City & State Pennsylvania - All Content

The City & State 2026 Forty Under 40

Hilary Danailova — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:50:00 -0400

The 2026 City & State Forty Under 40 celebrates a diverse group of young professionals who are reinventing age-old fields – from medicine and journalism to community infrastructure and political strategy. As advocates, leaders and mentors, they are reshaping institutions and communities across the commonwealth with their youthful energy.

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Who’s running for Congress in Pennsylvania in 2026?

Justin Sweitzer — Fri, 22 May 2026 15:06:34 -0400

This November, each of the state’s 17 congressional districts will be up for grabs; some closely watched districts could even decide which party controls Congress in 2027. Ahead of the midterm election, City & State has your guide to who will be on the ballot in each of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts this fall.

1st Congressional District

In the state’s 1st Congressional District – which covers Bucks County and part of Montgomery County – incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick will face a challenge from Bob Harvie, a Democrat who serves on the Bucks County Board of Commissioners. Harvie has the endorsement of Gov. Josh Shapiro and has criticized the Trump administration's policies since announcing his campaign. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, is known for his moderate streak and serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

2nd Congressional District

In the Philadelphia-based 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat, will take on Republican challenger Jessica Arriaga in the November general election. Boyle serves as ranking member of the Budget Committee and is seeking his seventh term in office. Arriaga is an operating room technician with more than two decades of experience.

3rd Congressional District

With incumbent U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans retiring at the end of his current term, the 3rd Congressional District is guaranteed to have new representation in the next Congress. Current Democratic state Rep. Chris Rabb is widely expected to succeed Evans in the deep-blue 3rd Congressional District in Philadelphia, which is statistically the most partisan-by-registration congressional district in the country. Rabb, a progressive state legislator, won a four-way Democratic primary race in May, while no Republicans sought the GOP nomination.

4th Congressional District

Democratic U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, who has served in Congress since 2019, is seeking another term in the 4th Congressional District, which represents voters in Montgomery and Berks counties. Dean currently serves on both the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. Dean will face Republican challenger Aurora Stuski, a business owner from West Norriton, in this fall’s general election.

5th Congressional District

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat who has served in Congress since 2018, is running for reelection in the 5th Congressional District this November. Scanlon currently serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Rules, and worked as an attorney prior to her time in Congress. Scanlon will face Republican nominee Nick Manganaro, a finance professional from Haverford, in the general election contest for the 5th Congressional District seat, which represents voters in the Philadelphia suburbs.

6th Congressional District

Democratic U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan is seeking another term as a member of Congress in the 6th Congressional District, which covers most of Chester County and part of Berks County. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Houlahan serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Marty Young, a U.S. Army veteran and restructuring executive, won the Republican nomination in May and will face Houlahan in the general election.

7th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is running for a second term representing the Lehigh Valley’s 7th Congressional District after flipping the seat from blue to red in 2024. Mackenzie, a former state representative, currently serves on the Education and Workforce Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security. Mackenzie will face the Shapiro-endorsed Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter and president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, for the 7th Congressional District seat, which covers Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, as well as part of Monroe County.

8th Congressional District

Like Mackenzie, incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan is running for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives after flipping the 8th Congressional District seat red in 2024. Bresnahan serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Small Business Committee and the Agriculture Committee. He’ll face Paige Cognetti, the Democratic Party’s nominee and the current mayor of Scranton, in November’s race for PA-8, which covers several counties in the northeastern part of the state.

9th Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a member of the Financial Services Committee and Small Business Committee, has served in Congress since 2019 and is seeking another term in office this year. He’ll face Democratic nominee Rachel Wallace, a former congressional staffer and chief of staff at the White House Office of Management and Budget, in November’s general election.

10th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry will face Democrat Janelle Stelson in a rematch of their 2024 tilt, which saw Perry retain his seat by a little over 5,000 votes. Perry, the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has served in Congress since 2013 and currently sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Stelson is a former news reporter and anchor who is endorsed by Shapiro and is hoping to flip the seat into Democratic hands this cycle.

11th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Republican who has served in Congress since 2017, is seeking another term representing the 11th Congressional District, which covers Lancaster County and parts of York County. Smucker currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee. He’ll face Democrat Nancy Mannion, a former emergency room nurse and international healthcare consultant, in the general election.

12th Congressional District

Progressive U.S. Rep. Summer Lee is running for another term representing the 12th Congressional District – a seat she’s held since 2023. Since being elected to the Pittsburgh-area district, Lee has served on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee. In the general election, Lee will face James Hayes, a business executive who formerly worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

13th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, the Pennsylvania congressional delegation’s resident physician, is running for reelection in the state’s 13th Congressional District, which encompasses Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and Perry counties, as well as parts of Cumberland and Somerset counties. Joyce currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Joyce will face Democrat Beth Farnham, a stay-at-home parent who has worked as a credit analyst and pharmacy technician and served as a school board member.

14th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican who currently serves as the House Chief Deputy Whip and as a member of the Appropriations Committee, is seeking his fifth term in office in 2026. Reschenthaler served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps and in the Pennsylvania Senate. In the general election, Reschenthaler will face Democratic nominee Alan Bradstock, a U.S. Army veteran and former FBI agent, for the 14th Congressional District seat.

15th Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson – the current chair of the Agriculture Committee – is running for another term representing the 15th Congressional District, which covers parts of Western and Central Pennsylvania. He’ll face Democratic nominee Ray Bilger, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, in November.

16th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly is running for another term representing the 16th Congressional District, which represents voters in northwestern Pennsylvania. Kelly currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee, serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Tax, and previously led a congressional task force investigation into assassination attempts against President Donald Trump. Democrat Justin Wagner, a U.S. Army veteran, automation engineer and life sciences professional, will take on Kelly in the general election.

17th Congressional District

Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio has represented the 17th Congressional District since 2023, and the U.S. Navy veteran and attorney is seeking another term in office in this year’s elections. Deluzio currently serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He’ll face the GOP nominee, Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy, in the general election this fall.

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This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Hilary Danailova — Thu, 21 May 2026 16:24:39 -0400

It’s Ls all around for local journalism lately. After the May 19 primary elections in Pennsylvania, USA Today published an Allegheny County-focused story stating that Democrats had succeeded in efforts to “oust Republican incumbents” – though no Republicans were actually ousted in the county. That comes just days after the Associated Press laid off longtime state Capitol reporter Mark Scolforo after more than two decades of aggressive, honest coverage – a devastating blow to journalism in the commonwealth.

Keep reading for more winners and losers!

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Primary results spell the end for four PA House incumbents

Justin Sweitzer — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:34:45 -0400

Dozens of seats in the General Assembly were on the ballot Tuesday, with a number of them poised to help determine which party will win control of the state House and state Senate in November. With well over 200 races on the ballot between both chambers of the General Assembly, a few incumbents found themselves in danger of losing their seats on Election Day.

Here are some of the most consequential and eye-opening results involving incumbent lawmakers from the primary:

22nd House District

Just a few months into her career as a state lawmaker, Democratic state Rep. Ana Tiburcio faced a primary challenge from Allentown City Councilmember Ce-Ce Gerlach, who previously served for eight years on the Allentown School Board. Tiburcio was elected to the state House in a February special election to replace Josh Siegel, who later endorsed Gerlach in the Democratic primary. Unofficial results showed Gerlach with a 56% to 44% lead over Tiburcio on election night, with Gerlach declaring victory late Tuesday night, according to LehighValleyNews.com.

50th House District

Incumbent Republican state Rep. Donald “Bud” Cook, who has served in the state House since 2017, faced a primary challenge this year from Benjamin Humble, a flooring specialist who also serves as the president of Waynesburg Borough Council and is a volunteer firefighter. During his time in office, Cook led a “Come Home, Go Big and Have a Ball” initiative and sponsored legislation that would bar public officials from lobbying if they’re convicted of a crime. Humble, meanwhile, supports creating a state-level Department of Government Efficiency and establishing stricter voter ID measures. Humble held a double-digit lead over Cook on election night, according to unofficial returns from Greene and Washington counties, with 100% of precincts reporting.

166th House District

Democratic state Rep. Greg Vitali, who has represented the 166th House District since 1993, faced a primary challenge this year from Judy Trombetta, president of the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners. Vitali is known for his focus on environmental policy and support for efforts to combat climate change; he has served on the House Environmental & Natural Resources Committee for 31 years. Trombetta, per her campaign website, wants to fully fund and strengthen public education, protect the environment, and would support efforts to protect reproductive rights and establish paid family leave in Pennsylvania. According to unofficial election returns from Delaware County, Trombetta is poised to beat Vitali in Tuesday’s primary: she held a 62% to 38% lead with 47 of 47 precincts reporting.

195th House District

Democratic state Rep. Keith Harris faced two challengers: social worker Sierra McNeil and Kenneth Walker Jr., a former public school teacher and assistant program manager for the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Public Safety. Harris has represented the 195th House District since 2024. During his time in office, Harris has sponsored legislation to increase penalties for littering and dumping, as well as a bill requiring school districts to notify parents and guardians when their child is involved in incidents on school property. McNeil, according to her campaign website, vowed to fight for equitable education funding, job readiness and apprenticeship programs and accessible public transit. Walker’s site stated that he will fund and strengthen public schools, create youth programs and work to improve neighborhood safety. On Election Day, McNeil secured more than 50% of the vote, leading over both Harris and Walker per unofficial election results.

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Bob Brooks wins Lehigh Valley’s hotly contested PA-7 primary

Hilary Danailova — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:27:23 -0400

Bob Brooks, the president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association and the handpicked choice of Gov. Josh Shapiro, won the hotly contested Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday.

Brooks will now challenge GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in November to represent the Lehigh Valley, aiming to take back a GOP seat that national Democrats have targeted as among the most likely to flip blue. The 7th District is one of the commonwealth’s – and the nation’s – most competitive, rated a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

As of late Tuesday evening, with 89% of the votes counted, Brooks was leading by 21 percentage points, with nearly 42% of the vote – despite a late flurry of unfavorable press after he shared an unflattering 2024 election story involving his political patron, Shapiro, during a recent campaign appearance.

“Bob Brooks is the fighter the Lehigh Valley needs — and we’re going to send him to Congress to deliver for our families and put a check on the corruption in DC,” Shapiro posted on X after the race was called. “Congratulations, @VoteBobBrooks — onto November.”

Brooks’ closest rival throughout the race was former two-time Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure Jr., who emphasized his record as the only elected politician in the race, and who had 20.6% of the vote as of late Tuesday.

“Bob ran a tremendous campaign,” said McClure on Tuesday night, adding that he’d called to congratulate his erstwhile rival. “That demonstrated that he would be an excellent general election candidate and a good congressman, and I think our primary voters agreed with him tonight.”

Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell was in a tight second place as late returns came in Tuesday night – with 20.6% of the vote, to McClure’s 20.5% – validating not only his anti-corruption message, but also his fundraising in the final months of the race, which bested all other candidates.

Carol Obando-Derstine, an engineer, nonprofit executive and onetime senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, came in fourth with 17.2% of the vote. The Colombia-born advocate for Latino communities had entered the race at the urging of former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, who narrowly lost the PA-7 seat to Mackenzie in 2024.

Brooks, a first-time candidate, recently retired after 20 years as a firefighter with the City of Bethlehem. During the race, he touted his policy experience in both Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., with the Fire Fighters Association – successfully championing measures to expand both state worker’s compensation and national retirement benefits to first responders.

“Some of the talk is that I don’t have legislative experience,” Brooks told City & State, “when actually I have, probably, the most.” In Congress, Brooks has vowed to apply that prowess to tackling issues such as affordability and fighting big money in politics.

As much as his agenda, Brooks’ campaign emphasized his identity as a champion of the working class – someone who disaffected blue-collar voters could relate to.

Lamenting that the Democratic Party “has become the party of elites,” Brooks, who is also endorsed by the Working Families Party, told City & State that he was the candidate best-positioned to win back the Lehigh Valley for Democrats for his “unique ability … to talk to the voters that have left the party in droves, and bring them back.”

