Blue wave erodes margins in Pennsylvania’s GOP strongholds
Democrats now dominate Pa.'s congressional delegation 11-6 and captured higher vote shares than the 2022 midterm, even in races they lost.
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Democrats win majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years
Democrats are poised to control the majority of governor’s offices for the first time in 16 years after the GOP racked up major losses across the country.
Gov. Shapiro and Democrats on the brink of a sought-after trifecta in Harrisburg
For the first time since 1993, Democrats may have control over the governor’s office and the General Assembly. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, easily won reelection against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, while House Democrats appear on track to grow their majority in the House. But Republicans’ 32 years…
Voters across the country reject data centers
In local elections across the country, Americans voted overwhelmingly to restrict the buildout of data centers in their communities.
The blue tsunami sweeps the US, as Democrats land huge gains in Congress
Voters across the country administered a sharp reprimand to President Donald Trump and Republicans who hold majorities in Congress, with Democrats gaining control of the Senate and on track by early Wednesday to take over the House as well.
Democrat Bob Harvie defeats five-term Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick in Philly suburbs
Fitzpatrick faced Harvie, who is vice-chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners and a former educator, in one of four Pennsylvania congressional races targeted by national Democratic groups as the party worked to win a majority in the U.S. House.
Democrats score control of US Senate in stunning midterm victory
The fierce battle for control of the U.S. Senate took center stage Tuesday night as voters waited for results.
Democrats win sizable US House majority amid sweep of close races
Democrats are largely expected to regain control of the U.S. House once all ballots are counted in this year’s midterm elections.
In historic night, voters elect 4 Black governors, including first woman, first Republican
Georgia voters elected the nation’s first Black woman governor on Tuesday while neighbors to the south in Florida became the first to elect a Black Republican governor.
Democrat flips NEPA congressional seat, a key pick-up in battle for control of US House
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti handily won the race to represent Northeastern Pennsylvania in Congress, ousting first-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan. The Associated Press called the race for Cognetti, a Democrat, at 10:41 p.m. when she had 55.2% of the vote. “Tonight, Northeastern Pennsylvania sent an…
Democrat Janelle Stelson topples GOP Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th District
The race was one of the most expensive and competitive congressional contests in the state.
Democrat Brooks ousts incumbent Mackenzie in Lehigh Valley’s 7th Congressional District
Democrats, who hoped to pick up four seats nationwide to win control of the House, targeted Mackenzie as one of four vulnerable Republican U.S. representatives in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Josh Shapiro cruises to a second term in Pennsylvania
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis handily defeated their Republican challengers in Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election, securing a second term.
Voters sail through a mostly smooth Election Day, despite fears of federal interference
Ballots were cast by the millions Tuesday, mostly without incident, after the Trump administration pressured election officials, after concerns that armed federal agents would deploy to the polls, after fears U.S. Department of Justice election monitors would intimidate voters.
The latest updates from the 2026 election in Pennsylvania
The Capital-Star is providing the latest updates on the 2026 election in Pennsylvania.
From Warren to Waynesburg: Pennsylvania at the polls
Election dispatches from across Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia City Councilmembers, union leaders call on Mayor Parker to prevent school closures
For more than a year, Philadelphia students, teachers, and community members have protested the district’s plan to close 17 schools.
Party control of state leadership could flip across the country
Across the states, more than 6,000 legislative seats are up for grabs, leaving the partisan control of numerous chambers hanging in the balance.
Pennsylvania’s legislature is losing its climate champion
In what might have been his last hearing as chair of Pennsylvania’s House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection committee, long-time Democratic state Rep. Greg Vitali seemed to have little interest in soaking it all in.
Commentary: 1 in 4 Pennsylvanians say they paid out of pocket for an annual checkup
Many health care services covered by insurance are subject to copayments or deductibles. A copayment is a fixed amount patients pay for a covered service, while a deductible is the amount they generally must pay for covered care before insurance starts paying.
Criminal charges filed after Dauphin County catches falsified applications to vote by mail
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo filed charges Friday afternoon against a person for allegedly submitting 10 falsified mail-in ballot applications to the county’s elections office.
After months of preparation, Pa. county elections officials ready for big day
Pennsylvania has been in a national spotlight in the weeks leading up to midsterms, with the election for governor, four highly competitive congressional races, and nearly 250 state legislative seats on the ballot.
