News & Brews November 11, 2024
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Democrats retain control of Pa. House
It came down to one race in Cambria County, but the results of that election confirmed that Democrats will retain their 102-101 majority in the Pa. House heading into the next legislative session. All 203 House seats were up for election, and every incumbent who ran for re-election won. In that Cambria County race, Democrat Rep. Frank Burns defeated Republican Amy Bradley 51% to 49%, according to unofficial returns.
Pa. House Republican leader will not seek re-election to the post
Pa. House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (Lancaster County) announced on Friday that he would not seek re-election to that post for the next legislative session. Cutler previously serves as House Speaker before Democrats gained control of that chamber in 2022. Cutler wrote, “I strongly believe we have to make changes from the top down to ensure our future success….” Republican and Democrat House lawmakers will hold their party leadership elections tomorrow, while Senate lawmakers will reportedly hold their elections Wednesday.
‘The stunning geography of Trump’s victory’
POLITICO dissects “the 14 places that explain Trump’s win.” And not surprisingly, several of them are in Pa., including Philly and its suburbs, northeastern Pa., and the Lehigh Valley. Of particular note, the story highlights, “In the 114 majority-Latino precincts in Philadelphia, Trump’s share of the vote grew from 6.1 percent in 2016 to 21.8 percent in 2024.”
‘Democrats for election denial in Pennsylvania’
Pa. is back in the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal, this time for Democrats’ “election denial” in the McCormick-Casey Senate race. “The Associated Press and most other media have called the Senate race in Pennsylvania for Republican Dave McCormick,” the Ed Board writes. But “Mr. Casey has refused to concede despite trailing by some 40,000 votes.” Instead, Democrats have brought in lawyer Marc Elias, who “helped to steal a Senate seat in Minnesota for Al Franken in 2008 by finding a judge to count previously rejected ballots and overturn the lead of Republican Norm Coleman.” Yet, the prospect of Casey overtaking McCormick in votes is “highly unlikely.” However, “Mr. McCormick’s margin could … fall below 0.5%, which would trigger an automatic recount under state law…. That would give Mr. Elias a chance to try his legal shenanigans, which are likely to run the gamut from challenging votes for Mr. McCormick to searching for heretofore undiscovered ballots for Mr. Casey.”
Here comes the 2028 presidential election
No, wait – please don’t hit the unsubscribe button! I know I know – no one wants to talk about 2028, but folks are talking about it nonetheless. And the Inquirer claims that Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro is “tak[ing] on a new role: presidential front-runner.” Shapiro. of course, was unable to move the needle for Harris in Pa. this year. But folks are already talking about him as a potential Dem candidate on the 2028 ticket—and not for the second-in-command spot.