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Chris Rabb wins Democratic primary for deep blue PA-3 seat

Harrison Cann — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:15:50 -0400

A Democratic mainstay with generational name recognition and a well-funded political newcomer couldn’t stop progressive state Rep. Chris Rabb from coming out on top in Pennsylvania’s 3rd congressional district Democratic primary.

Rabb, who ran an unapologetically progressive campaign, set himself apart from the initially crowded field of candidates by describing himself as the “anti-establishment” Democrat in the race.

His progressive stances – and allyship with leftist organizations, including the Democratic Socialists of America and Working Families Party – proved to be key to his winning the deep blue seat against a party leader in Sharif Street and a tough newcomer in Dr. Ala Stanford.

“A couple of months ago, I was on the precipice of withdrawing from this race,” Rabb said to supporters at his election watch party. “I was reminded that tough times pass, but tough people last.”

The outspoken state lawmaker said Tuesday night that the progressive movement is larger than him, his campaign or anyone

“Purpose is so much bigger than positions.”

Rabb overtook Ala Stanford’s early lead around 9:45 p.m. – news that was met with loud cheers at his watch party when attendees refreshed their phone feeds. And just before 10 p.m., with roughly 50% of votes counted, Rabb’s lead extended to double digits. At that point, the dancing and cheering only increased at The Victorian, the venue in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood where Rabb held his watch party.

Street and Stanford were able to hold their ground in parts of North and West Philadelphia, but Rabb’s dominance in the city’s Northwest neighborhoods, as well as Center City and parts of South Philadelphia, propelled him to the primary win.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:42 p.m., showing Rabb with a 14-point lead. When the race was called, Rabb sat at 44.2% of the vote, with Street at 29.5% and Stanford at 24.1%.

“This is not the end, this is just the beginning,” Rabb said Tuesday night. “I feel the weight of your love. That is what inspired me in this journey. Those people closest to the pain, I see you and I thank you.”

Race from the jump

Dwight Evans’ retirement created an opening in the most partisan congressional district in the nation – PA-3 in Philadelphia – for the first time in a decade.

Given the district makeup, which includes Center City and parts of North and West Philadelphia, the Democratic primary field initially included as many as a dozen candidates. The field narrowed throughout the last few months, with three front-runners leading the way as the May primary election approached: Dr. Ala Stanford, state Sen. Sharif Street and state Rep. Chris Rabb. The fourth remaining candidate is a political newcomer, Shaun Griffith, a tax attorney who previously worked for the state government before opening his own firm in Roxborough.

Street had the name recognition and party connections to fuel a successful campaign from the jump, but has faced stiff competition for the deep blue seat. Rabb sought the progressive crowd and pitched himself as an anti-establishment candidate, while Stanford – who entered the race with a medical background, no legislative experience and the endorsement of Evans – balanced her message as being both a new kind of representative and an experienced public health professional with support from the incumbent.

Aside from the issues at home, the ongoing conflict in Gaza became a flashpoint during the campaign – another instance where Rabb seemed to set himself apart from the more moderate orators in Stanford and Street. Stanford, whose campaign was also accused of accepting funds from pro-Israel groups, had her response to the Israel-Palestine conflict become an albatross among progressive voters who attended community forums.

Hot off the polls

Sean Anthony, a Roxborough resident, said he was out on an exceptionally hot Primary Day because “votes here are being bought by corporate interests for the few” and his vote for Rabb is, in a way, a direct response to the overwhelming influence of money in politics.

“People only vote in presidential elections,” he added. “That’s like watching only the Super Bowl and not paying attention to the season – or any local sports.”

Anthony, a therapist and school guidance counselor working in West Philadelphia, pointed toward hyperpartisan congressional redistricting efforts taking place in several states, claiming Republicans are trying to “take away our 14th Amendment rights.”

Dave DeMarco of Manayunk told City & State he was voting for Rabb as well, saying he’s in support of the candidate who is strongly opposed to taking PAC money and not running “just on name recognition.”

He said he was also turned off by Stanford after hearing her forum responses related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, adding that she seemed to take questions “personally” and that her answer “wasn’t good enough.”

All along the watch party

Inside Rabb’s campaign watch party, spirits were high from the beginning. Progressives from organizations like the Sunrise Movement, Philly DSA and more were in the crowd, which enjoyed a surprise appearance by U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who campaigned with Rabb alongside the likes of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Lee told City & State Tuesday night that Rabb’s win is a sign “the status quo is a sinking ship.”

“If we can show that we can win here in Philadelphia, that we can win on progressive values in Western Pennsylvania, then there’s nowhere else that we can’t do this right now,” Lee said. “This isn’t the story of one person, it’s not the story of one organization, it’s the story of what happens when the left comes together and what happens when we build a multiracial and multigenerational movement that meets the moment.”

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‘Game on’: Janelle Stelson advances to general election rematch against Scott Perry

Justin Sweitzer — Tue, 19 May 2026 22:00:33 -0400

Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson will face U.S. Rep. Scott Perry this November in a rematch of their 2024 race, when Stelson came within roughly 5,000 votes of unseating the Republican incumbent.

Stelson defeated Dauphin County Commissioners Chair Justin Douglas in the 10th Congressional District Democratic primary on Tuesday, clearing the way for another general election race against the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus.

The Associated Press called the race for Stelson at 8:51 p.m. on Tuesday. With 41% of precincts reporting on election night, Stelson led Douglas by a 74% to 26% margin, per the AP.

The 10th Congressional District Democratic nominee quickly zeroed in on Perry, saying his votes in Congress have hurt residents of the 10th Congressional District. She vowed to bring new leadership to PA-10, stating: “Our community is ready for change.”

“The story of Congressman Scott Perry just keeps getting worse,” Stelson said in a statement on Tuesday night. “He has spent 14 years in Washington casting extreme votes that have hurt our community and made everything from gas to groceries to health care more expensive. I respect Commissioner Douglas for his commitment to defeating Scott Perry and look forward to working with him and others in our community to unseat Perry and deliver change.”

Perry had two words for Stelson after the race was called in her favor: “Game on.”

“The more things change, the more liberals remain the same,” Perry said in a statement. “Tonight, they nominated the same carpetbagging, racist, tax hiker we defeated less than two years ago. The People of south central Pennsylvania want a leader to fight for them and their values in Congress, and that’s what I’ve done every day that I’ve had the honor to represent the 10th Congressional District.”

Perry touted his vote on President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he said “lowered the tax burden” on 10th Congressional District residents. “The difference between me and Janelle Stelson couldn’t be clearer,” Perry added. “Over the next five-plus months, I look forward to a vigorous General Election campaign. I hope my opponent will join me in debating the issues that will impact the future of south central Pennsylvania and our Nation. I’m ready; I sure hope she is.”

In the 2024 general election, Perry defeated Stelson 50.6% to 49.4% – a margin of 5,133 votes.

This time around, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has the 10th Congressional District rated as a “toss-up” in 2026, as does Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a project of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, meanwhile, rates the district as “tilt Republican.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin weighed in on Stelson’s 10th Congressional District primary win, saying the former news anchor will fight back against GOP policies in Washington. “Democrats have the momentum to flip this seat blue, and the DNC will organize and mobilize voters until Election Day to elect a fighter for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District,” Martin said.

Joe Gruters, the chair of the Republican National Committee, said he believes this year’s election will yield the same result as 2024 – a Perry victory in November.

“Janelle Stelson already failed to convince Pennsylvanians to send her to Congress, and it’ll be no different this November,” Gruters said in a statement. “Stelson is a far-left radical and a carpetbagger who is woefully out-of-touch with the values of Pennsylvania’s 10th District.”

Throughout the primary campaign, Stelson remained laser-focused on Perry: “He’s a seven-term congressman – and Scott Perry continues to vote to hurt us, not help us,” Stelson told City & State in an interview.

Stelson amassed support from some of the state’s most prominent Democrats upon entering the 10th Congressional District race last year. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis both endorsed Stelson early on, and she also picked up support from Central Pennsylvania state legislators, the Dauphin County Democratic Committee, and a wide range of labor unions.

Since launching her campaign, Stelson has looked to link Perry to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and gas prices that have spiked due to the ongoing war in Iraq.

This cycle, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Stelson to its “Red To Blue” program, which provides fundraising and organizational support to Democratic candidates.

The former television news anchor held a significant fundraising advantage over Douglas throughout the primary campaign. Stelson raised more than $2.4 million in the first four months of the year and finished April with $3,349,267 in cash on hand. Douglas, meanwhile, raised a little over $53,000 between January and April, and finished April with $10,594 on hand.

Stelson expressed confidence that she will emerge from November’s matchup with Perry as the winner, underscoring her focus on making life more affordable, improving access to healthcare and fighting corruption in Washington, D.C.

“As a TV news anchor, my job was to hold the powerful accountable and listen to people,” she said. “That is exactly the kind of leadership I will bring to Congress when we defeat Scott Perry in November.”

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The 2026 Pennsylvania congressional primaries to watch

City & State — Mon, 18 May 2026 16:56:30 -0400

Pennsylvania has no shortage of high-stakes elections to follow in the 2026 midterm election cycle. This year’s contests will decide who controls the governor’s office, the General Assembly – and who represents the commonwealth in Washington, D.C. The Keystone State’s congressional primaries have been particularly competitive, with contested races in the 3rd Congressional District, 7th Congressional District and 10th Congressional District drawing plenty of attention – and money – in the months leading up to Pennsylvania’s May 19 primary election. Here are our competitive congressional primaries to watch.

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PA-3 Democratic primary tracker: Each candidates endorsement

Harrison Cann — Mon, 18 May 2026 15:52:00 -0400

For the first time in a decade, the commonwealth’s third congressional district is up for grabs. Six candidates remain in the race to fill retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans’ spot, down from what was a field of roughly a dozen early on in the deep blue seat that is PA-3.

According to the Cook Political Report, the North and West Philadelphia district is the most partisan – regardless of party – in the nation. Coming in at +40 in favor of Democrats, the district performed about 40 points more Democratic in two-party vote share than the nation as a whole in 2020 and 2024.

Candidates jumped on the opportunity to run soon after Evans announced his plans to retire, with political veterans, local activists and newcomers throwing their hats into the ring. March 10 was the deadline for filing signatures needed to get on the ballot and Tuesday was the deadline for challenging any signatures.

Here’s the latest on each remaining Democratic candidate in the PA-3 primary, along with their list of endorsements. City & State also has one-on-one interviews with Sharif Street, Ala Stanford, Chris Rabb and Shaun Griffith.

Editor’s note: Latest endorsements for each candidate are in bold

Sharif Street

Considered a frontrunner from the jump, state Sen. Sharif Street has the name recognition and party connections to fuel a successful campaign. The son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and the nephew of former State Sen. Milton Street, Sharif Street has been representing the 3rd state senatorial district since 2017. A North Philadelphia native, Street became the first Black man and Muslim to serve as Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair in 2022, succeeding Nancy Patton Mills, whom he had served as vice chair for nearly four years.

Street’s endorsements include: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, state House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Transport Workers Local 234, Teamsters Local 502 CASA, Philadelphia Gay News, UFCW Local 1776, the American Federation of Government Employees, state Rep. Darisha Parker, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers,, IAFF Local 22, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia City Councilmembers Isaiah Thomas, Curtis Jones Jr., Katherine Gilmore Richardson and Anthony Phillips, state Sen. Vincent Hughes, former candidate and state Rep. Morgan Cephas, Laborers District Councils 57 and 332, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla, state Reps. Jordan Harris, Regina Young, Danilo Burgos and Andre Carroll, State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, AFSCME District Council 33, Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, the Philadelphia Democratic Party, the Muslim League of Voters of the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia Building Trades, Steamfitters Local 420, the Plumbers Union Local 690, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, IUOE Local 542, IUPAT DC 21, Insulators and Allied Workers Local 14, International Longshoremen’s Association 1291, Ironworkers Local 405, Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, IATSE Local 8, PASNAP, former Gov. Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, and Philadelphia City Councilmembers Cindy Bass, Jim Harrity and Rue Landau. He also received a “recommendation” from the Philadelphia AFL-CIO.