As a potential Democratic wave looms, Trump’s DOJ angles for last-minute power over midterms
American democracy faces one of its biggest stress tests of the modern era, as President Donald Trump’s sprawling campaign for power over elections encounters a firewall of judges, state election workers and voting rights leaders heading into Election Day.
Few apartments are open for low-income renters, but cost drops in some cities
Fewer than 1 in 20 rental listings across the largest U.S. cities are flagged as reserved for renters under an income limit, according to new data from Apartments.com.
Day before election, Trump’s DOJ asks US Supreme Court to rule in California voting case
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to require California to set aside the ballots of suspected noncitizen voters in a last-ditch appeal by the Trump administration to exert control over the state’s vote counting.
Energy costs dominate midterms; Climate battles play out down ballot
In the final stretch of the 2026 midterm campaigns, the most potent climate issue in American politics arrived by delivery truck across the country.
Voters make governors, utility regulators answer for high power bills
As broad affordability concerns define elections across the country, voters in several states on Tuesday will have a say on their future utility bills.
‘Medically frail’ Medicaid enrollees won’t have to prove their inability to work to keep coverage
Medicaid recipients who are disabled or have a chronic illness will not have to prove they are unable to work to be exempted from new work requirements that take effect next year, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
More early voters casting ballots in person after Trump attack on voting by mail
In Pennsylvania as of Oct. 28, Democratic mail ballot requests are down slightly less that 14% compared to the same point in 2022, while independent and Republican requests are on par or even slightly up.
Pennsylvania becomes first state to offer a doula training apprenticeship program
Pennsylvania has launched the nation’s first apprenticeship program to train doulas to support their clients before, during and after childbirth.
Trump loses appeals over California ballots, Homeland Security operations in Pa. and elsewhere
The rulings marked the third and fourth courtroom losses in less than a week for President Donald Trump’s administration in its 11th-hour legal campaign to assert authority over elections, which under the U.S. Constitution are administered by states.
Election officials brace for federal interference but expect to persevere
As concerns rise about the potential for federal influence over the results of next week’s midterm elections, many voting experts and advocates remain confident that the nation’s highly localized systems of administering and counting votes will persevere.
Trump administration has slow-walked 380K potential immigrant voters
The Trump administration cut naturalization sharply over the past year, leading to accusations it’s holding back hundreds of thousands of people who might have voted in the midterms.
Pennsylvania analysis shows flaws in using jury rejection lists to find noncitizen voters
Two news organizations scrutinized 13 potential noncitizen voters identified using this method in a large Pennsylvania county and found several individuals who had once been noncitizens but were later naturalized, but zero voters who had registered before gaining citizenship.
Pa. AG Dave Sunday launches effort to prevent cryptocurrency scams at Bitcoin ATMs
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday urges business owners to hang up warnings near cryptocurrency kiosks to deter potential victims from increasingly common scams.
In a blizzard of lawsuits, Trump’s DOJ battles across the US over midterm elections
The Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to combat noncitizen voting and assert authority over elections came under intense scrutiny in courtrooms across the country on Thursday, as Democrats and voting rights groups alleged federal election interference.
As campaign winds down, Rep. Scott Perry gets biblical with ‘good vs. evil’ pitch
As Perry faces what may be his most difficult reelection fight yet, his rally with one of the country’s most powerful Republicans was about setting high stakes.
What races to watch in Pennsylvania on Election Day
This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29 to clarify the role of the lieutenant governor in an evenly split Senate. The airwaves, streaming services and your mailbox will be politics-free after voters finish casting their ballots on Nov. 3. With nearly 250 races across Pennsylvania that will determine…
Where are the tightest races for US House control outside of Pa. right now?
Communities throughout the country have been inundated with television ads and outside spending as politicians try to spur voter turnout in the most competitive U.S. House races in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
College students in swing states rally against off-campus voting sites, student ID bans
Students have protested against laws and decisions from local election officials that they say could make casting ballots harder, including off-campus polling sites and bans on student IDs when voting.
Caring for aging parents is getting more expensive
Out-of-pocket expenses are nearly 60% higher than they were just five years ago for family caregivers, who now spend an average of $11,508 a year on caregiving, according to a report released this week by AARP
DHS targeting naturalized Americans in voter investigations, civil rights groups say
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is unlawfully scrutinizing naturalized U.S. citizens and placing them at risk of disenfranchisement, civil rights groups alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday, less than a week before Election Day.
