Governor Launches Federal PAC. This is the PoliticsPA Playbook.
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What We’re Seeing. Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson both surpassed the $2M mark in fundraising in Q3. And incumbents Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan were outraised by a 2-to-1 margin.
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Top Story
“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is officially getting into national politics.
Shapiro, a Democrat running for reelection in the critical battleground state and a widely rumored 2028 presidential candidate, took his first official step into the national political arena this week by creating a federal political action committee, New Path PAC.
The new federal PAC is the strongest signal yet that Shapiro is eyeing a 2028 presidential run in the Democratic primary — speculation the formidable fundraiser has routinely rejected while he’s focused on his reelection campaign.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Elsewhere
Q3 Fundraising Numbers. “We are just 18 days away from the midterm elections and the Federal Elections Commission has collected its campaign finance reporting for the third quarter of 2026 from July 1 to September 30. Here are numbers that have been reported as of 6:49 a.m. Friday.” | PoliticsPA
RFK Jr.: “People of Pennsylvania Suffered” Because Shapiro Politicized Measles Outbreak. “U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Thursday that the “people of Pennsylvania suffered” because Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration politicized the state’s measles outbreak.” | abc27
Dave McCormick Says GOP Earned ‘Pretty Good’ Report Card on Economy, But Agrees Gas Prices Are Too High. “Asked how his party can regain voters’ trust on economic issues, McCormick touted the GOP’s “law and order” accomplishments while acknowledging high healthcare and gas prices.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Comcast and Jeff Yass Each Gave Millions For Trump’s Ballroom, Report Says. “Comcast, Yass, and Conshohocken-based Extremity Care were on a list of 57 donors who gave $100,000 or more, according to the Washington Post.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
State
“The FBI said Thursday that it is investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials across the nation, an unusually widespread example of election workers being physically threatened during a highly charged midterm campaign.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said the U.S. Postal Service blocked delivery of a suspicious letter on Wednesday.” | Votebeat
Elsewhere
Ken Krawchuk’s Crusade. “On Nov. 3, citizens across Pennsylvania will head to the polls to pull the lever and elect their next governor. The top two contenders in the race need no introduction. But lurking at the bottom of the ballot is a candidate far less familiar to the ill–informed voter: Ken Krawchuk, a Libertarian.” | 34th Street
PA Lawmaker Appears on Controversial National Radio Show Amid Ongoing Scrutiny in Capitol. “Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-Lawrence County, was absent from the Capitol last week when most other lawmakers were in Harrisburg for the final weeks of the legislative session. But Bernstine found time to make an appearance on The Matt Gaetz show Wednesday, encouraging people to vote Republican in the upcoming midterms.” | PennLive
SD-6: Farry and Albillar Clash on ICE, Traffic Project, Other Issues at Debate. “Republican state Sen. Frank Farry (R-Langhorne) squared off against Democratic challenger Eileen Harnett Albillar at a forum Wednesday evening hosted by the League of Women Voters. ” | Bucks Independence
SD-36: Mild Clashes, Agreements Aired At Lanco State Senate Debate. “Despite the high stakes, there were few fireworks in a debate Thursday between the incumbent in the 36th Senate district, James Malone (D-Lititz), and his GOP challenger, state Rep. Tom Jones (R-Elizabethtown).” | Lancaster Independence
Experts Decry PA Legal Loophole in Rape Prosecutions Following Cornell Scandal. “A loophole in New York law makes it tough to prosecute someone for rape when the victim is willingly intoxicated. Pennsylvania’s law isn’t much better, experts say.” | Tribune-Review
Who Decides Where You Count? Redistricting and Its Impact on Pennsylvania’s Latino Communities. “Imagine a community with a large Latino population. Depending on where the district lines are placed, that community could remain together in one district or be divided among several districts. Those choices can affect how communities are represented and how their votes are distributed among different districts.” | Impacto
Around The Commonwealth
“A survey of nearly 400 businesses in Allegheny County found eight in 10 companies said the county’s pending paid parental leave bill would have a negative impact on them and a third said they might leave the county because of it.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, which had already come out against the previous version of the bill, released the results of the study that was done by CorCom Inc. of Pittsburgh.” | Pittsburgh Business Journal
Elsewhere
Lehigh County Commissioners Reject Plan to Use Taxpayer Money to Fund Political Campaigns: ‘Completely Ridiculous’. “Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel’s landmark initiative to create a taxpayer-supported fund to seed local political campaigns got a thumbs-down from the county commissioners Wednesday.” | Morning Call
2026 Election Preview: 144th Legislative District. Brian Munroe and Mike Murphy meet for this Bucks County seat. | PoliticsPA
2026 Election Preview: 143rd Legislative District. It’s a three-way contest in Bucks County between Shelby Labs, Tim Hayes and Chris Gambino. | PoliticsPA
Watch the PA-10 Debate: Scott Perry v. Janelle Stelson | PoliticsPA
Watch the Governor’s Debate: Josh Shapiro v. Stacy Garrity | PoliticsPA
Editorial
1 Thing
“In recent months, I’ve been examining the best-ever quotes from various newspaper comic strips, and in that time I’ve determined that every comic strip requires its own approach. For Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, I went with something heartfelt and inspirational because those comics and characters really have inspired people. For Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, I investigated something more philosophical, as the best of those comics make the audience contemplate human nature and the world around them. But for Gary Larson’s The Far Side, well, the task is monumentally different.” | Polygon
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