Chris Rabb

State Rep. Chris Rabb has served five terms in the state House and sought to be a progressive voice in the Philadelphia delegation throughout his tenure. The only state lawmaker in the race who’s chosen not to seek re-election – in his case, in order to run for Congress – Rabb has called himself a social justice activist, and his legislative history supports that. The 200th legislative district representative has pursued bills ranging from ranked-choice voting and adult-use cannabis legalization to restorative justice and prison reforms.

Rabb’s endorsements include: NRDC Action Fund, Temple Association of University Professionals, Christopher Street Project, The Democratic Socialists of America, U.S. Reps. Lateefah Simon, Maxwell Frost, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Jamie Raskin and Jared Huffman, Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Mount Airy Democrats, Common Defense, the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, State Sen. Nikil Saval, State Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler and Rick Krajewski, the Working Families Party, Justice Democrats, Philadelphia City Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, One Pennsylvania, Philly Neighborhood Networks, Sunrise Movement, Philly DSA, Reclaim Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia AFT Local 2026, Peace Action, Progressive Voter Network, If Not Now Philly Action, and Muslims United PAC.

Ala Stanford

Dr. Ala Stanford has positioned herself as both a political newcomer and an experienced public health expert able to work with local, state and federal officials. The 55-year-old Philadelphia native, who has been a practicing physician for more than 20 years, received national recognition in 2020 for founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which spearheaded efforts to test and vaccinate Philadelphians, particularly in low-income communities. In 2022, Stanford was appointed by President Joe Biden as the Health and Human Services regional director for the mid-Atlantic region, overseeing efforts to rebuild communities most affected by COVID.

Stanford’s endorsements include: Grammy-winning singer Patti LaBelle, California U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, Higher Heights PAC, Elect Democratic Women PAC, U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan, EMILYs List, Former U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, Dwight Evans, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Dave Oxman, and 314 Action

Shaun Griffith

A political newcomer, Shaun Griffith owned and operated a corporation that owned USA Tax Service for several years while working for the commonwealth as an appeals referee for unemployment compensation. Griffith didn't meet the campaign finance threshold to participate in many of the public forums and debates. But in a conversation with City & State, Griffith said his top priorities include a $15-an-hour minimum wage and community protections from data centers. He said the "increasing wealth gap" has made life "unaffordable for working class people." He said, if in office, he would immediately push for a Medicare for All vote and "fight the consensus" to get congressmembers to put their health care stances on the record."

Dropped out/failed to make ballot

Morgan Cephas

Elected to her first term in Harrisburg in 2016, state Rep. Morgan Cephas currently serves as the Philadelphia House Delegation chair and as the Women’s Health Caucus co-chair. Having gotten her start in politics serving as deputy chief of staff to Philadelphia City Councilmember Curtis Jones, Cephas has been a strong advocate for improving maternal health outcomes, investing in public transit and more. But she struggled to gain momentum and fundraising early on, resulting in her dropping out of the race in April.

NaDerah Griffin

NaDerah Griffin has previously run for office in the city, coming up short in her at-large bid for Philadelphia City Council in 2023 and in her run challenging state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta in 2024. According to her website, Griffin has worked as a federal security officer and at the Department of Veterans Affairs – and has been involved in civic organizations like the West Philadelphia Community Development Corporation. Griffin has dropped out of the race and endorsed Street.

Dave Oxman

A physician-turned-congressional candidate, Dave Oxman entered the race with support from a PAC focused on getting STEM-educated Democrats in higher office. But with a crowded field and another physician, Stanford, in the race, Oxman dropped out in March, endorsing Stanford along the way.

Cole Carter

Cole Carter, a software engineer who entered the race early, has described himself as a “progressive millennial” in his campaign announcement. A Temple University and University of Pennsylvania graduate, Carter is also a hip-hop artist who grew up in Germantown and uses music to address social issues, including mass incarceration and poverty. Carter has called out the Democratic establishment for failing to deliver policy solutions in his community, and has called for a $20-an-hour minimum wage, tuition-free college and workers’ protections against artificial intelligence. Carter failed to qualify for the May 19 ballot.

Karl Morris

Karl Morris has been a computer science professor at Temple for more than a decade. Morris, who grew up in poverty in Jamaica, has said Congress needs true community representatives and is active in unionizing efforts. According to his website, he has a broad range of priorities, including protecting personal privacy, making technology safer and fairer, and improving education and health outcomes. He’s also argued for term limits and age limits for Congress, as well as for cannabis decriminalization. Morris failed to qualify for the May 19 ballot.

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Justin Douglas leans on his experience in PA-10 Democratic primary race

Justin Sweitzer — Fri, 15 May 2026 15:52:41 -0400

Justin Douglas has stayed busy throughout his first term as Dauphin County Commissioner.

Since his election to the board in 2023 – a win that helped Democrats flip the board of commissioners into their control for the first time in 100 years – Douglas has championed reforms to the troubled Dauphin County Prison, worked to improve voting access by expanding the number of ballot dropboxes available and backed efforts to boost pay for county employees.

He’s also had a front-row seat to some of the biggest challenges facing the region and its residents, and says he’s seen firsthand how President Donald Trump’s second term has affected the county, which motivated his decision to run for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.

“I think this particular federal administration has made it very hard to be a state, county or municipal leader in Pennsylvania,” Douglas told City & State in an interview. “They’ve cut a lot of funding; they’ve been incredibly erratic with their decision-making. I don’t think they consider much of what their policies are going to affect below them."

“If I was granted the opportunity to be a congressman, I’d be able to bring that fight to Washington through the lens of what our community truly needs as a county commissioner,” he added. “I have an understanding of not just what our county needs … I have an understanding, regionally, of the needs that exist.”

Douglas, who worked as a pastor for 20 years prior to his election as a county commissioner, said one of the key moments that influenced his decision to run for higher office was the effect that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids were having on Central Pennsylvania’s immigrant families. He said he worked actively to connect local Bhutanese Nepali families with loved ones slated for deportation so they could say goodbye one last time.

“I sat in the lobby as those people walked back and visited with their loved ones and came out in tears. That’s a hard thing to experience,” he said. “That was an activating moment. I didn’t necessarily, at that moment, think, ‘I’m running for Congress’ – but as people inquired about that in the following year, it was something I started considering.”

To date, Douglas has picked up endorsements from several organizations representing immigrants and communities of color, including the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, One Pennsylvania, and CASA In Action.

In the 10th Congressional District Democratic primary, Douglas is running against former news anchor Janelle Stelson, who narrowly lost to incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in 2024 and is running again with the backing of Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Dauphin County Democratic Committee, and a slate of labor unions and local elected officials. Stelson also has a considerable fundraising advantage: She reported having more than $3.3 million in cash on hand at the end of April, compared to $10,594 for Douglas.

However, while Douglas has acknowledged the fundraising gap between him and Stelson, he has stressed that he’s the only candidate in the primary with public office experience.

“I’m the only person in this race with experience as an elected official, at least on the Democratic side, and I think that experience is going to serve me really well in Congress,” he said.

Having campaigned for changes at the Dauphin County Prison during his 2023 county-level campaign, Douglas is proud to have worked to eliminate $65 million in room-and-board debt that the county charged former inmates, as well as to select a new healthcare provider for inmates. He also touted his work to increase the number of ballot drop boxes the county offers from two to seven, implement a ballot-curing process for voters, and raise the minimum wage for county employees to $16 an hour.

Douglas says there’s no shortage of issues he hopes to address if ultimately elected to Congress. One of his top priorities would be bringing federal funding back to the 10th Congressional District and Central Pennsylvania.

“The economics right now are hard, and we need to ensure that we’re bringing back relief to this region,” he said, stressing the importance of job-creating economic development projects. “There’s so much potential in this region … there’s so much opportunity, and much of that requires investment – I’ll be able to fight for that.”

Douglas also supports major reforms to ICE, increasing the minimum wage, establishing paid medical leave and implementing a universal healthcare system. He also said he’d sign on to legislation that would ban congressional stock trading and push to combat corruption in government: “I don’t think anyone should be profiting off their seat.”

“In both parties, you have people in Congress trading stocks, often on information that they attain through their seat. You now have stock trackers that will make trades off of the trades that members of Congress will make – and will outperform some of the best minds in investment. That’s a feature, not a bug,” he said. “I would want to sign the strictest legislation to ensure that those kinds of practices stop immediately.”

Douglas hopes that his 2023 election win can serve as a blueprint to flip another red seat blue in this November’s general election, and says the county needs a “new generation of Democrats right now.” And while he acknowledges that there’s plenty of work to be done in Dauphin County, a seat in Congress could give him a stronger platform to advocate for the needs of Central Pennsylvania residents.

“I think there’s a lot more work to do in Dauphin County in my role as commissioner,” he said. “But I also think this is an opportunity for me to continue to serve Dauphin County at a higher level, in knowing what I know about the resources we need and how the federal government can play a role in that.”

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Candidate questionnaire: Shaun Griffith

Harrison Cann — Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

The final week of the primary election season is upon us. In Philadelphia’s 3rd congressional district, Democrats are vying for the chance to succeed Dwight Evans and represent a deep-blue seat in Congress.

City & State shared questionnaires with each of the leading candidates to get a final in-depth look at the players in the PA-3 Democratic primary and where they stand on specific issues, from housing to healthcare and more.

Next up in the series: Shaun Griffith, who believes his “people over profit” message is louder than the ones coming from seasoned politicians.

City & State previously published questionnaire responses from Ala Stanford, Sharif Street and Chris Rabb.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Here’s what Griffith had to say about:

Housing policy

To make housing more affordable for Americans, I would like to do a few things. First, I would like to work with organizations like the Philadelphia Housing Authority to understand how U.S. Housing and Urban Development funding can be most easily applied to their projects – and use that as a model for not only cities in Pennsylvania, but also large cities and throughout the country, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Antonio, Houston, Chicago, etc. Ideally, funds can be distributed as block grants for use by local organizations, because homelessness and housing affordability are not identical across the country.

Second, I would like to establish a new Federal Insurance Contributions Act entitlement that could be earmarked for housing to make sure that people who are on a fixed income – such as the elderly, the disabled, the widowed and the orphaned – can have a separate fund to afford housing, because people who receive Social Security benefits are usually on a fixed income.

Third, I would like to stop private equity from investing in residential real estate, because this prevents ordinary homebuyers from purchasing homes; many working Americans are often outbid by private equity. I would also like to look into using a model similar to how Hawaii used eminent domain to purchase private land back in the ‘60s to resell it to ordinary home buyers to recapture some of the housing markets that have already been scooped up by private equity. There is legal precedent for this type of action.

Finally, to help ensure housing affordability, I would like to create a class of mortgages that are not only underwritten by the federal government (since nearly all residential mortgages are ultimately underwritten by the federal government) but also sold by the federal government, removing the profit motive of private banks from residential real estate acquisition. Ideally, these mortgages would be underwritten with a fixed interest rate that is low enough to be managed by most working families.

Healthcare policy

The Medicare for All bill has been in the Senate for approximately 10 years, and the companion House Bill has been drafted for about nine years. There has never been a floor vote either in the House or the Senate, largely because of Republican and institutional Democrats blocking the progressive agenda. If I were to go to Washington, I would withhold my vote for any Speaker of the House until we have a floor vote on the Medicare for All bill. Members of the House need to be on record stating whether they believe access to healthcare is a human right.

Given that the Republican redistricting plans in Texas and other states have been largely successful and Democratic attempts to redistrict have largely failed (with the exception of California), I don’t expect there to be a large majority of Democratic House members in January 2027; thus, if I am willing to withhold my vote for a House Speaker until we have a floor vote on Medicare for All, my vote alone may make the difference.

Public transit funding

I am impressed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's efforts to make public transit free for New Yorkers, and by his ability to wrangle support from Albany. I would like to take his success as a model and make it available nationwide, because access to efficient public transit helps working-class people commute to work affordably. Additionally, since Build Back Better funding has not been widely allocated or disbursed, it could be a source of funds to invest in the necessary infrastructure to improve and expand public transit.