Commentary: If Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can get dangerous blood clots, so can you
Jalen Hurts is 28, a Super Bowl MVP and an elite athlete in peak physical condition. He was also recently diagnosed with blood clots in his leg and both lungs.
Pa. law doesn’t regulate AI-generated candidates in election ads, but some hope to change that
The midterm elections are less than a week away, and one recent political ad in Pennsylvania is raising questions about the legality of using AI deepfakes.
Some voters with felony convictions face new rules for the midterms
Altogether, at least eight states — Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia — advanced or enacted legislation addressing voting rights for people with felony convictions or people who are incarcerated.
As healthcare costs spike for Pa. employers and employees, state House Dems pitch universal coverage
Healthcare costs are rising (again) in 2027 — and some people think it's time to start considering universal healthcare as an option.
Perry appears to have filmed a campaign video in his congressional office, faces ethics complaint
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, representing Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district, is facing an ethics complaint for posting to his campaign Facebook page a video that appears to have been recorded in his congressional office.
Courts to decide fate of Trump’s latest push to control voting as Election Day nears
Less than a week before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s unprecedented drive for power over elections has set the stage for a series of courtroom fights that could quickly lead to a high-stakes showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over the limits of federal authority.
Time for change? Permanent daylight saving time bill awaiting US Senate action
Most of the nation returns to standard time Sunday morning, and Congress could decide as early as next month whether it will be the last time people have to change their clocks.
Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots
Tens of millions of Americans have already made their way to the ballot box as early voting is underway in a midterm election that will determine control of the House and the Senate
Pa.’s Act 1 guarantees help for formerly incarcerated students. Some say it’s falling short.
Pennsylvania lawmakers moved to ensure more students get the credits they’ve earned in classes behind bars with a 2022 law called Act 1.
Commentary: Voter registration update: Pa. Dems show strong gains ahead of 2026 midterms
Pennsylvania Democrats have all the momentum at their backs as they hope for a Blue Wave to sweep the November 3rd midterm elections.
Can this film change our understanding of the climate and migration crises?
Sparked by a confounding business offer at his family home nearly two decades ago, filmmaker Josh Fox's latest project took him around the world to tell stories of people uprooted by extreme weather and natural disasters.
An electric utility wants to fix Pa.’s competitive energy market; regulators say more study needed
Ratepayers who don’t take action to switch back to the utility’s default rate or don’t select a new contract are automatically rolled onto variable rate plans at much higher costs.
What to expect in Pennsylvania at the polls a week from today
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt previewed what voters can expect at the polls on Election Day next week.
Trump’s DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors to 50 states; locations not yet disclosed
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to every state ahead of Election Day, expanding a longstanding practice that’s spurred concern this year among Democrats and voting rights advocates because of President Donald Trump’s push to influence elections.
Commentary: A New Approach to Closing the Disability Wealth Gap
It was another financial institution’s commercial that motivated me to create something different. Two busy white, apparently nondisabled, suburban parents were standing on their carefully manicured lawn talking about how they needed to go to the bank to plan for the future of their adult son with Down syndrome. They…
900+ women criminally charged for their conduct during pregnancies
In the first three years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022, more than 900 women faced criminal charges for conduct related to their pregnancies, according to a new report.
Brighter streetlights cut nighttime violence, but only for a while, study finds
As days grow shorter and darkness arrives earlier across much of the country, a new study suggests that brighter streetlights may help reduce nighttime violence — at least temporarily.
2026 ballot measures are written at a graduate-school reading level, report finds
The report analyzes the level of education voters would need to understand the titles and summaries of the measures put before them. Because ballot measures are often lengthy and full of legal language, states write shorter titles to be published on the ballot for voters to read.
Westmoreland County sends roughly 150 duplicate mail ballots to Pa. voters
A western Pennsylvania county accidentally sent voters 157 duplicate ballots for the 2026 midterm elections.
DOJ election monitors to be deployed in four Pennsylvania counties on election day
Election monitors’ roles are purely observational. They are not allowed to interfere with voting and receive no greater access to polling places than members of the general public.
