News & Brews July 21, 2026
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Are Dems reversing voter registration trends?
The story of the past several years on voter registration in Pennsylvania has been one of massive Republican gains and a dramatically shrinking gap between registered Democrats and registered Republicans. Well, is the tide turning? PennLive reports, “2026 has seen a Democratic surge ahead of pivotal midterm elections. Since January, Democrats have added nearly 25,500 voters to their ranks, while Republican registrations have declined by more than 4,500…. At the start of the year, Democrats held a 171,677-voter advantage…. By the start of July, that advantage had grown to 200,680 with new registrations and party switches.”
Small dollar donors abandon Fetterman
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that as U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has stood fast in his support for Israel and opposition to terrorism, small dollar donors in the Democrat base have abandoned him. “During his first three months in office … small-dollar donors poured almost $646,000 into his campaign account — more than 80% of all the money he raised that quarter. In the past three months, such contributions fell to just $21,000.” Speculation has swirled that Fetterman might leave the Democrat party, and he recently said that if the party became officially anti-Israel, that would be his signal to exit.
Shapiro: A man without a brand or record
In RealClear Pennsylvania, Guy Ciarrocchi hits the nail on the head by writing, “There are lots of opinions that one can have on education, school choice, natural gas, energy, genders and sports, and data centers. Shapiro has held them all…. Shapiro’s rhetoric reveals a man who is missing core beliefs, or who doesn’t respect voters enough to tell them the truth. Worse, it reveals a politician so hungry for office that he’s willing to adapt to almost any position.”
Krasner’s office accused of colluding with defense
The Inquirer reports that “a former Philadelphia prosecutor who recommended that a man’s murder conviction be overturned said she did so at the direction of her boss — who she said had done no meaningful review of the evidence and instead was ‘colluding’ with defense attorneys to find the most effective way to have the case thrown out.” This is the latest chapter in a series of developments that have raised questions about one of District Attorney Larry Krasner’s key policy initiatives: his office’s willingness to review old convictions and seek to overturn those that prosecutors believe were marred by legal problems.”
Allegheny spokesperson placed on leave
Much has been made about President Trump’s disdain for reporters who disagree with him. Turns out he’s not the only one who says terrible things. An Allegheny County spokesperson has been placed on administrative leave after telling KDKA radio personality Colin Dunlap to jump off a bridge. County Communications Director (yes, seriously – comms director) Abigail Gardner posted a video telling Dunlap he should “go outside and smoke a pack on a bridge and then jump.” Gardner claims she “made a tasteless comment out of frustration.”