An underdiscussed issue

I have noticed, at most public forums and daily when I interact with residents of Philadelphia, that people are very concerned about data center construction and regulation. Media outlets must acknowledge the extraordinary stress on our public utility grid that data centers will cause. Recently, there has been news about a 180-day municipal moratorium on data center production in Pennsylvania, suggesting that this issue is gaining traction among Pennsylvania legislators. Still, based on my experience interacting with people, Philadelphians want to see more action to ensure that ordinary, hardworking people are not paying for the additional use of electricity and water.

Utility costs and environmental hazards are not the only concerns about data center construction and operation. There is a need for a frank discussion about what happens when artificial intelligence replaces most white-collar work … Our entire economy will change, because the labor force will undergo a dramatic shift. Likely, this will require some form of universal basic income, because a massive swath of the existing middle class will probably be unemployed and will either need to retrain for other fields or may not even be able to find work. Right now, no national politician is addressing the very real threat to our existing economic model.

Meeting the needs of a diverse district

Different neighborhoods indeed have different concerns. Grays Ferry, where I live, is different from Cobbs Creek, where I used to live, and both are different from Roxborough, where I work. And that is to say nothing of other areas like Rittenhouse, which are very affluent compared to some areas of North Broad that are lower-income. I believe that there are two main things that the government can accomplish that will serve the most people.

The first is universal access to healthcare, such as the Medicare for All bill, which will help all Americans, especially low-income and gig workers. It will also help reduce the cost of all healthcare, benefiting small business owners who want to provide healthcare to their employees and large business owners who can remove healthcare from their labor costs. The Medicare for All bill would likely make Medicare more economically viable by expanding the insured population to include people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, who cost less per-person to insure.

The second thing the government can do to help all Americans is increase the minimum wage. This will obviously help lower-income people who are working for low wages. It will also help union workers negotiate better contracts and other skilled workers who can reasonably expect higher wages, knowing that entry-level labor deserves at least $15 per hour.

These two changes – both within the purview of the federal government – will help Philadelphians, regardless of where they live.

Combatting D.C. power dynamics

Here are several tactics that House Democrats can deploy to rein in the excessively autocratic executive branch.

Legislatively speaking, the House should draft legislation to overturn the Aliens and Enemies Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. §21) and Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944). Passing such legislation would eliminate the veneer of legality surrounding ICE's operations. Even drafting and voting on such legislation will draw public attention to how thin the veil of legality is.

The legislative branch should not approve any budget that does not dramatically reduce the budget of the Department of Defense because most of the executive branch’s legitimate power is in its ability to deploy arms and troops. Reducing the Department of Defense budget will significantly weaken the executive branch. Similarly, the legislative branch needs to amend or revoke the War Powers Act of 1973 (50 U.S.C. Chapter 33 §1541 et seq.) because, under current law, the executive branch can deploy troops for 60 days, with the option to extend for another 30 days without approval from Congress. That is precisely what Trump is doing in Iran, where he is essentially engaging in a foreign, regime-change war, and that has the potential to morph into a decade-long, trillion-dollar quagmire. The legislative branch cannot continue to abdicate its authority to declare war under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution to the executive branch.

The legislative branch should work on dismantling DHS. The U.S. Treasury should conduct customs enforcement to collect tariffs, or the Department of Agriculture should handle food imports. Immigration should be enforced through immigration courts, and an organization similar to the former Immigration and Naturalization Service should exist to regulate ports of entry and execute orders duly issued by immigration judges after due process hearings.

Finally, because the United States Supreme Court invented Executive Privilege a few years ago, it is incumbent on the legislative branch to clearly define the executive branch's duties. Because it appears that an executive can do anything within the purview of executive duties, America needs to define "executive duties" unambiguously. As an example, using his crypto meme coin, Trump has, according to various reports, received billions of dollars in what should be considered foreign emoluments. Aside from the fact that this almost certainly violates constitutional prohibitions against foreign emoluments, it also should be clearly defined as outside the scope of executive duty. If the legislature can define executive duties, a rogue executive such as Donald Trump can be held to account when he exceeds the executive branch's mandate, despite the Supreme Court's invention of Executive Privilege.

Reconciling a lack of political experience when trying to get things done in Washington

First, none of the candidates on the ballot have ever served in the U.S. House of Representatives; in other words, no one has direct experience on point.

Having served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an Appeals Referee for approximately 12 years, I have seen firsthand how poorly drafted legislation leads to misunderstandings among party litigants and the administrative agencies tasked with carrying out legislation enacted by legislators. The primary responsibility of legislators is to draft and pass legislation. I will always view any legislation that I write, sponsor, edit, or co-sponsor through the lens of how poorly drafted legislation can lead to poor policy administration and confusion among parties affected by the legislation, often resulting in litigation. My experience makes me more competent in the essential job responsibility of a legislator than anyone else on the ballot.

If Democrats take control of Congress

The two things I would first focus on are not holding the Trump Administration accountable, but rather demanding a floor vote on Medicare for All and a higher minimum wage. If I were to go to Washington, I would withhold my vote for speaker of the House until there was a vote on those two issues. I could conceivably effect meaningful change for working Americans within the first week.

Regarding holding Trump accountable, I would incorporate everything that I mentioned in my response to the preceding question about standing ground against the Trump Administration but also add that another thing the legislative branch can and should do is conduct hearings on a regular basis about the actions of the Trump Administration – particularly about the actions of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission – to gather evidence concerning some of the worst violations of our civil liberties. The hearings would generate evidence that would then be remitted to various state attorneys general to prosecute violations of our civil liberties. Prosecuting violators of Americans’ civil liberties in federal court would probably be pointless because Trump could simply pardon the worst offenders. However, some of the worst offenders can be prosecuted in state courts because most states have protections of American civil liberties similar to those the federal government purports to have.

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This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

City & State — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:38:13 -0400

The age-old expression of “When it rains, it pours” is hitting home for a bagel shop in Overbrook Park dealing with the aftermath of its second gas explosion in just over two months. Elsewhere this week, a stretch of Route 441 in Lancaster County was closed on Tuesday due to a large fertilizer spill – a cleanup job that needed the help of a hazmat team. The Pennsylvania roadway jokes write themselves there.

Keep reading for more winners and losers!

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Candidate questionnaire: Chris Rabb

Harrison Cann — Thu, 14 May 2026 13:32:24 -0400

The final week of the primary election season is upon us. In Philadelphia's 3rd congressional district, Democrats are vying for the chance to succeed Dwight Evans and represent a deep-blue seat in Congress.

Next up in the series: Chris Rabb, who’s sought to be a progressive voice in the Philadelphia delegation throughout his tenure in Harrisburg and this primary campaign.

City & State previously published questionnaire responses from both Ala Stanford and Sharif Street.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Here’s what Rabb had to say about:

Housing policy

Philadelphia's working families need much more affordable housing – and they’re not alone. Nationwide, about 3 in 4 households eligible for rental assistance don’t receive it due to chronic underfunding.

In Congress, I would co-sponsor The Place to Prosper Act, which would invest funds in Philly to streamline permitting; fast-track the construction of affordable housing; and ban landlords from rejecting rental applications based on applicants’ source of income.

Additionally, I would push for a full repeal of the Faircloth Amendment so Philly can expand our public housing options. I would also push for a revamped, fully funded national Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and permanent funding for the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Too many homes built with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit are bought by private equity and predatory developers – that’s generational wealth we must protect.

Displacement is a major problem, and I would tackle it with a federal bill modeled on Philadelphia City Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke’s Safe Healthy Homes Act, which was recently passed by the City Council. It will fund an anti-displacement payment for tenants forced to move because of a negligent property owner or landlord.

In Philly, this program is backed by $800 million in bonds and aims to create and preserve 30,000 housing units. But we shouldn’t stop there. In Congress, I would push for even more funding for programs like this because we can’t place the burden solely on city budgets.

Healthcare policy

Healthcare is one of the biggest costs Philadelphia families face right now.

With Medicaid rollbacks after COVID, Black people were twice as likely as white people to lose coverage. In 2023, almost 30% of Black people relied on Medicaid – that’s over 13 million who count on Medicaid as a vital lifeline.

In Congress, I would immediately push to reverse President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and restore this funding so that the millions affected can regain health coverage. But we need real change to transform the corporate healthcare system.

Medicare For All is the only way we can achieve universal healthcare and, once and for all, ensure every working family in our communities has the healthcare they need. All of our families deserve access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, and it only happens with bold, transformative change.

That’s why I support universal healthcare to eliminate rising, needless healthcare costs and decouple health coverage from employment. In the meantime, I’ll also fight to expand access to public healthcare, cap or eliminate prescription drug prices, regulate insurance companies, and stop employers from slashing benefits to boost corporate profits.

Public transit funding

In Philadelphia, investing in SEPTA is essential to strengthening economic mobility for working families all across the city. In Congress, I would push to permanently fund and expand programs like Zero Fare, which has provided free SEPTA passes to about 25,000 people living in poverty.

As a fellow Working Families Party candidate, I am proud of the work that Councilmember O’Rourke has been leading at City Hall and want to do all I can in Congress to strengthen support for initiatives like this.

In Congress, I would also advocate for funding to ensure the Philadelphia Transit Access Fund has the resources it needs to provide free or reduced-fare transit passes for households with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.

About a year ago, participants in the Zero Fare program had already taken about 6.6 million trips on SEPTA. And in the last quarter of 2024, this averaged 100,000 trips per week. We know programs like this work; we just need to fund them. In Congress, I would stand together with our city’s leaders to do all I can to strengthen and support the essential investments in SEPTA and public transit.

Campaign donors and corporate interests

As a state lawmaker in Harrisburg for nearly 10 years, I am proud to have never taken a dime of corporate PAC money. I don’t answer to the ultra-wealthy or political insiders. I only answer to the people of Philadelphia whom I represent.

In this race for Congress in PA-03, some of my opponents have given themselves personal loans and have gotten millions in support from billionaire-backed super PACs.

Our campaign is people-powered. I’m proud that we have seven times more small-dollar donors than my opponents combined and nearly five times more Philadelphia donors than my opponents. Getting money out of politics and empowering grassroots candidates is the only way we can break the grip of the ultra-wealthy and insiders on our government.

Philadelphia voters can trust that I will always be unbought and unbossed because I have a proven track record of always putting the people first and that’s exactly what I will do in Congress.

Meeting the needs of a diverse district

As a state lawmaker representing House District 200, I know firsthand the importance of being a voice for everyone I represent, regardless of age, gender, race, or income level.

In Congress, I will fight for an agenda that strengthens all of Philadelphia, including the many diverse neighborhoods of the district.

My priorities in Congress are to take immediate action to tackle the affordability crisis, tax the rich to ensure they are paying their fair share, and fighting the fascism of the Trump administration that is hurting Philadelphia and so many other cities across the country. With this bold progressive agenda, we can make the strong investments in Philadelphia we need to support our most vulnerable communities and ensure we are building an economy where all of our families can thrive.

Bringing personal experience to Washington

In Congress today, there’s a big difference between a public servant and a politician. A politician only cares about winning their next election and holding onto power. And they will do whatever it takes and accept corporate and corrupt money if it helps them keep their job.

As a state lawmaker here in Pennsylvania, I have always sought to be a true public servant, someone who never forgets the people who put their trust in me to be their voice in the halls of power and fight for their families.

As a public servant, I have never taken corporate PAC money or been beholden to the Democratic establishment because the only people I serve are my constituents. Understanding and living the difference between being a public servant and just another politician is the biggest takeaway from my time in Harrisburg and I will bring those same values to Congress as a voice for Philadelphia working families next year.

Combatting D.C. power dynamics

President Trump and his administration have been left unchecked for far too long. It is high time that Democrats in Congress step up to do more to combat this corrupt regime. In Congress, I would actually fight back against Trump and Republicans, not just write sternly worded letters.

Every day, we are seeing Trump’s policies collapse democracy. Our institutions are being undermined, our freedom of speech is under attack, and our very ability to count our votes is questioned. Trump’s deadly ICE crackdown is separating families and targeting innocent people in the name of citizenship. This is an attack on our core democratic values.