Trump DOJ’s demand for emergency order in California vote counting dismissed by appeals court
President Donald Trump’s 11th-hour campaign to intervene in California’s vote counting encountered its first resistance from federal courts on Monday, with appellate judges ruling against the effort. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against a U.S. Department of Justice request for a…
Shapiro signs bell-to-bell cellphone ban for Pa. schools
Half of states now have a bell-to-bell cellphone ban after Gov. Josh Shapiro's signed Senate Bill 1014 into law.
Rising prices squeeze more Americans ahead of pivotal midterm elections
Rising costs of healthcare, gas and groceries during President Donald Trump’s second term have put Republicans on defense, not only in Washington, but in statehouse and gubernatorial races across the country.
Federal regulators crack down on organ donation groups
Federal regulators are cracking down on the nonprofits responsible for coordinating organ donations, aiming to begin shutting down substandard groups by early next year. New criteria will score the organizations on donation and transplantation rates and will decertify the bottom tier, meaning their contracts with the…
Data centers are ‘front and center’ in Pennsylvania’s competitive congressional elections
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. In all her 38 years living in South Whitehall Township in the Lehigh Valley, Laurie Gilley had never attended a municipal meeting, much less gotten involved in the…
Jan. 6 election deniers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are back on the ballot
The group defines an election denier as someone who “participated in spreading Donald Trump’s lie about the 2020 election, refused to certify the results of that election, or attempted to overturn the results.”
Most US House races aren’t competitive. What does that mean for how lawmakers govern?
That lack of competition, once a primary election is won, heavily influences which priorities lawmakers pursue in office, according to experts interviewed by States Newsroom.
‘We don’t want it’: Voter backlash against data centers consumes midterm elections
SPRINGDALE, Pa. — Residents in a small southwestern Pennsylvania town are facing the prospect of a 47-acre data center facility on their doorstep. “Right here behind this fence is where they want to put up the data center, and as you can see, there’s houses right across the street, roughly 100 feet,” said lifelong…
Department of Justice brings additional noncitizen voting charges ahead of 2026 election
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Pennsylvania’s free newsletter here. The Department of Justice has charged nine more Pennsylvania residents with voting as a noncitizen, according to a Friday press release. The…
Pa. Supreme Court denies request to intervene in questioned capital punishment cases
The Atlantic Center’s petition asked the Supreme Court to appoint a special master to supervise the district attorney’s office and require the district attorney to consult with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s capital unit regarding decisions to seek death.
Trump’s DOJ sues over Alaska Senate race, expanding preelection legal fights
The Justice Department sued Alaska election officials late Thursday in a preemptive attempt to stop the state from certifying the results of its Senate election if, under the state’s ranked-choice voting method, the Republican incumbent loses by a smaller margin than the votes earned by another candidate of the same…
The percentage of people without health insurance is growing
The uninsured rate for adults ages 19-64 rose to 11.2% this year, up from 8.9% in 2024, according to a new analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, a health policy and philanthropic nonprofit.
City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment
State and local government employees report high levels of job satisfaction across the country, but face significant rates of burnout and on-the-job harassment. That’s according to a new national survey of nearly 5,000 public servants across all 50 states released today by The People Lab at Harvard University’s…
The Philadelphia school district’s enrollment fell by 2,500 students. Where did the kids go?
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Philadelphia’s school district enrollment has dropped by nearly 2,500 students from last school year — the largest year-over-year enrollment decline in five years. But it’s unclear which schools or demographic factors are driving that slump the most. The decline, which…
Pa. legislative roundup: What lawmakers sent to Gov. Shapiro this week
Pennsylvania's General Assembly sent a bevy of bills to Gov. Josh Shapiro, some of which have already been signed into law.
E-bikes now rival motorcycles for speed. State and city laws haven’t caught up.
Earlier this month, a 50-year-old man riding his personal electric scooter in Washington, D.C., was killed when he collided with a woman on a rideshare scooter. In June, a 12-year-old Massachusetts girl died after her electric scooter slammed into a school bus in a suburb of Boston. And in April, an Atlanta woman…
Wallace tests incumbent Meuser in 9th Congressional District
This story was updated at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to clarify the nature of U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s meeting with constituents last December. Pennsylvania’s deep red 9th Congressional District has elected Republican Rep. Dan Meuser by increasing margins since his first run in 2018. Meuser’s seat is still considered…
Commentary: Many vapes and e‑cigarettes are now banned in Pa. – here’s what you need to know
Many popular nicotine vapes are now banned in Pennsylvania, with only six companies approved to sell their products in the state after a legal ban went into effect on Oct. 19, 2026.
