News & Brews April 5, 2024
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16 Pa. House primaries are ‘winner takes all’
While multiple state House and Senate races are expected to be competitive heading into November, in 16 House districts, the competition (if there is one at all) will essentially end with the April 23 primary. That’s because in these districts, candidates from only one party are on the ballot. Barring an effective write-in candidacy, the winner of the primary will win the November election. The progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star takes a look at these 16 races.
Casey raises >$5.6 million in Q1, 2024
On the heels of GOP U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick’s announcing he raised $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2024 (including $1 million in self funding), incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced a more than $5.6 million fundraising haul—a “personal best” for him.
Pa. Dem rep. lost Capitol access after outburst
Democrat state Rep. Kevin Boyle (Philadelphia) lost his security privileges to enter the Pa. Capitol following a February outburst where he allegedly threatened to “end this bar” and hit female employees. The Inquirer reports a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Matt Bradford noted that since losing Capitol access, “Boyle must enter at the main security checkpoint and must be escorted by a member of the House Democratic leadership team around the building.” Boyle denied that he lost access. Meanwhile, as Boyle is running for re-election, Democrats are supporting primary challenger Sean Dougherty in the race. Dougherty is the son of Pa. Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty and nephew of convicted former labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty.
CNN: ‘Latino voters could prove vital’ in Pa.
CNN reports, “There are more than a million Hispanic or Latino people living in the Commonwealth, according to recent census data. The Hispanic/Latino population has grown more than 40% in Pennsylvania since 2010…. But while Biden carried the Latino vote in Pennsylvania and nationally handily in 2020, some argue that support may be slipping.”
Trump coming to Pa. for fundraiser next week
Juggling a presidential campaign with court appearances, former President Trump is slated to be in Bucks County on April 13 for a fundraiser. Per the Inquirer, “Bucks County, Philadelphia’s only truly purple collar county, is one of the nation’s most important political battlegrounds and one of a handful of bellwether areas in the key swing state.” Tickets for the event start at $2,500 a head and go up to $250,000 per host couple.