Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

WLVR’s Brad Klein spoke with reporter Ryan Gaylor, who covers Northampton County for WLVR and LehighValleyNews.com, about the combative atmosphere during the debate.

In a televised debate moderated by LehighValleyNews.com, Democratic incumbent Terry Houck and Democratic challenger Stephen Baratta clashed over the death penalty, oversight of the office and cash bail.

Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck, running for a second term, has said his office reduced crime by 25% since he took office. State statistics tell a more complicated story.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey will seek a fourth term in office, bringing the power of incumbency and unmatched name recognition in Pennsylvania politics to his party’s defense of a seat in a critical presidential battleground state.

The three-term Democratic representative spoke with Lehigh Valley residents Tuesday at Lehigh University during her second in-person town hall of the year.

Republicans intend to portray Rep. Susan Wild as soft on crime after she voted not to block a Washington D.C. law that would have lessened sentences for people convicted of some crimes.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after six weeks of inpatient treatment for clinical depression, with plans to return to the Senate in mid-April.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto highlighted the Confluence, an $80 million mixed-use development he's spearheaded, during a campaign event Friday. The project's groundbreaking has been pushed back to Fall 2023.

Former educator Mike Millo is running for the Parkland School Board again after withdrawing from the race in 2020. He said his legislative priorities are listening to resident concerns, fiscal responsibility and transparency.

Registered Democrats and Republicans will pick their candidates for president, Congress and the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday. There are few contested races, but that will change in November's general election.

Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays is hosting U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick with a special appearance from U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Monday. The visit comes a day before the Pennsylvania primary.

An investigation by Votebeat and Spotlight PA shows Northampton County had incomplete, disorganized and inconsistent records from its 2023 voting machine testing. Is legislation needed?

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Megan is joined by Tom Shortell and Molly Bilinski.

Mark Pinsley, who's in the first year of his second term as controller, faces Philadelphia state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

For every Republican voting by mail this April, there are 2.75 Democrats voting by mail, according to state data. Political observers believe it could give Democrats an advantage heading into the November election should the pattern hold.

Incumbent Rep. Zachary Mako and Slatington Borough Councilman Zachari Halkias are each looking to win the Republican primary and face Democrat Joseph Lenzi in the November general election for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild leads the pack in spending. And along with Republicans Kevin Dellicker, Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero, the four have spent more than $660,000 through the first three months of 2024 in their efforts to win Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District seat.

The 90-minute show includes one-on-one interviews with each of the three Republican candidates seeking the party's nomination for Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. Watch at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, exclusively on PBS39.

In Pennsylvania, more than 600,000 Latinos are eligible to vote this presidential election year. In a battleground state, their impact could help swing results in one direction or the other, observers say.

Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour at the Schnecksville Fire Company fairgrounds off Route 309 in Lehigh County. Thousands came to see the former president and presumptive Republican nominee to challenge Joe Biden in November.

Traffic, tickets, weather and more. Here's what to expect as former President Donald Trump makes his first official visit back to the Lehigh Valley since he was president in 2020.