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👂 What We’re Hearing I. House Majority PAC, the biggest super PAC backing House Democrats, is canceling its ad reservations in 10 districts, including PA-17, where it feels confident the Democrats running there don’t need the money.

👂 What We’re Hearing II. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. announced the final leg of the On Our Side Road Trip, “On Our Side: Fight to the Finish.”

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Gina Curry.

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Top Story

1. ACLU Challenges Lancaster Elections Board, Saying Its Actions Were “Illegal”

“The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has called out the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, calling its statement about the concerns about registering Franklin & Marshall College students to vote “dishonest” and its actions “illegal.”

On Monday, commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino were critical of media coverage of the case, as well as of Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt who wrote a letter to the Board demanding that the Board investigate the claims that F&M students are not being registered to vote.

Parsons, chair of the Board, said an article from LNP | Lancaster Online was “demonstrably false. We can prove it in a court of law.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Lancaster County Commissioners Stand By Elections Office, Blast Secretary of State’s Letter About Registration Delays. “Lancaster County’s three commissioners on Tuesday denied that county elections staff had inappropriately delayed the processing of voter registration applications and required some prospective voters to prove they were not registered in another state before being registered in Pennsylvania.” (LNP | Lancaster Online)

• Gulf War Vet: ‘What Is Going On Here?’ at York Election Office; Lancaster Admonished For ‘Improper’ Voting Barriers. (abc27)

Higher Education, Fresh Optimism, More Democratic: Takeaways From a Key County in Pennsylvania. “One of the most important signs of how people will vote is how much education they have. As The Associated Press looked for places to explore this topic, we focused our attention on Centre County, Pennsylvania. The area is home to Pennsylvania State University, making it a classic blue dot in a red region.” (AP)

Critical PA Swing County Remains in Limbo As Election Closes In. “Known as one of the “swingiest” counties in the swing state of Pennsylvania, Erie County has been on the radar of both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the closing days of the election.” (Meadville Tribune)

John Kelly Says Trump Praised ‘Hitler’s Generals’ For Loyalty. “In the interview with editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, Kelly affirmed reporting from Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House,” which quoted Trump asking Kelly, his chief of staff at the time, “Why can’t you be like the German generals?”” (The Hill)

State

2. McCormick Taps Hedge Fund Riches in Bid for Pennsylvania Upset

“David McCormick, once the leader of the world’s largest hedge fund, stood in a windswept parking lot in rural Schuylkill County, assailing Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat whose name is nearly synonymous with Pennsylvania politics.

Before running for office, the West Point graduate, combat veteran and businessman made a nine-figure fortune as CEO of Connecticut-based Bridgewater Associates.

Now, McCormick, 59, has leveraged his biography, personal wealth, and high finance connections to move within striking distance of a massive upset that could shape the balance of power in the Senate and the next presidency. But his time at Bridgewater may also be the Republican’s biggest obstacle.” (Bloomberg)

Elsewhere

Casey and McCormick Outline Most Important Issues in Pennsylvania Senate Race. “When Pennsylvanians go to the polls, there’s a lot more on the ballot than the presidency.” (CBS Pittsburgh)

Josh Shapiro Solidified His Role As the Democrats’ Darling This Year. Now They’re Taking Him on Tour. “As Harris and Trump zero in on Pennsylvania, Shapiro has been tapped to fundraise and campaign for out-of-state Democrats, zig-zagging to swing states across the country.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Passed Over By Harris, Shapiro Tries to Deliver Pennsylvania for Her. (New York Times)

Cartwright, Bresnahan Vying to Represent NEPA in Congress Face Off in 8th District Debate. “U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and Republican challenger Rob Bresnahan seemed eager to convince voters that they won’t be rubber stamps for their parties’ national leadership, seeking to distance themselves from their parties on such hot-button issues as immigration and abortion.” (WVIA)

• Cartwright, Bresnahan Debate Issues Close to Northeast PA Voters For Nearly An Hour. (Scranton Times-Tribune)
• Watch the PA-08 Debate Between Matt Cartwright, Rob Bresnahan. (PoliticsPA)

Ehasz Talks Issues in PA-01 Forum As Fitzpatrick Declines to Participate in Debate. “What was supposed to be a friendly debate on Tuesday between the two candidates running to represent Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District turned into a town hall-style meeting for Democrat Ashley Ehasz after Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick declined to participate.” (Penn Capital-Star)

The Unusual Alliance Between HFC and NRCC. “The once-strained relationship between the House Freedom Caucus and the House GOP’s campaign arm has turned an unexpected corner this cycle. The two sides, which have long been adversarial, have formed an unusual alliance and have been in close coordination to help Rep. Scott Perry, a former Freedom Caucus chair hoping to fend off Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson.” (Punchbowl News)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Fun With Maps: PA Voter Registration by County (Oct. 2024)

“The Department of State released its penultimate data sheet of registrants by county. The numbers are generated each Monday morning and this list is not final heading into Election Day.

The Democratic Party’s number advantage continues to shrink in the closing days, as Republicans make significant gains in registrations. Democrats still hold a 3.97 million to 3.67 million overall edge, but the gap has closed to 300,000 versus the 389,000-voter advantage held by Dems in the middle of May.

The fastest growing group in the Commonwealth is those that register with no affiliation – or independent voters. ” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Over 1M Pennsylvania Voters Have Already Cast a Ballot. Are They Mostly Blue or Red? “With Election Day just two weeks away, more than 11.5% of Pennsylvania’s more than 9 million registered voters have returned a mail ballot so far.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Pennsylvania’s Mail Ballot Applications Are Down From 2020. Here’s What That Means For Election Night. “Two weeks before the general election in 2020, 2.8 million Pennsylvanians had requested mail ballots.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

300 Erie County Voters Received Duplicate Mail Ballots Due to Software Failure at Vendor. “The Erie County Voter Registration Office is contacting the 296 voters to explain what occurred and to make sure they don’t vote twice. The office also has internal procedures to safeguard against double voting, which is illegal.” (Erie Times-News)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Everyday Pennsylvanians Ensure Safe, Secure Elections. (Mark Schweiker)
• Democrats’ Last-Minute Voting Changes Challenge Trust in the System. (Wally Nunn)
• How to Win Pennsylvania. (George Packer)
• Trump’s Tariffs and Economic Risk. (Wall Street Journal)
• Tariffs and Taxes and Tips; Oh, My! (Verna Caruso)
• Scott Perry Is At It Again, Challenging Military Absentee Votes. It’s Time We Sent Him Packing. (York Dispatch)
• A Pittsburgher’s Plan to Get America Back on Track. (Dave McCormick)

1 Thing

5. What the Tooth Fairy Pays These Days – $4.58

“The average price the tooth fairy — or, parents and grandparents for those of you dispelled of the myth — pays US children per baby tooth, per an Affordable Dentures & Implants survey of 4k Americans. The price of a tooth has increased over time, with those same adults reporting an average payment of $2.83 per tooth when they were kids. Another modern touch: While 86% of tooth fairies left cash, 1% paid in bitcoin.”

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