Analysis: Trump deportations near 1M, but few are criminals
The current Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts claims to have expelled nearly a million people through July of this year, but those include both voluntary returns and people turned around at the border,
Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in Pa. and 8 other states
A federal judge on Wednesday night blocked the Department of Homeland Security from conducting election-related field operations that could sweep up U.S. citizens in Pennsylvania and eight other states.
Why so many pet owners in Pa. and elsewhere can’t afford a veterinarian
Private equity and corporate ownership are driving up prices and forcing people to make awful choices about their animal companions.
A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year
A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats. Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from 2022’s previous record of 3,621 women candidates, according to the Center for American…
US Supreme Court allows gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to implement a rule that would terminate gender-affirming care for transgender people incarcerated in federal prisons. It means a lower court order that blocked the policy from going into effect will remain in place for…
House Democrats say GOP discord dashed deal on a skill games bill
“I think it's the worst kept secret in this building that over the last couple days we've been negotiating, trying to get skill games done,” Harris told the Capital-Star. “But at this juncture, the Senate Republicans have created a problem and have killed the solution, and therefore I don't see that happening.”
Scott Perry ad targeting Janelle Stelson makes unsubstantiated allegations of public nudity
This story was originally published by WITF. In his attempt to hold onto his congressional seat, Republican Scott Perry released an ad through his campaign that misleadingly accuses his political opponent of public nudity. The ad presents the claim about Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional…
Allegheny County Council passes first-of-its-kind parental leave mandate in 11-4 vote
Many employees in Allegheny County will soon be eligible to receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after council this evening passed the first policy of its kind in the country.
In 6 states, ballots include bans on noncitizen voting
Voters in six states are considering ballot measures in the midterm elections that would make it clear that only U.S. citizens may vote — and block local governments from expanding that right to others.
Pitt Bradford report suggests ways to improve rural teacher retention in Pa.
Teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers, especially in rural Pennsylvania, and researchers say school districts and lawmakers can help reverse the trend.
With a trifecta, Pennsylvania Democrats would pass energy reforms and rein in data centers
Flipping the state Senate could pave the way for environmental action in Pennsylvania for Democrats, but Gov. Josh Shapiro may be “the limiting factor.”
Commentary: The cost of ‘I Do’ in the disability community
When Patrice Jetter and Garry Wickham became engaged, the first decisions were of small, giddy consequence: where to hold the ceremony, whom to invite, what to wear. But soon enough, a far weightier question eclipsed them all: whether they could afford to marry at all. They learned that, as people with disabilities…
Birth centers are linked to better health outcomes, research shows, but 10 states have none
Birth centers are an option for those with low-risk pregnancies and are correlated with more positive health outcomes, but 10 states do not have any birth centers at all, and more could be built with certain state policy solutions and different models of care, a new report suggests.
Bill to legalize, regulate and restrict who can ride e-scooters passes state House
E-scooters are currently illegal in the commonwealth. That hasn’t slowed their widespread adoption as children’s toys and as a way for commuters to get to work and back.
9 states shed jobs in the past year
Nine states and the District of Columbia lost jobs in the year ending in September, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pennsylvania elections chief highlights voter rights two weeks ahead of Election Day
Voter rights include asking for language or literacy assistance as well as casting a ballot privately without harassment.
Tioga County man charged with sending death threat to state lawmaker
Timothy D. Geisler of Mansfield was being held Tuesday in Tioga County Prison on a misdemeanor charge of making terroristic threats with the intent to intimidate.
New home completions are stuck at 2020 levels
Single-family home completions remain stuck at early pandemic levels as of September as costs, labor supply shortages and high interest take a toll on home builders, especially in the Northeast and South.
U.S. Department of Agriculture argues it’s not required to enforce Animal Welfare Act
Less than two weeks after the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the agency was stepping up enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act, the USDA’s lawyers are arguing in court that it’s not required to enforce that law.
Cheaper manufactured homes could be having a moment, if only states can catch up
For decades, manufactured home builders have been working to shed the old image of boxy trailer homes reserved for the outskirts of cities and suburbia. Now, a small change in federal regulations could open the door for architecture welcomed in more neighborhoods.