In Congress, I would fight back against Trump’s illegal and dangerous policies by pushing to immediately abolish ICE and dismantle immigrant concentration camps. I would stand up to publicly fund elections and fix rigged election maps, while also strengthening voting rights, and impeaching and removing President Trump from office. No matter who controls Congress, these are the policies I would fight for. If Republicans block legislative efforts, I would join with progressive Democrats to take our message directly to voters on the streets and build a groundswell of public demands that Trump and his Republican friends in Washington could not ignore.

Popular protest is the successful strategy that beat back the deadly ICE crackdown in Minnesota this year and this can be the means of change for much more.

If Democrats take control of Congress

We need immediate and full accountability of the Trump administration and the corrupt Republicans who have aided and abetted him in pushing the wave of dangerous policies hurting working families across the country.

In Congress, I would join with my fellow Democrats to launch immediate investigations and hearings so that all who are responsible for the illegal and destructive policies of this White House are held to account.

Concerns that rhetoric about Israel and Gaza could be perceived as antisemitic

As someone who grew up in a Black and Jewish community, I have been proud to fight side-by-side with my Jewish brothers and sisters to help combat antisemitism. We cannot tolerate hate of any kind in our communities and I will always speak out against it.

I support Israel’s right to exist as a state conferring equal rights extended to all people within its borders because no country should have a hierarchy based on a person’s religion. Long-term peace requires addressing root causes and ensuring all Israelis and Palestinians enjoy full human rights.

Our public discourse must embrace honest and difficult conversations. We can acknowledge the genocide in Gaza while also advocating for the peaceful solutions that will support the safety of all people in the region.

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Janelle Stelson works toward a November rematch with Scott Perry

Justin Sweitzer — Wed, 13 May 2026 17:33:52 -0400

After falling just shy of unseating U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in 2024, Janelle Stelson is hoping that another run for PA-10 – and a favorable midterm election cycle – will yield different results this year.

Stelson is a familiar face in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. She was a longtime news anchor for the central Pennsylvania TV station WGAL before setting her sights on Congress two years ago. Now, with an election cycle under her belt and support from the highest levels of the Democratic Party, Stelson is aiming to bring fresh energy to a seat she believes hasn’t been representative of the people in its district.

“I’m looking forward to being the kind of representative who communicates with people and has strong constituent services – people know what they’re getting from Washington, know what their taxpayer dollars are doing, know that they have somebody who’s going to fight for them every step of the way,” she told City & State in an interview.

Despite having an opponent in this year’s Democratic primary – Dauphin County Commissioners Chair Justin Douglas – Stelson has been firmly focused on Perry since launching her campaign in July 2025.

“Fourteen years in Congress – he’s a seven-term congressman, and Scott Perry continues to vote to hurt us, not help us,” she says.

She frequently points to Perry’s position on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, noting that he called it a “colossal mistake” in a September 2025 Newsweek op-ed that Perry co-signed along with National Taxpayers Union President Pete Sepp and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Upon entering the race, Stelson quickly earned an endorsement from Gov. Josh Shapiro. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also added Stelson to its “Red To Blue” program, which provides fundraising and organizational support to Democratic candidates.

Douglas has called for Stelson to debate him ahead of the May 19 primary, but Stelson has largely opted not to engage with her Democratic primary opponent. There’s currently no public polling on the 10th Congressional District primary race, though prediction markets have Stelson’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination hovering around 95%.

Two years after Stelson lost to Perry by just 49.4% to 50.6% – a margin of 5,133 votes, election prognosticators now view the 10th Congressional District as an incredibly competitive district. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has the 10th Congressional District rated as a “toss-up” in 2026, as does Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a project of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, meanwhile, rates the district as “tilt Republican.”

While Stelson has support from the likes of Shapiro, the Dauphin County Democratic Party, labor unions, and an array of state and local elected leaders, she’s also raised millions of dollars for her bid. According to Federal Election Commission data, Stelson raised more than $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2026 and ended the month of April with $3.3 million in cash on hand.

Stelson says healthcare access and affordability are key priorities for her if elected to Congress. In addition to needling Perry over his position on Affordable Care Act subsidies, she supports allowing the government to negotiate prices to lower the cost of prescription drugs, banning surprise billing and removing medical debt from credit reports, among other reforms.

Stelson has made affordability central to her 2026 campaign. At a campaign stop outside of a Harrisburg gas station in early April, she criticized Republicans over the ongoing Iran war and its impact on gas prices, and said President Donald Trump’s tariffs are driving up the cost of everyday goods.

“We talked in 2024 a lot about affordability,” Stelson told City & State. “Now it’s become an affordability crisis. Everybody's concerned about groceries, utilities, the roofs over their heads – and now gas prices because of the war in Iran.” The Democratic candidate has said she would push to repeal Trump’s tariffs if voters send her to Washington.

On the topic of Washington, Stelson believes it’s long past time to pass a slate of reforms, including anti-corruption measures, to reinstate trust in the nation’s institutions. “People are becoming so disengaged with the process,” she said.

Her anti-corruption agenda includes 12-year term limits, age limits for members of Congress, a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks, and a prohibition on elected officials and staff buying prediction market contracts tied to government policies and decisions. She has also expressed support for reversing the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and reining in the president’s pardon power.

Stelson sees her three-decade career as a journalist as a benefit in Washington, saying she would approach the role with a listen-first attitude that would allow her to accurately and effectively elevate her constituents' concerns.

“I’ve been listening for more than 30 years as a broadcast journalist. I don’t agree with every story, but I always make sure it gets told properly,” she said. “Listening to everybody’s causes, concerns and issues, I used to shine a bright light on them and make other people aware. Now I can take those voices to the halls of Congress – that’s my hope for the future – and make sure the voices are heard and that their issues are dealt with appropriately.”

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Philadelphia International Airport prepares for a summer like no other

Hilary Danailova — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:43:43 -0400

With April’s national airport staffing crisis in the rearview mirror and Philadelphia set to host an unprecedented lineup of marquee events this summer, Philadelphia International Airport is preparing for a blockbuster season.

In a press conference on Wednesday morning, airport officials said they expect 9.4 million passengers this summer – a 6.3% increase over 2025’s 8.8 million fliers.

Many are expected to visit a city touted by major media outlets as a top 2026 destination – both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal ranked Philadelphia No. 1 this year – largely because of the World Cup, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the celebrations around America’s 250th birthday (July is expected to be the busiest month for PHL, with 3.2 million anticipated passengers).

“Summer 2026 is one of the most anticipated travel seasons in our history,” said the airport’s interim CEO, Tracy Borda, in a statement. Kate Sullivan, the airport’s chief commercial officer, told City & State that the summer is shaping up to be the facility’s busiest on record for international travel, while domestic volume is expected to match the record set in 2005, the airport’s all-time busiest summer.

Travelers will find an airport ready for its close-up. Sullivan said the facility has invested $500 million in a makeover, including upgraded lighting, seating and charging facilities. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia tourism experience will start in the terminals, where installations throughout the season will showcase the city’s 2026 festivities.

They include an exhibition of team jerseys tracing the history of the Philadelphia Union, and soccer and baseball pitch simulators during the FIFA World Cup and MLB All-Star Game. In addition, the Live Music at PHL program, a city initiative, will bring local artists to perform, “reminding the public that Philly is the original music city,” noted Borda.

Crucially, security screening wait times are back to normal after spring’s federal funding impasse, which led to legions of National Transportation Safety Administration security workers calling out sick – and, as a result, long lines for travelers waiting to be screened. This summer, Sullivan said travelers can find updated security wait times both on the airport’s website and on readouts in the ticketing areas.

A new carrier and myriad new routes are two more signs of Philadelphia’s growing economic and touristic clout. Allegiant Air started service from Philadelphia this month, while several existing carriers have rolled out domestic and international nonstop destinations – including several that had been discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These include a new American Airlines route to Prague; the airline is also offering the only U.S. nonstop service to Budapest. Both cities are popular river-cruise destinations, and the nonstops “also drive domestic connectivity as well,” explained Sullivan. American Airlines will also début seasonal service to Santiago, Dominican Republic, serving both vacationers and Southeastern Pennsylvania’s growing Dominican diaspora.

Sullivan said the recent closure of Spirit Airlines will have a relatively small impact in Philadelphia, where the low-cost carrier had been reducing its footprint over the past several years. Philadelphia’s third-largest carrier as recently as 2023, Spirit was scheduled to provide less than 2% of the seats in the Philadelphia market this summer – a decrease of more than 50% from May 2025.

Meanwhile, Spirit’s six Philadelphia destinations were already served by at least one other carrier – including JetBlue, which recently reentered the Philadelphia market for Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, and Southwest, which is adding domestic flights.

Sullivan told City & State that Philadelphia’s growing prominence in the air travel sector is not surprising. “We are the heart of the largest mega-region in the United States,” she said. “If you’re looking to be in the middle of everything, there’s no better place to be than in between New York and D.C.

“A big population, tons of anchor institutions, the growing life sciences sector, the corporate tenants … (are) really compelling for airlines when they think about a diverse set of demand,” she added. “There’s not just one thing that makes Philadelphia a great opportunity for airlines. It’s all of these things coming together.”

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Candidate questionnaire: Sharif Street

Harrison Cann — Tue, 12 May 2026 11:53:40 -0400

Second in the series: State Sen. Sharif Street, a political mainstay in the city and a presumed frontrunner since the beginning of the race.

Ala Stanford’s questionnaire responses can be found here.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Here’s what Street had to say about:

Housing policy

As an attorney in private practice, I helped secure funding for thousands of affordable units. And in the state legislature, I championed additional funding for affordable housing. While in Congress, I will fight to increase funding for the Philadelphia Housing Authority and other housing providers, particularly through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program – the nation’s most successful low-income housing program. Many of these programs receive bipartisan support, and I would be proud to work across the aisle to help deliver additional resources to provide quality, affordable housing for working families across Philadelphia.

Healthcare policy

First, I would work to reverse the funding cuts to Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Obamacare exchange. Healthcare is a human right and all Americans should have access to affordable healthcare. The increased cost of healthcare is a significant driver of our affordability crisis as well as disparate health outcomes across race and income. That is why my team authored Pennie, which lowered the cost of health insurance for all Pennsylvanians.

I support universal healthcare. As we plan for the future of healthcare, I will work to protect the jobs in Philadelphia that support the administration of healthcare programs.

Public transit funding

Philadelphia is a transit city, and we need to build on that strength. I will fight to protect and expand funding for SEPTA, including projects that improve frequency and reliability, and ensure that federal programs continue to support major local priorities like the Chinatown Stitch. Environmental sustainability must also remain a core part of how we invest in transportation.

Campaign donors and corporate interests

Voters should look at my record. Throughout my career, I have fought for their needs – for healthcare, for jobs, for gun violence prevention. My largest source of financial support comes from unions; I am proud of their support in this campaign and proud of the work I have done for working men and women in this city, which has earned me that support.

Meeting the needs of a diverse district

I take the needs of each individual and each community seriously. We all want to be safe, to have a good job and to be able to afford to take care of our families. When I got $300 million a year to prevent gun violence, homicide rates went down and it made all of us safer. Pennie lowered costs for everyone across the commonwealth. When we bring good jobs to the district, like those at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and provide job training, such as at the Philadelphia Technician Training Institute, which I have helped fund, the regional economy benefits. While the details of what each of us needs might differ, I work to address those needs in ways that make all of us better off.

An underdiscussed issue

Issues of gun violence and drug addiction impact the lives of too many Philadelphians and their families. All of the irresponsible acts of the Trump administration distract us from the very real harm that is done by not investing in our communities to break the cycle of poverty and the very real harm that come with it.

We need to stop spending our money on overseas adventures and disrupting hard-working members of communities. We need to leverage some of the money accumulated by the ultra-wealthy and invest it in lifting up our people.

Bringing experience to Washington

My constituents need me to bring back real resources and pass meaningful legislation for them. To do that requires that I be willing to lead where appropriate, but also to take a back seat when that is most likely to get them what they need. I know that to be an effective member of Congress, I will need the humility to play a supporting role, particularly when I first arrive, but also the courage to lead when that is needed.

Combatting D.C. power dynamics

The Trump administration’s efforts in Washington, D.C., have been illegal, unconstitutional and unconscionable. The most effective thing that Democrats can do to combat his shortsighted, immoral actions is to win majorities in Congress. After the primary, I intend to focus my efforts on supporting my future colleagues in the Philadelphia region. That is the work I did as Chair of the Democratic Party and I will continue to do that as a Democratic nominee and as a Congressman.

