It’s been a busier than usual holiday week in the Commonwealth, as Passover began at sundown on Wednesday night and Easter dawns on Sunday morning. Baseball season in the state sees home openers at The Bank and PNC Park on Friday, while for many, golf season begins in earnest with the playing of the Masters.

So we’ll get an early start on the weekend with our Ups and Downs.

Cherelle Parker. Another good week for the former City Councilwoman as she picked up an endorsement from Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in her quest to become Philadelphia’s mayor.

Rebecca Rhynhart. The former Philadelphia city controller received the endorsement of the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board for mayor. She has also been endorsed by a pair of former mayors – John Street and Michael Nutter.

Amen Brown. The West Philadelphia state representative did not file fundraising reports this week that disclose his donors in his quest for Philadelphia mayor as required by city campaign-finance rules. Two other Democratic candidates – Warren Bloom and Delscia Gray – are running without campaign committees, meaning their financial activities will be captured in candidate reports that do not need to be filed until next month.

Tiernan Donohue. The former senior advisor for Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly’s campaign has been tabbed by Sen. Bob Casey as campaign manager for his 2024 reelection run. She previously served as campaign manager for Val Arkoosh for her Senate run, and most recently was senior advisor for Mandela Barnes for Wisconsin.

Josh Shapiro. The Commonwealth’s new governor is viewed favorably by 56 percent of 600 respondents in a poll conducted by The Commonwealth Foundation. We’d like to know who the one person was that said they’ve never heard of him.

PA State House/Senate. The same poll revealed that 41 percent of those surveyed hold the House in a favorable light, while 36 percent saw things differently. The Senate on the other hand … ouch … with just 1 in 5 (19%) with a favorable opinion versus a 40 percent unfavorable rating.

Doug Mastriano. The Franklin County state senator was the top Republican choice among respondents to a Commonwealth Foundation poll that asked who they would like to see run for Senate in 2024. Mastriano received 20 percent in the survey, followed by Mehmet Oz (18%) and Dave McCormick (16%).

Primanti Bros. According to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the iconic Pittsburgh chain’s sandwiches are the Coolest Thing Made In PA. In the bracket-style competition’s final, Primanti’s knocked off Mrs. T’s Pierogis.

Anthony Nolf. The 37-year-old Birdsboro resident was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. While inside the Tunnel, Nolf confronted and assisted the crowd in confronting the police officers that were preventing the Tunnel and the Capitol from being breached. Specifically, while inside the Tunnel, Nolf added his force, momentum, body, and effort to the other rioters in a “heave-ho” effort.

Ezra Thrush. The former VP of Government Affairs at PennFuture is departing to take a position in the Shapiro Administration as the new Policy Director for the PA Department of Environmental Protection, working closely on energy & environmental policy.

Joan T.A. Gabel. The president and chief executive of the University of Minnesota System and Twin Cities campus has been named the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Gabel will be the first woman to lead the University since its founding in 1787.

Brian Fitzpatrick and Scott Perry. The Pennsylvania congressmen from the 1st and 10th Districts are officially being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The group announced 33 competitive Republican-held or open districts across the country that the organization is targeting in its quest to reclaim the U.S. House majority.

Khalif Miller. The 27-year-old has been sentenced to five years in federal prison in a police car set on fire outside Philadelphia’s City Hall during 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd. He told a federal judge he was sorry for his actions, which prosecutors described as throwing papers into a burning cruiser.

Mike Belding. The Greene County commissioner has been charged with multiple misdemeanors over how the county’s Board of Elections handled ballot placement selection for candidates in the upcoming primary election. The criminal complaint alleges that Belding conducted the “casting of lots” event without a majority of Board of Elections members present while also not adequately publicizing the event in local newspapers.

Tony Jay Saunders Jr. Saunders was charged with multiple felonies after he stole a school bus on Tuesday, in an effort to transport a dead deer to his home, he told police. In the process, he led police on a chase in and out of York and Cumberland counties. Saunders tried running away from police, leading them through parking lots and busy traffic areas, police said. He stripped off his clothing in the process and was naked when he was apprehended. He admitted to taking the bus earlier in the day after he crashed a BMW, and explained that he placed a dead deer in the back of the bus, police said. His plan was to drive the deer to his residence and use it as fertilizer for his garden in Florida.