News & Brews November 13, 2026
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Shapiro’s 2028 prospects
PennLive spoke with political operatives about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s prospects in a 2028 Democrat presidential primary field. The takeaway: He’s not a shoo-in. Sure, everyone knows he wants to run. But he would enter the field behind other hopefuls who have done more groundwork than he has. What’s more, “One thing Shapiro hasn’t really encountered since his primary race for Attorney General in 2016 is a campaign where he hasn’t been the clear favorite going in.” And with what’s expected to be a crowded field, Shapiro wouldn’t be an early clear favorite.
Another Pa. Supreme Court election coming
Just when everyone hoped for a break from big elections—sorry, no go. WESA reports that next year, “control of the state Supreme Court is potentially at stake, with the seat of at least one, and very likely two, of its seven justices up for grabs.” Justice Christine Donohue will reach the mandatory retirement age next year (despite this, she ran for retention in 2025, knowing she could serve only two years of a 10-year term). And the court recently announced that as of now, Chief Justice Debra Todd, whose term will be up, is not planning on running for retention. Todd and Donohue are two of the five Democrats making up the majority on the seven-member court.
The high cost of raising the minimum wage
As Democrats en route to control Congress—as well as Harrisburg—eye hiking the government-mandated minimum wage, Employment Policies Institute Executive Director Michael Saltsman explains in the Wall Street Journal how substantially hiking the wage would make life less affordable. For example, “A study published in the Journal of Economic Surveys found that a 10% increase in the minimum wage causes food-price increases up to 4%.” Additionally, “A report in the Journal of Urban Economics found that a 10% increase in minimum wage was associated with up to a 7.3% increase in rent.”
Voters in some places are pushing back: “In California in 2024, voters had enough. The state’s lawmakers acted on their fast-food fixation by enacting a $20 minimum wage unique to quick-service restaurants. Meal prices rose 14% within a year of the law’s taking effect. When a ballot measure asked voters in 2024 if the minimum wage for other California businesses should be raised to $18 an hour, they said no for the first time in the state’s history.” Still, we can expect Pennsylvania’s new Democrat trifecta to hike the mandated wage, despite the consequences.
IFO says Pa.’s structural deficit could explode
The progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports, “The commonwealth’s structural deficit could exceed $7 billion by 2030 unless state lawmakers can cut spending or find new sources of reliable revenue, according to a new report from the Independent Fiscal Office. That’s up from more than $4.5 billion in the last fiscal year.” Now, we, along with too few lawmakers in recent years, have been warning that continuing to increase spending will lead to higher taxes (which is the translation of “new sources of reliable revenue”). With Democrats fully in control of Harrisburg, however, their economic fantasies are expansive—and expensive.
The story continues, “While some temporary measures have helped to balance past budgets on paper, the IFO warns that lawmakers may be running out of wiggle room.” And IFO director Matthew Knittel said, “Permanent policy changes need to be enacted, especially if the Rainy Day Fund is to be maintained.”
Is DeFoor mulling bid for state treasurer
Auditor General Tim DeFoor is term-limited from running for his same office again in two years, but he recently told the Center Square he’s considering running for another office. Which one? He didn’t specify, stating instead, “Not ready to discuss that yet, but all I can say is there’s some things, one office in particular, that I’m considering. I’m going to spend the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, thinking about it. So by early next year, I’ll be ready to make a decision.” Per “sources,” however (ah, the ever-present “sources”!), that “one office” is state treasurer.
