Governor Has Options Available For 2028. This is the PoliticsPA Playbook.
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Headlines. Governor’s Options For 2028. After 30 Years in Minority, Costa Steps Into Spotlight. A Look at Shapiro’s Victory Margins in All 67 Counties. The Ubiquitous Buffalo Wing.
Your Morning Pick Me Up. Paint It, Black. The Rolling Stones
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Sixers (9-2) | Boston 101-123 | Thu vs. Toronto
Flyers (5-10-5) | Wed at Edmonton Penguins (6-10-2) | Wed at San Jose
What We’re Hearing. Congressman-elect Chris Rabb is one of the members of a House ‘Progressive Bloc’ that has openly declined to support Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker.
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Top Story
“I’m a political science professor and political media researcher in central Pennsylvania, and many of my former students work in Harrisburg. Some are Democrats working for or around the governor; others are Republicans working in different corners of state government. All are finely tuned to the political gossip that swirls around a successful politician whose star is on the rise. It is the worst-kept secret in American politics that Josh Shapiro wants to be president.
I’ve met the governor a handful of times and can attest to his George Clooney-level charisma. He’s a hard worker, has maintained a remarkably clean political profile, and is from many accounts a genuinely nice dude.
And yet, there are plenty of reasons his ambitions may require some careful timing, regardless of his personal strengths.” | The Conversation
Elsewhere
Dean ‘Considering’ a Senate Run vs. Fetterman. “The list of Pennsylvania Democrats considering a 2028 run at the Senate seat held by Sen. John Fetterman continues to grow. “I’m going to be considering it,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-04) on Tuesday in a report from POLITICO.” | PoliticsPA
‘You Failed Our Country’: PA Lawmakers Vote Along Party Lines in Failed Move to Impeach Pete Hegseth. “Republican leaders in the U.S. House sidestepped the mostly Democrat-backed move, likely setting up another attempt to remove Hegseth when Democrats take control of the chamber in January.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Incoming House Dems Prove Unusually Willing to Defy Leaders. “House Democrats’ incoming freshman class is barely a week old and already threatening to defy party leaders in ways most of their incumbent colleagues wouldn’t dare.” | Axios
Voices of Reason. The midterms are over. What did we learn? What does it mean for the national scene? What does it mean for Pennsylvania? Steve Ulrich talks to two political scientists, Berwood Yost and Christopher Borick, about their thoughts on last Tuesday’s election results. | PoliticsPA
State
“Long before he was in line to be president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate, Jay Costa stood guard in an Allegheny County courtroom as a deputy sheriff. Also a law student at the time, he watched and learned.
His time working courtroom security had something in common with his decades in the Senate’s minority caucus. He has been at or near the table where decisions have been made, learned how Harrisburg deals are cut and how money flows through state government — but as a member of the minority and its leader since 2010, he was not calling the shots.
After Democrats netted three Senate seats in last week’s midterms, Costa is poised to lead the chamber as Pittsburgh’s point-man in Harrisburg’s new triangle of power linking the Senate with the House and governor’s mansion.” | Public Source
Elsewhere
Topper Wins Reelection as House Republican Leader; Caucus Reorganizes Leadership Team. “Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) announced Tuesday that he was reelected Pennsylvania House Republican Leader for the 2027-28 session as the caucus reorganized its leadership team for the coming term.” | PoliticsPA
Philadelphia House Delegation Announces Leaders For 2027-28. “The Philadelphia House Delegation elected their leadership slate for the 2027-28 legislative session. Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) was unanimously chosen to serve as chair of the delegation for the first time.” | PoliticsPA
PA Lawmaker Accused of Homophobic Slurs Avoids Formal House Censure. “A state House committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to censure an embattled Republican lawmaker, but the measure failed to reach the House floor for a final vote.” | PennLive
Around The Commonwealth
“Gov. Josh Shapiro racked up the third-highest reelection margin of victory in a Pennsylvania gubernatorial contest since World War II, defeating Republican challenger Stacy Garrity by 22 points.
Check out our interactive map to see how each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties cast votes for the 2022 and 2026 gubernatorial races, as well as a comparison to the 2024 presidential contest.” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
Rep. Chris Deluzio Says More Than Half of ICE Detentions In His District Are Tied to Local Law Enforcement Partnerships. “More than half of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions in parts of Western Pennsylvania can be attributed to 287(g) agreements between federal and local law enforcement, new data shows.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PA State Police Report Near-Total Compliance on Skill Games Removal. “More than 12,000 businesses and social clubs have removed skill games in the three weeks since Pennsylvania State Police started enforcing a court order that found the slot machine-like terminals fell under state gambling laws.” | Penn Capital-Star
Mail Voting in Pennsylvania Down in Last Week’s Election, As Trust in USPS Declines. “The share of votes cast by mail ballot in Pennsylvania declined for both Democratic and Republican candidates in this month’s gubernatorial election compared with the 2024 presidential election.” | WPSU
Editorial
1 Thing
“You know the old saying: You can take the wing out of Buffalo, but you can’t take the Buffalo out of the wing.
Ok, fine, that’s not a saying. But it’s true that Buffalo chicken wings are so ubiquitous that people forget where they came from — unless you’re from Buffalo.” | AP
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Thank you veterans.
