News & Brews May 19, 2022
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GOP U.S. Senate primary may be headed for recount
The AP reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz and David McCormick remain neck and neck as of yesterday, with Oz leading by 1,723 votes out of more than 1.3 million counted. Additionally, “[t]here were tens of thousands of votes left to be counted, including at least 22,000 mail ballots and an unknown number of votes cast on election day.” The race is within the 0.5% margin that would trigger an automatic recount.
WSJ Editorial: ‘Democrats get their man in Pennsylvania’
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes that given Mastriano plays into “Trump’s obsession that the 2020 election was stolen,” he “is the candidate Democrats wanted to run against in November.” Further, “If Republicans lose this election, it’s their own fault, and a warning about chasing 2020 ghosts instead of focusing on the future.” Read more here (paywall).
A bipartisan tough night for some incumbents
PoliticsPA gives a rundown of multiple legislative incumbents who lost to challengers on Tuesday evening. The losses didn’t discriminate by party, with both Republican and Democrat lawmakers falling short of winning the chance to run for re-election in November. Read the story here. (One race not mentioned is the Republican primary between Reps. Gary Day and Ryan Mackenzie, who were pitted against each other in the newly drawn 187th House District. Mackenzie defeated Day 61%-39%.)
Judge temporarily blocks bridge-tolling plan
Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler ordered a temporary stop to Gov. Wolf’s plan to toll up to nine interstate bridges, noting PennDOT did not follow the appropriate processes in the plan’s approval. KDKA reports that a decision on whether to make this temporary injunction permanent “is expected in the next few weeks.”
Fetterman to return to Lt. Gov. duties May 23
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman informed lawmakers yesterday that he’s ready to resume his duties as lieutenant governor following a procedure to implant a pacemaker. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman has been acting as lieutenant governor and will continue to do so until May 23, when Fetterman will officially resume his duties.
Caution: You may not want to know what the Philly School District did
City Journal reports that last year the Philly School District “encouraged teachers to attend a conference on ‘kink,’ ‘BDSM,’ ‘trans sex,’ and ‘banging beyond binaries.'”Remember, this is the school district that gets oodles of Pennsylvania tax dollars and is always wanting more. Read this one at your own risk.