Once we are there, we will need to take a firm line against Trump. We will have to use our oversight powers to create accountability for him and his administration. If necessary, I will take them to court. I have sued Trump dozens of times to protect the rights of Pennsylvanians and won every time.

If Democrats take control of Congress

We must enact a new War Powers Act that restricts Trump’s ability to take us to reckless, illegal undeclared wars. We must abolish ICE; they have used the increase in funding to recruit thousands of agents from the Proud Boys and white supremacist organizations, thus creating a toxic culture that cannot be permitted within our government.

We need to investigate ICE and the Department of Defense to understand what crimes have been committed against our own people and in the theater of war. The people who committed those crimes need to be held accountable, with a focus on those giving any illegal orders.

Pitching voters who say they want something different from the Democratic Party

I became a leader within the party by fighting and winning against the establishment. I was the first Black Chair and Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party because I built a diverse coalition of urban and rural Democrats who knew that I would listen to them and represent their concerns. That is the type of leadership that Philadelphians need representing them in Congress.

The Democratic Party becoming bolder

Actions speak louder than words. Democrats have to take back one or more chambers of Congress to push back against Trump in D.C effectively. In cities and states across the country, Democratic officials have stood up to Trump and limited their cooperation. We have sued the administration and blocked or rolled back illegal and wrong executive orders, including the President’s House here in Philadelphia. When we take Congress, we will take bold action there, too.

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Candidate questionnaire: Ala Stanford

Harrison Cann — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:23:55 -0400

First up in the series: Dr. Ala Stanford, who has tried to position herself as both a political newcomer and an experienced public health expert able to work with local, state and federal officials.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Here’s what Stanford had to say about:

Housing policy

On housing, the first thing I would do is go after the Wall Street landlords who are buying up homes in this district and turning whole neighborhoods into investment portfolios. That is not the market working; that is the market being weaponized against the people who live here. I support expanding housing vouchers into a real entitlement because 40,000-person waitlists are not a housing policy. That is a cruelty. And we have to build more. You cannot talk about affordability without talking about supply. I support the ROAD to Housing Act because it addresses the problem from multiple directions at once: zoning reform, converting vacant buildings into homes, and updating FHA loan limits so developers can secure financing to build. Philadelphia has thousands of empty properties, while families cannot find a place they can afford. That is solvable. We just have to decide to solve it.

Healthcare policy

I grew up on Medicaid. I practice medicine today at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue, in the ZIP code with the lowest life expectancy in Philadelphia. I see every single day what happens when people cannot afford care. They wait. They get sicker. They end up in an emergency room that costs 10 times what a primary care visit would have cost. I will fight to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly, cap out-of-pocket costs, and push hard for a public option. At my health center, we take care of everyone who walks through the door, regardless of what they have in their wallet. That is the model I am taking to Washington.

Education policy

When I got placed in the mentally gifted program and started riding that bus to University City once a week, something happened to me. I started walking those campuses and began to believe, for the first time, maybe that world could be mine, too. That experience showed me that my mind could be my way out. My congressman (Chaka Fattah) championed the federal GEAR UP grant (for a program designed to help Philadelphia students prepare for college careers via academic support and mentorship) and, because I was poor enough and smart enough, it helped send me to college. Someone invested in me, and that investment changed everything. In Congress, I will fight for full funding for IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Title I to provide every child in every public school the resources they deserve. In addition I will advocate to double the Pell Grant and index it to inflation. In Congress, I will fight for more federal funding to improve our crumbling school infrastructure and to preserve the Department of Education, to begin to undo the harm that this administration has enacted on our entire education system.

Public transit funding

SEPTA did not just move me across the city; it put me on a path to become the first African American woman pediatric surgeon fully trained in the United States – and hopefully, the first African American woman to represent this city in Congress. To me, transit funding is not just about buses and trains; it’s about giving residents from across the district access to opportunities for education, for jobs and to be able to dream bigger than their ZIP code. SEPTA’s crisis is not about capital. It is about operating dollars. You can buy all the new buses you want. If you cannot afford to run them on a schedule people can count on, none of it matters. I will fight for a federal operating assistance program because for most people in this district, SEPTA is not a choice. It is how they get to work, get to the doctor, get their kid to school.

Campaign donors and corporate interests

This is really a question about trust. And trust is not something you declare. It is something you earn. I do not take corporate PAC money and I never will. But a donor policy alone does not build trust with communities that have every reason to be skeptical of anyone asking for their vote. I know that firsthand … I am a doctor. When I took my oath, I made a commitment to my patients – not to the insurance companies, not to the hospital system and not to anyone writing a check, to my patients. That is how I run my health center. Everyone who walks through that door gets the same care, regardless of what they have in their wallet or what their insurance card says. I do not have a two-tiered system; I never have. The person who can barely afford the bus to get there gets the same care as anyone else. That is just how I operate.

That is exactly how I will govern. My constituents are my patients. Every single one of them gets the same representation, the same fight, the same commitment from me regardless of how much they donated or whether they donated at all. People have lost faith in the federal government – and I understand why. They have been promised things and then forgotten. That is part of why I am running. I have spent my career proving that you can earn trust back by showing up. Someone has to go to Washington and actually do that. That is what I am running to do.

Meeting the needs of a diverse district

I grew up in North Philadelphia, spent time in Germantown; I live in Chestnut Hill now. I have lived in this district. As a child I grew up relying on Medicaid, SNAP, and Health Center 9 just to get by. And I know what it means to have opportunities because of your earned success as a public school educated person. Both of those things are my life.

What that taught me – and medicine confirmed it – is that you have to listen before you open your mouth. Every patient who comes through my door is different: different story, different circumstances, different needs. You cannot walk in assuming you already know. You have to ask. And then you have to actually hear what they tell you. The things that connect every neighborhood in this district are not complicated. People want to afford where they live. They want to see a doctor when they are sick. They want good schools and safe streets. What changes from neighborhood to neighborhood is how far people are from those things and how long they have been waiting. During COVID, I started by taking care of those with the least, the communities that had been left behind the longest, and that is exactly what put me in a position to take care of the whole city when it needed it most. I named my book “Taking Care of Them Like My Own” because that is not a slogan. It is how I approach every patient, every community, and every person I serve. That is how I will approach being your congresswoman.

An underdiscussed issue

Mental health. Not as an add-on to another conversation and not as a footnote in a gun violence discussion, but as a standalone crisis that is reshaping every neighborhood in this city and getting almost no serious policy attention.

I helped lead the national rollout of 988 (the national suicide hotline) at HHS, and I can tell you the need is staggering. We have a generation of young people who came through a pandemic in isolation – who watched their communities destabilized by violence and economic insecurity, who have nowhere near enough support available to them. We have seniors dealing with loneliness and depression at rates that are killing them as surely as any disease. We have people cycling through emergency rooms with mental health crises because there is no community based alternative anywhere near them. 988 was a step – an important step. But we have massively underfunded its implementation, and we have done almost nothing to build the workforce and the community infrastructure that would make it actually work at scale. I will tell you something else: I see it in my clinic every single day. People come in for a physical, and what they really need is someone to talk to. They come in for a prescription and what they are carrying is grief, or trauma, or a level of stress that no medication is going to fix. The body keeps score. And when we ignore mental health we end up paying for it everywhere else – in emergency rooms, in prisons, in children who cannot learn because they are not okay. This is personal to me. I helped build 988 because I believed that when someone is in crisis, they deserve a counselor, not a cop. I still believe that. And I am going to keep fighting to make it real not just on paper but in every community in this district.

Bringing personal experience to Washington

The people closest to a problem are almost always closest to the solution, and the government is usually the last to figure that out. During COVID, I did not wait for the federal government to tell me what North Philadelphia needed. I went into the community. I listened. I built something that worked because it was built by people who understood the problem from the inside. At HHS, I learned the flip side of that lesson. I learned that federal systems have enormous power to help people when they are designed well, and enormous power to harm people when they are not. I helped lead the rollout of 988. I worked to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage. Those were not just policy wins; they were decisions that changed whether people lived or died. What I am bringing to Congress is pretty simple: Listen before you talk. Do the work before you take the credit. And never forget that every decision made in Washington lands on a real person. I have spent my entire career looking those people in the eye. That does not change when I get to Congress.

Combatting D.C. power dynamics

I will be honest with you: Democrats do not have a tactics problem. They have a credibility problem. People do not believe we will actually fight for them. And until we fix that, no strategy matters. The way you take on this administration is not complicated. You decide what you stand for and you stand there – every time, not just when it is easy. You show up in your district and you tell people the truth about what is happening, even when the truth is hard. You force votes that make people go on the record. You use every platform you have to make sure nobody can pretend they did not know what was at stake. I am not naive about Washington. I worked there. I know how that building operates, who has power, how relationships get built, and how things actually get done when the environment is hostile. I did not sit on the sidelines at HHS. I got in the room and I delivered. What I will not do is trade my values for a seat at a table that was never built for someone like me. The daughter of a teenage mother who grew up in public housing, relying on SNAP and Medicaid, was never intended to be the profile of a congressperson. It’s that lived experience that will inform how I show up every day and fight for the values and programs that help me do more than survive. Those values will never be compromised, will never be up for negotiation. You earn respect in that place by being consistent and by being right. I intend to be both.

If Democrats take control of Congress

The first thing I want is real oversight – not press conferences, not strongly worded letters – real oversight with subpoenas and consequences. Congress has the constitutional authority to check this administration, and too many of my future colleagues have been acting like they forgot that. Committees were built to do this work. I want them to do it from Day 1.

Second, I want us to stop playing defense and go on offense on the issues where the American people are already on our side – healthcare, Medicaid, Social Security. People are not confused about what this administration has done to these programs. They are furious. We should be in every district in this country making that case loudly and relentlessly and then writing legislation that forces people to go on the record about where they stand. But here is the thing I feel most strongly about, and I want to say it plainly: We cannot just be the people who are against Trump. That is not a governing vision. That is not what people are going to show up and vote for. People need to believe that when Democrats regain the majority, we are actually going to do something for them. That means coming in with a clear agenda, saying what we mean, and then doing what we said. No more hedging. No more playing it safe.

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Meet the longshot in the PA-3 Democratic primary

Harrison Cann — Fri, 08 May 2026 11:04:14 -0400

Shaun Griffith is tired of being left out of the conversation.

The political newcomer – and longshot in the PA-3 Democratic primary – has been putting in the work as the “people over politics” candidate, even as voter guides and community forums exclude him.

Griffith said he personally collected most of the signatures he needed to get on the ballot, but even after gaining enough support on paper, the city’s Democratic Party tried to stop him.

“I did not expect that … the Democratic City Committee would immediately sue me and that I would then spend nearly a month in court, fighting them, (at) first, to win at the Commonwealth Court,” Griffith told City & State. “We don’t have much money, so I couldn’t hire an attorney for the campaign. It was me.

“Then, as soon as we won at the Commonwealth Court, they took me to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court,” Griffith continued. “We won again – so we’ve actually really only been in the race with no cloud over our head for less than a month.”

Neither his late entry into the race nor his low fundraising numbers – at least compared to the three leading candidates, Chris Rabb, Ala Stanford and Sharif Street – has deterred Griffith’s campaign.

“I want to make sure that they’re giving people an opportunity to choose a candidate who is fighting to serve them,” Griffith said. “People don’t even get the chance to know about me, because there's so much institutional bias for well-funded candidates.”

Background

Griffith is a Western Pennsylvania native who moved to Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek neighborhood in 2009. He now resides in the city’s Grays Ferry section and worked as an appeals referee for unemployment compensation while building up his own firm, USA Tax Service.

Griffith didn’t meet the campaign finance threshold to participate in many of the public forums and debates. He argued that debate hosts – including WHYY, which hosted a debate last week – have been purposefully exclusionary by basing their participation threshold on fundraising from 2025, when Griffith’s campaign had yet to kick off.

