Lehigh Valley Politics and Election News

Gavin Holihan, the uncontested candidate for Lehigh County district attorney, has been endorsed by incumbent Republican Jim Martin and Democratic County Executive Phil Armstrong, among others.

Three candidates for the local office said they focused on juggling campaign tasks around full-time jobs in the lead-up to the primary election. All were driven by a desire to educate voters and help people understand county government and its services.

Local elections rarely get the same level of participation as presidential races, but the outcomes often have greater impacts on voters' quality of life.

Two Democrats are running in the primary to become Northampton County's top fiscal watchdog: One a County Commissioner, the other a self-styled outsider businessman.

The two slates of candidates in the 11-person East Penn School Board race continue to spar over alleged connections to political players in and outside of the district as funding sources come to light. Election Day is Tuesday.

Two Democratic candidates for Northampton County district attorney have spent much of the last few months at each others' throats. In 2 days, voters will decide who they believe.

As the campaign for the Easton mayoral primary comes to a close, candidates Sal Panto Jr. and Peter Melan discuss how they spent their funds in the race to City Hall.

Debates in the South Whitehall commissioners race have taken place on the candidate's Facebook pages. The posts have primarily debated candidate Ben Long's positions and campaign style.

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.

Seven people are hoping to fill the vacant seats, each with a vision for what they want the future of Whitehall to look like.

The live, hourlong show will be broadcast at 7 tonight and explore how the Trump administration and policies are influencing the Lehigh Valley. It will be hosted by PBS39's Brittany Sweeney and is available on several channels.

Democrat Geoffrey Whitcomb intends to campaign for the Lehigh County-based district that Republican Gary Day currently represents. The seat heavily favors Republicans.

Guests enjoyed dinner Tuesday night at Bethlehem's United Steelworkers Union Hall before a panel of five women tried to make sense of rising costs for housing, groceries, healthcare and other essential needs.

State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, introduced a bill this week to more sharply define when local governments can forgo a requirement in the Sunshine Act of publicizing meeting agendas at least 24 hours in advance.

McClure, who recently completed his second term as Northampton County executive after serving 10 years on county council, is seeking the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has used county office space but hasn't paid rent in three years despite a 2022 memorandum of understanding, county officials said. Said Controller Mark Pinsley: "We're going to deport ICE."

Lehigh County prosecutors tried to avoid the standard procedures for criminal court by bypassing defendants' preliminary hearings. Instead, Lehigh County Judge Thomas Caffrey ruled the cases should proceed Friday morning as scheduled.

In this week's episode, Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick talk about current events shaping political opinions in unexpected ways. Borick said it marks a "wild start" to 2026 and could set the stage for the rest of the year.

“I have no doubt about what’s going to happen over the next four years,” Reynolds said. “We’re going to have more parks, we’re going to have the community center, we’re going to invest in education, we’re going to build trust."

A man who identified himself as a Pennsylvania state trooper delivered one of the sharpest critiques Tuesday night during a telephone town hall on the automated school bus camera law.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie voted to triple ICE's budget as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill last year. The extra funding has allowed the agency to hire more officers who are being deployed in force to major cities across the nation.

Julian Guridy lived in Florida within the past four years, making him ineligible to serve in the state House of Representatives. Just a few days ago, many political observers said he was in line for clear sailing to join the Pennsylvania Legislature.