It’s Election Eve. This is the PoliticsPA Playbook.
Hello, November. And hello to earlier sunsets.
Your Morning Pick Me Up. Thriller. Michael Jackson
PA Weather
New Castle | Decreasing Clouds, 70 State College | Decreasing Clouds, 67
Allentown | Becoming Sunny, 66
PA Sports 
Steelers (6-2) | Cleveland 27-6 | Nov. 15 at Cincinnati Eagles (2-6) | Washington 10-27 | Sun at NY Giants Pitt (6-3) | Georgia Tech 34-11 | Nov. 13 vs. Florida State Penn State (4-4) | Purdue 31-17 | Sat at Washington Temple (2-6) | East Carolina 9-17 | Sat at Navy
Union (13W, 7D, 12L) | Cincinnati 0-1 | Sat vs. Toronto
Sixers (6-1) | New York 98-93 | Charlotte 109-104 | Mon vs. Chicago
Flyers (4-8-4) | Utah 6-3 | Tue vs. Minnesota Penguins (5-7-2) | Montreal 4-5 | Tue vs. Vegas
Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to steve@politicspa.com.
The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. For the web version, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Top Story
“Republican incumbents nationwide are worried about their futures, well aware that tomorrow’s midterm elections could see several long-tenured Republicans swept out of Congress.
But as anxious as those members may be, the Democrats facing them are filled with an intense mix of hope and dread, knowing that if they don’t defeat some of these entrenched lawmakers in these midterm years, they may never be able to do it.” | Washington Post
Elsewhere
Voters Fear the America They’ve Known Is Slipping Away. On That, the Left and Right Agree. “The stakes in Tuesday’s midterm elections are so high that Shane Dunn voted for the first time in his life, at age 65. What many of them see is that the America they’ve known is slipping away.” | AP
Shapiro Makes Case For Trifecta. “Gov. Josh Shapiro’s bus tour continued its roll through the Commonwealth as the Democrat made his case for reelection, a change in leadership in the U.S. Congress, and a flip of the Pennsylvania State Senate to give him a trifecta.” | PoliticsPA
Garrity Pledges to Help Veterans, Students, and to Make Pennsylvania More Affordable. “When Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity was in charge of Camp Bucca, the largest U.S. military internment center in Iraq, she would get calls from the gate “all the time” about people asking for humanitarian assistance.” | Broad + Liberty
PA’s Stacy Garrity Has Seen Little Monetary Support From Top GOP groups — But Received Millions From An Unlikely Donor. “Will the eleventh-hour cash infusion — now allowing her to run more than $6 million in ads on TV and streaming services — be enough to boost her name recognition ahead of Election Day?” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Where 2028ers Are Putting Their Midterm Chips. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s chances of being a presidential contender in 2028 are riding on his winning reelection in a landslide Tuesday.” | Axios
State
“The law in Pennsylvania is specific.
Only registered voters can vote and have it officially counted in Pennsylvania elections.
That said, many unregistered voters go to the polls on Election Day, especially during presidential election cycles. What happens when they do?” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
31 Races in 31 Days. Here are our previews of the top races to watch around the Commonwealth. | PoliticsPA
The 2028 Race For John Fetterman’s Seat Starts Soon — and One PA Democrat is Getting a Head Start. ““What John Fetterman does doesn’t affect it one bit for me at this point,” Rep. Chris Deluzio said about a potential 2028 Senate run.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Bucknell Research Finds Polarization Weakening Economy’s Pull On Voters. “With the Nov. 3 midterm elections approaching, conventional wisdom suggests voters will judge candidates largely on the state of the economy. But, new research from Bucknell University suggests political polarization may be weakening the economy’s influence on election outcomes, as voters increasingly prioritize party loyalty over economic conditions or candidate qualifications.” | NorthCentralPA.com
Democrats’ Caucus Committees Outspend GOP Counterparts 2-To-1 With Control of the Legislature at Stake. “Spending by campaign committees for all four legislative caucuses in Harrisburg hit a 10-year high in the homestretch of this election, with bullish Democrats shelling out more as that party looks to capture the state Senate and, possibly, a government trifecta.” | Spotlight PA
Around The Commonwealth
“Lacey Bachart is caught in the vast gulf between the nation’s two major political parties, neither of which is appealing to her to join.
Two years ago, Bachart, a 22-year-old Sellersville resident, decided not to register with either major political party. She is one of 1.2 million unaffiliated voters in Pennsylvania, the fastest-growing group of voters in both the state and her Bucks County-based congressional district.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Elsewhere
PA Officials Catch Ballot Application Forgery Scheme. “An Idaho woman stands charged with 10 counts each of identity theft and forgery after an investigation showed she forged 10 mail-in ballot applications for Dauphin County voters. The good news? All the ballot requests were flagged by county elections officials and turned over to investigators.” | PennLive
Shapiro’s Strategy For Tackling Measles Outbreak: Don’t Listen to RFK Jr.. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro offered advice to constituents concerned about the commonwealth’s growing measles outbreak: Don’t listen to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” | Politico
Inside the Changing Politics of PA’s Largest Amish Enclave. “Pennsylvania voters delivered the Keystone State’s 19 electoral college voters to President Donald Trump in 2024, but just how critical was one voting bloc to that victory?” | USA Today Network
Philly Sports Team Owners Are Sending Big Checks to Josh Shapiro. But He’s Not the Only One. “Phillies owner John Middleton has steered significant cash to candidates from both parties. Here’s who he and other owners have backed.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Editorial
1 Thing
“If you went to Lincoln Elementary in Pennsylvania, you’ve got company. A lot of it.
Eight public schools across the state go by some version of Lincoln Elementary School. That’s the most of any public school name in Pennsylvania, according to a lehighvalleylive.com analysis of federal school data.
Washington Elementary is second, with seven schools. Central, Franklin and Jefferson elementary schools tie for third, with six each. The top of the list could double as a history lesson.” | LehighValleyLive
Thank you for starting your week with us.
One more day of putting up with campaign ads.