“I wasn’t in the race in 2025,” he said. “Even if I were a billionaire and I loaned my campaign $100 million – which I obviously didn’t – I still couldn’t have met (the threshold) because they made a decision on 2025 data … There was a similar (event) at the Mummers Museum where I didn’t get to participate, either.”

In a conversation with City & State, Griffith said his top priorities include a $15-an-hour minimum wage and community protections from data centers. He said the “increasing wealth gap” has made life “unaffordable for working-class people,” adding that if elected, he would immediately push for a Medicare for All vote and “fight the consensus” to get congressmembers to put their healthcare stances on the record.

“I’ve been concerned (about) a lack of access to healthcare for a long time and environmental degradation, but it got much worse after Trump returned to office a year and half ago,” Griffith said. “Now we could see the worst violations of our civil rights … where people are being abducted in the street and being deported without due process.”

On top of calls to increase the minimum wage and implement Medicare for All, Griffith said many of his conversations with residents are about data centers and consumer protections from their effects, including rising energy costs.

“Other candidates are not talking about how much it is costing us – higher electricity costs, as well as polluted water,” he told City & State. “At every forum where people can ask questions, they’ve asked me about it. And then on the street, several times a day, someone will ask about that … Making electricity and water cost more makes everything even more unaffordable, and the billionaires should be paying for that.

“We have socialized risk and privatized gain. And these data centers … it is a symptom of our government always favoring the profit of the very wealthy at the expense of common people,” he added.

The concept of affordability has driven many conversations in the race. And while the Democratic primary for a deep-blue seat features candidates with like-minded ideas, Griffith’s move to stand out is his pitch that he’s a regular person.

“I have made far less money than any of the other people (in this race) … I am the only working-class person,” Griffith said. “Our candidacy has one-fiftieth of the resources of any of the others (and) if I win, it’s going to prove that all of the money spent on campaigns is wasted.”

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This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

City & State — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:29:31 -0400

Whither the fruit pies of summer 2026? We’ll refrain from T.S. Eliot references – but suffice it to say that April’s unseasonable freeze was not kind to Pennsylvania’s 2026 peach crop, which, along with the apples, literally withered on the branch. Linvilla Orchards, a beloved Media farm, reported that up to 90% of its stone fruit crops blackened from the chill and dropped to the ground – an augur of scarcity for summer farmers’ markets and pie bakers, and an economic blow to farm revenues. Hopefully, we can still count on the cherries.

Keep reading for more winners and losers!

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City & State’s 2026-27 Pennsylvania state budget tracker

Justin Sweitzer — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:27:00 -0400

After last year’s budget impasse stretched more than 130 days behind schedule, Pennsylvania lawmakers are hopeful they can avoid a similar delay this year. Gov. Josh Shapiro presented lawmakers with a $53.3 billion spending plan in February and negotiations are ongoing as state officials eye the commonwealth’s June 30 budget deadline.

City & State has put together a budget tracker for the 2026-27 fiscal year, offering an up-to-date look at the state budget's progress through the legislative process.

May 6, 2026: PA Rep. Jordan Harris pressures PA Senate to act on budget legislation

Speaking during a House Appropriations Committee meeting on Wednesday, House Appropriations Committee Majority Chair Jordan Harris put pressure on the Republican-controlled state Senate to act on budget legislation, arguing that Pennsylvania can’t afford another late state budget.

Harris said it has been 22 days since the House passed legislation mirroring Gov. Josh Shapiro’s February budget pitch, and cautioned that a late state budget could jeopardize funding for school districts and nonprofits.

“We cannot afford what we had last year, where our budget was more than 135 days late,” Harris said. “The State Senate does not have to agree with what we sent them, but they have to do something. If they don’t agree with what we sent, that’s fine. They could send us their own proposal. Our main focus remains clear: delivering a responsible, balanced and on time budget that invests in Pennsylvania’s education, supports our law enforcement, strengthens Pennsylvania’s economy and returns money back into the pockets of our working families.”

April 14, 2026: House lawmakers pass budget bill

On Tuesday, April 14, House lawmakers passed a General Appropriations bill with bipartisan support, advancing the bill to the Senate in a move that could make it easier to advance a negotiated state budget once Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration and lawmakers agree on a final product closer to the state’s June 30 budget deadline. The legislation, House Bill 2400, was advanced by the state House with a 107-94 vote on April 14, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle acknowledging that the bill’s passage is a first step in an ongoing budget process.

“Today’s passage of the proposed state budget is an important step in moving the General Appropriations bill process forward and keeping us on track to deliver an on-time budget for the people of Pennsylvania,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Jordan Harris said in a statement, noting that negotiations on the budget are ongoing. “This bill passed the House with bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment to moving this budget forward and getting a budget done on time.”

Following the House vote, Senate Republican leaders said they continue to have concerns about the level of spending in Shapiro’s proposal. “We continue to have profound concerns about the level of spending in the budget proposed by Governor Shapiro and passed by the House today,” Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin said in a joint statement.

“Moving a budget plan forward is an important step in the process, but much work remains to reach a final agreement which respects taxpayers both now and in the future,” the trio added. “We will continue to fight for a more fiscally responsible spending plan that better positions our Commonwealth to grow and prosper, without placing unreasonable financial burdens on Pennsylvania families and taxpayers.”

Feb. 3, 2026: Shapiro presents $53.3B budget proposal

Gov. Josh Shapiro presented his fourth executive budget proposal to state lawmakers Tuesday, Feb. 3 – a $53.3 billion spending plan that called for continued funding for education and law enforcement, reforms on issues such as housing and data center development, and renewed calls for new revenue sources, including recreational marijuana and skill gaming machines. Democrats in the General Assembly praised Shapiro’s budget proposal, with House Appropriations Committee Chair Jordan Harris calling it a budget “that works for Pennsylvania and protects Pennsylvania.” Republican leaders, however, said the level of spending in the budget was too high. “The governor simply wants to spend too much money in this budget, period. Full stop,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said following the governor’s budget address.

In the weeks following his budget speech, lawmakers in the state House and Senate held a series of appropriations hearings to gather more information on the spending levels and policy proposals in Shapiro’s budget pitch.

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The City & State Guide to Pennsylvania’s 2026 Primary Elections: The U.S. House of Representatives

City & State — Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Pennsylvania’s 2024 congressional elections had a major impact on control of the U.S. House, as Republicans expanded their majority with victories in the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts, which had previously been represented by Democrats.

Now, in 2026, Democrats are hoping to ride a wave of discontent to midterm election victories, while Republicans will look to prevent losses that the party in power often experiences in midterm election cycles.

In advance of this fall’s general election matchups, City & State takes a look at some of the competitive primary races that will shape the ballot this fall.

THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District

For the first time in a decade, the commonwealth’s third congressional district is up for grabs. Four candidates remain in the race to fill retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans’ spot, down from what was a field of roughly a dozen early on in the deep-blue seat that is PA-3.

Given the district makeup, the Democratic primary field initially rose to as many as a dozen. The field narrowed throughout the last few months, with three front-runners leading the way as the May primary election approaches: Dr. Ala Stanford, State Sen. Sharif Street and State Rep. Chris Rabb.

The fourth candidate is a political newcomer in Shaun Griffith. A tax attorney who previously worked for the state government before opening his own firm in Roxborough, Griffith didn't meet the campaign finance threshold to participate in many of the public forums and debates. But in a conversation with City & State, Griffith said his top priorities include a $15-an-hour minimum wage and community protections from data centers. He said the "increasing wealth gap" has made life "unaffordable for working class people." He said, if in office, he would immediately push for a Medicare for All vote and "fight the consensus" to get congressmembers to put their health care stances on the record.

Street had the name recognition and party connections to fuel a successful campaign from the jump. The son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and the nephew of former State Sen. Milton Street, Sharif Street has been representing the 3rd state senatorial district since 2017. A North Philadelphia native, Street became the first Black man and Muslim to serve as Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair in 2022, succeeding Nancy Patton Mills, with whom he had served as vice chair for nearly four years.

Rabb has sought the progressive crowd since he was first elected to the state House in 2016, aligning himself with organizations including the Working Families Party, the Sunrise Movement and the Philadelphia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Stanford, on the other hand, entered the race without a legislative background. The 55-year-old Philadelphia native, who has been a practicing physician for more than 20 years, received national recognition in 2020 for founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which spearheaded efforts to test and vaccinate Philadelphians, particularly in low-income communities. In 2022, Stanford was appointed by President Joe Biden as the Health and Human Services regional director for the mid-Atlantic region, overseeing efforts to rebuild communities most affected by COVID.

Stanford jumped into the race with backing from some prominent figures, including former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Evans.

As the race has tightened, sparring among the candidates has increased.

Stanford, who’s backed by the science-focused advocacy group 314 Action Fund, has received financial support – a rarity among most political newcomers. Rabb, without evidence, has suggested that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group has entered the funding race and that Stanford and 314 are receiving funds from pro-Israel groups.

Both Street and Rabb have told voters to look at their voting records, saying their legislative résumés speak for themselves and the ideals they’d bring to Congress. Stanford, having spent time in federal administration, has utilized her experiences within the Biden administration to argue she’s seen where the gaps reside between local, state and federal governments.

Few polls have been conducted as of April, but initial polling from last year showed Street leading both Stanford and Rabb. A Street-sponsored poll showed 27% for Street, 17% for Rabb and 11% for Stanford, while another poll has Street at 15%, Stanford at 7% and Rabb at 6%.

And as of mid-April, prediction markets give Street a 44.5% chance of winning, ahead of Stanford at 29% and Rabb at 27%.

Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District

Democrats view the Lehigh Valley seat held by Republican Ryan Mackenzie, who upset incumbent Susan Wild in 2024, to be particularly vulnerable. The Cook Political Report calls Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District “a rare true swing seat,” rating the race a tossup in its February assessment, noting that President Donald Trump won the district by just 3 percentage points in 2024, after losing in 2020 by a fraction of a point.

After several early candidates dropped out, four Democrats with diverse résumés are vying to take back the seat this year: Carol Obando-Derstine, an engineer, nonprofit executive and onetime senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey; Bob Brooks, the president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association; former federal prosecutor and Marine Ryan Crosswell; and former Northampton County executive Lamont McClure.

While recent polling is sparse, Change Research found in December that the race was “wide open,” with voters largely undecided and unfamiliar with the candidates. Initial surveys put McClure on top and Brooks in second – but after hearing the candidates’ biographies, Democratic respondents favored Brooks, followed by Crosswell.

McClure, an attorney, served two terms as Northampton’s county executive and, prior to that, was a two-term Northampton County Council member. He has the endorsements of numerous unions and local politicians, including Easton Mayor Sal Panto.

In Congress, according to his campaign website, he wants to fight the proliferation of warehouses and to protect the region’s green space, building on his successes preserving farmland in Northampton County. He also touts his fiscal responsibility – five county budgets without tax increases.

Obando-Derstine has the backing of Wild, who originally recruited her to run. Also endorsed by Emily’s List, Obando-Derstine is hoping her personal experience with key issues – as the only woman, Hispanic, immigrant and energy professional in the race – will help her overcome a lack of name recognition.

Obando-Derstine emigrated as a child from war-torn Colombia with her parents, whose immigrant struggles inspired her career in community advocacy. Her leadership roles have included several local youth nonprofits, including the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, as well as an appointment by then-Gov. Tom Wolf to his Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs and a stint as then-U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s regional manager and statewide Latino affairs advisor.

Until recently, she worked at PPL Utilities on the renewable energy integration she says will be crucial to meeting the region’s energy challenges. She also says she’ll promote affordability through measures like raising the federal minimum wage and restoring access to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies; she also supports immigration reform.

Brooks, a retired 20-year firefighter with the City of Bethlehem, was recruited by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, who represents Western Pennsylvania, and Gov. Josh Shapiro for his effectiveness leading the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association – and, Brooks posits, his ability to connect with the kind of working-class voter Democrats have been losing in recent elections. He has championed successful measures to expand state workers’ compensation benefits to first responders and to restore federal retirement benefits to firefighters and other public servants.

According to his campaign website, Brooks vows to promote affordability, including by raising the minimum wage, and to reduce the influence of money in politics; he also wants to curb warehouse development, modernize transportation and lower housing costs in his district.

