances are not especially controversial to Republican primary voters.

But among archconservative House members, only Mr. Perry must sell those same views to voters in a politically competitive district this November.” (NY Times)

Related

Casey, McCormick Appear Set For Three Fall Debates. “While nothing has been formally determined, both candidates released statements on Thursday that they would agree to three debates – one in Philadelphia, one in Pittsburgh and one in Harrisburg.” (PoliticsPA)

Debates to Play a Major Role In Pennsylvania’s 2024 US Senate Election. “Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Thursday proposed a series of debates with his Republican challenger David McCormick leading up to the November general election, and McCormick readily accepted.” (AP)

Across PA, 12% of Democratic Voters Snubbed Joe Biden. Not All Of Them Live In Big Cities. “Although the outcome of last Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary was never in doubt, that didn’t stop almost 130,000 Pennsylvania Democrats from thumbing their nose at President Joe Biden by either casting a write-in vote or picking another candidate.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State

2. Pennsylvania Primary Elections Ad Spending and Messaging Analysis

“While the primary election calendar has been relatively quiet since mid-March, ad spending for upcoming elections has been anything but. AdImpact has tracked $36.6M in Pennsylvania ad spending and $203.3M in spending and reservations for upcoming elections throughout the remainder of April and May.

A few House districts have seen notable ad spending. $929K has been spent in PA-08—a rare example of a district won by Trump in 2020 that is now represented by a Democrat. Incumbent Democrat Matt Cartwright has reserved $623K, even though he is running unopposed in the primary. In PA-07, also a swing district, $592K has been reserved, with $268K by incumbent Democrat Susan Wild.” (AdImpact)

Related

Fun With Maps: DePasquale’s Vote Totals by County. “PoliticsPA put together an interactive map of the vote totals by percentage received by Eugene DePasquale and the other Democratic Attorney General candidates to give you an indication of how the 67 counties cast their vote on Tuesday.” (PoliticsPA)

PA House Panel Hears Lessons Learned About Pot Legalization In Other States, Canada. “State lawmakers continued their exploration of how best to go about legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania by gathering information from experts on possible guardrails that could minimize its negative public health and safety effects.” (PennLive)

Fetterman, Warren Lead Democrats in Urging DEA to ‘Swiftly’ Take Marijuana Off Schedule. “A coalition of Democrats called on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to quickly remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), signaling impatience over the agency’s ongoing review of cannabis’s designation.” (The Hill)

Gregory Ouster Had Roots in 2023 Deal. “The three-term incumbent’s defeat had its roots in a House standoff at the start of the 2023 legislative session, and a deal brokered by Gregory that ultimately brought legislative work to a halt for months and came to be seen as an act of betrayal by many Republicans, and ultimately by Gregory himself.” (Bedford Gazette)

Too Close to Call in Luzerne County | 117th District. “Eight votes separate the two candidates in the race for State House 117th District, which covers parts of Luzerne County from Harveys Lake to White Haven. While the challenger is declaring victory, the incumbent says it’s not over just yet.” (WNEP)

Around The Commonwealth

3. The Rising Cost of Western Pennsylvania’s Rural Penalty

“Adjusting for age and other factors, life in rural U.S. often means lives cut short by heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, lung problems and stroke at higher rates than in urban areas. Rural residents have not benefited from the advances in health and longevity that city dwellers have, research has found.

The size of what researchers call the rural mortality penalty is huge.

Westmoreland County isn’t technically a rural county because it’s part of the larger seven-county Pittsburgh metropolitan area. But the sparsely populated corner of East Huntingdon Township where the couple lives shares many of the health worries with rural America, including difficulty getting and paying for the latest prescription drugs. And the rift between rural and urban health has been growing.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Are Philly Politicians More Worried About Turnout In November Or Joel Embiid’s Knees? “Every Election Day, Clout asks Philly politicians three questions. This year, topics included President Biden’s frequent trips to Pennsylvania and next year’s district attorney race.” (Inquirer Clout)

Pennsylvania Senate, House Races Heat Up Quickly After Primary Day. “Democrats and Republicans wasted no time after Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary to spar over the airwaves and online as they gear up for a contentious general election with control of Congress on the line.” (Post-Gazette Notebook)

Are Pittsburgh Progressives Officially The Democratic Establishment Now? “It didn’t take long Tuesday night — less than an hour and a half after polls closed — for Summer Lee to be declared the Democratic nominee in her bid for a second term in Congress. And the scope of the progressive movement’s victory was clear from the moment you walked into her election night primary party at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel Downtown.” (WESA Politics)

Bucks Co. GOP Chair Believes Party Will Unite by November. “How divided is the Bucks County GOP? The county’s Republican primary voters gave an unknown, first-time candidate, pro-life candidate Mark Houck, 37 percent of the vote in his challenge to incumbent Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. It reflects the divide between the more MAGA and moderate wings of the GOP.” (DV Journal)

Mistrial for Ex-Local 98 Leader John Dougherty, Nephew As Jury Deadlocks On Extortion Charges. “John Dougherty’s federal extortion case ended in a mistrial Thursday, offering an ambiguous conclusion to the embattled labor leader’s third felony trial in as many years after previous convictions on bribery and embezzlement charges.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Grow PA Plan Helps Solve Economic, Higher Education Challenges. (Sen. Scott Martin and Rep. Jesse Topper)
• PA Solar Energy Initiative Requires Important ‘Balancing Act.’ (Daily Item)
• Remote Work Is a Leadership Killer. (Louis V. Gerstner Jr.)
• Don’t Ignore The Destructive Ideas Coming Out of Harrisburg. (Nathan Benefield)

1 Thing

5. National Pretzel Day

“It’s Friday, and even better it’s National Pretzel Day.

That means several retailers will be doling out free pretzels for the big day celebrated annually on April 26.

It’s also the perfect day to honor one of Pennsylvania’s favorite snack foods. In fact, the holiday has a Pennsylvania connection.” (PennLive)

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