Hoping to seize momentum is former federal prosecutor and Marine Ryan Croswell, who is running on an anti-corruption platform. Fighting corruption was his job for years at the Department of Justice, where he investigated public officials’ abuses of power – including indicting the former governor of Puerto Rico for bribery – and eventually resigned over President Donald Trump’s apparent quid pro quo pardon of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Inspired to public service by the 9/11 attacks, Croswell enrolled in the Marine Corps while in law school and hopes to bring a focus on justice to Congress, where, according to his website, he wants to cut the cost of living in the Lehigh Valley; protect reproductive rights, Social Security and Medicare; and reform immigration.

Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District

Two Democrats are running in the 10th Congressional District primary with hopes of taking on conservative U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the fall – one a familiar face who narrowly lost to Perry in the 2024 general election, and another who helped flip the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners to Democratic control in 2023.

Janelle Stelson is hoping to defeat U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in a rematch of their 2024 matchup. Photo credit: Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Janelle Stelson, a former news anchor with WGAL, won the Democratic nomination in 2024 and narrowly lost to Perry that year by a margin of 49.4% to 50.6% – or 5,133 votes. This time around, Stelson has secured the support of Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Sen. Patty Kim, the Dauphin County Democratic Committee, and more than a dozen labor unions in her bid to unseat Perry and turn the seat blue.

In the primary, Stelson is facing Dauphin County Commissioners Chair Justin Douglas, who defeated Republican incumbent Chad Saylor in 2023 by 184 votes, flipping the board to Democratic control for the first time in 100 years. To date, Douglas has picked up endorsements from the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, One Pennsylvania and CASA In Action.

Heading into 2025, Stelson held a significant fundraising edge over Douglas. She ended the year with more than $1.5 million in cash on hand, while Douglas had roughly $14,300, according to Federal Election Commission data. Stelson raised an additional $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, bringing her total amount of cash on hand to $3 million.

Over the course of the primary campaign, Stelson has had her attention focused on Perry, calling out the incumbent over rising gas prices in the wake of the country’s ongoing war with Iran.

“The people of Central Pennsylvania deserve answers, because the cost of living is crushing Central Pennsylvania families and our congressman, Scott Perry, just keeps making it worse,” Stelson said in April outside a Harrisburg gas station.

She also needled Perry for his support of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which she said are contributing to rising costs: “He supports the tariff policies that are driving up prices of groceries, building materials, household goods and housing. These tariffs are taxes, and they are not being paid by China or any other country; they're being paid by you, by American families, by Central Pennsylvania small businesses.”

Stelson has said that she would seek to repeal Trump’s tariffs if elected, and would also support making Affordable Care Act tax credits permanent. She also introduced an anti-corruption agenda that includes age limits and 12-year term limits for members of Congress, banning members of Congress from trading stocks, limiting presidential pardoning power, reversing the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United court decision and banning public officials, appointees and staff from participating in prediction markets.

Douglas says his top priorities include bringing back federal investments to Central Pennsylvania, promoting economic development and increasing job opportunities in the region, banning congressional stock trading, and abolishing or reforming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Douglas said his current role as a county commissioner gives him a unique perspective that he could use to better represent the region.

“We need to fight for Pennsylvania, we need to fight for PA-10, we need to fight for Dauphin County,” he told City & State in an interview. “If I was granted with the opportunity to be a congressman, I'd be able to bring that fight to Washington through the lens of what our community truly needs as a county commissioner.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District rated as a “toss-up” in 2026, as does Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a project of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Meanwhile, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the district as “tilt Republican.”

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Pennsylvania sues Character.AI developer, alleging chatbots claimed to be medical professionals

Justin Sweitzer — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:45:22 -0400

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is suing the artificial intelligence chatbot company Character Technologies, Inc., alleging that AI chatbots on its Character.AI platform have unlawfully presented themselves as licensed medical professionals in the commonwealth.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Commonwealth Court, alleges that Character.AI – a platform that allows users to talk with AI characters and personalities – “engages in the unlawful practice of medicine in Pennsylvania” by allowing AI chatbots to present themselves as state-licensed medical professionals, including psychiatrists. The suit asks the court to issue a preliminary injunction and prevent the company from allowing AI chatbots to present themselves as licensed professionals.

According to the suit, a professional conduct investigator with the Pennsylvania Department of State created a Character.AI account and discovered a chatbot by the name of “Emilie” described as a “doctor of psychiatry. ” The investigator engaged in conversations with the chatbot, describing himself as feeling sad, empty and unmotivated. The lawsuit states that the chatbot – Emilie – later offered to schedule a mental health assessment, said she could prescribe medication and even provided an invalid Pennsylvania medical license number.

The administration argues in the suit that Character Technologies violates section 422.38 of the state’s Medical Practice Act, which states that it is “unlawful for any person to practice, or attempt to offer to practice, medicine and surgery” without having a valid license or registration.

In a statement, Shapiro said Pennsylvanians deserve to know whom – or what – they are interacting with online.

“We will not allow companies to deploy AI tools that mislead people into believing they are receiving advice from a licensed medical professional,” the governor said Tuesday in a statement. “My Administration is taking action to protect Pennsylvanians, enforce the law, and make sure new technology is used safely. Pennsylvania will continue leading the way in holding bad actors accountable and setting clear guardrails so people can use new technology responsibly.”

A spokesperson for Character.AI told City & State they do not comment on pending litigation, and that chatbots on the Character.AI site are fictional and designed for entertainment purposes.

“Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our users,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The user-created Characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying. We have taken robust steps to make that clear, including prominent disclaimers in every chat to remind users that a Character is not a real person and that everything a Character says should be treated as fiction. Also, we add robust disclaimers making it clear that users should not rely on Characters for any type of professional advice.”

“Character.ai prioritizes responsible product development and has robust internal reviews and red-teaming processes in place to assess relevant features,” the statement continued.

Character Technologies and other AI developers have faced scrutiny – and lawsuits – over interactions with AI chatbots, with several families suing Character.AI and Google in the last year, alleging that their chatbots contributed to mental health crises and suicides in young users. Character.AI agreed to settle multiple lawsuits with families in January.

Speaking to City & State last month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday expressed concern about the potential health and safety impacts of chatbot interactions on young people.

“Children are, more and more, turning to chatbots for information about life: how to do schoolwork, for advice on how to deal with circumstances in their young lives,” Sunday said. “We see kids developing very unhealthy relationships with chatbots because the chatbots are sycophantic by design and they tell you what you want to hear. That's very, very dangerous.”

“This is not hyperbole – we’ve seen chatbots essentially root kids on who are contemplating suicide,” Sunday added. “Essentially, you have chatbots that are advising children on issues that no parent would ever want a human advising them on, let alone sycophantic AI technology.”

In March, lawmakers in the Pennsylvania Senate voted 49-1 to approve legislation known as the SAFECHAT Act, which would establish safeguards for the use of AI chatbots by minors, including requiring developers to display “clear and conspicuous” disclosures notifying users that AI companions are not human.

As for chatbots that claim to be licensed in the medical field, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said in a statement that the department will continue cracking down on people and technologies that misrepresent their credentials.

“Pennsylvania law is clear: You cannot hold yourself out as a licensed medical professional without proper credentials,” Schmidt said. “We will continue to take action to protect the public from misleading or unlawful practices, whether they come from individuals or emerging technologies.”

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The City & State Guide to Pennsylvania’s 2026 Primary Elections: Senate Districts

City & State — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Pennsylvania is always a focal point of the political universe, and this year’s 2026 midterm elections are no exception. The commonwealth’s races for seats in the General Assembly and Congress will have major consequences for the direction of both Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., as control of both legislative bodies will hinge on election results across the Keystone State.

Ahead of the May 19 primary election, City & State examined competitive primary races across the commonwealth, focusing on contests featuring multiple candidates to offer a glimpse into how primary battles could shape the ballot this November.

Below, we take a look primary races for seats in the Pennsylvania Senate, where Republicans currently hold a majority.

THE STATE SENATE

4th Senate District

In the commonwealth’s 4th Senate District, Democratic state Sen. Art Haywood faces a primary challenge from Michael Cogbill, a Philadelphia area organizer. Throughout his time in the Senate, Haywood has advocated for affordable housing and policies aimed at addressing gun violence; he also serves as the minority chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, is a governor on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors and served on the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cogbill previously ran for Congress in the state’s 3rd Congressional District and, per his campaign website, wants to raise the minimum wage, lower costs, protect polling places from intimidation and hold data center developers accountable.

8th Senate District

Longtime Democratic state Sen. Anthony H. Williams is facing a challenge from fellow Democrat David Goldsmith Jr., a realtor and community advocate. Williams has served in the state Senate since 1998, and has worked to expand school choice programs, combat gun violence, and was a prime sponsor of the state’s Clean Slate Act; he currently serves as minority chair of the Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee. Goldsmith, according to his campaign website, wants to expand access to homeownership, push for vocational training and equitable education and advocate for policies that combat gun violence.

16th Senate District

Two Democrats are angling to take on Republican state Sen. Jarrett Coleman in November, but only one will earn the party’s nomination in May. In the primary, Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley will face Bradley Merkl-Gump, a history and civics teacher from Perkasie who serves on the Pennridge School District School Board. If elected, Pinsley hopes to increase wages, push for property tax and income tax reforms, increase access to housing and codify reproductive rights in state law. Merkel-Gump, per his campaign website, wants to “fully and fairly” fund public schools, increase access to health care, and support policies that improve affordability.

20th Senate District

Republican state Sen. Lisa Baker, the current chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is facing a primary challenge this year from Tyler Meyers, a U.S. Army veteran who, if elected, wants to cut taxes, eliminate red tape for small businesses and the agriculture industry, and protect Second Amendment rights. Baker currently serves as the majority caucus administrator for the Senate GOP, and throughout her time in the legislature has led efforts to reform the state’s juvenile justice system and advocated for policies benefiting crime victims and veterans.

22nd Senate District

In the state’s 22nd Senate District, incumbent state Sen. Marty Flynn faces a primary challenge from health care worker and nonprofit founder Jeffrey Lake in this year’s election cycle. Flynn has served in the Senate since 2021, and currently serves as minority chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. During his time in the Senate, Flynn has had several of his bills signed into law, including legislation designed to help the Pennsylvania Turnpike recoup uncollected toll revenue, and another bill that makes it an offense to evade arrest or detention on foot. Lake, per his campaign website, supports increasing affordable housing stock and scaling permanent supportive housing, enacting a three-year moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers, and implementing universal childcare in Pennsylvania.

32nd Senate District

Republican state Sen. Pat Stefano has served in the Senate since 2015, and will face a primary challenge this year from Harry Cochran, a U.S. Army veteran and former member of the state House of Representatives who served from 1979 to 1982. Stefano serves as the majority chair of the Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee; this session, he has introduced legislation to expand the state’s Castle Doctrine law, increase government transparency, and update the state’s mail-in voting law. If elected, Cochran wants to implement voter ID, repeal the state’s mail-in voting law and eliminate property taxes.

34th Senate District

Two Democrats will face off in May for a chance to take on Pennsylvania GOP Chair and Republican state Sen. Greg Rothman in November. Nathan Wood, a personal trainer and former district office manager for Rothman, will face Rich Forsman, a member of Camp Hill Borough Council for the Democratic Party nomination. According to their campaign websites, Wood supports prohibiting lawmakers from engaging in external business while in office, tying public officials’ cost of living adjustments to the minimum wage and tackling income inequality; Forsman supports raising the minimum wage, making health care more affordable and increasing the availability of housing.

36th Senate District

Two Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination in the 36th Senate District, with the ultimate goal being to face Democratic state Sen. James Malone in the fall and win back a seat the GOP lost in March 2025. GOP state Rep. Tom Jones opted to run for the 36th Senate District seat instead of seeking reelection to his House seat. Jones will face Jere Swarr, a former Rapho Township supervisor, in the GOP primary. Jones, if elected to the Senate, wants to reduce the tax burden on residents and small businesses, support policies that preserve “the sanctity of life” and back term limits for elected officials, among other priorities. Swarr has stated that supporting farmers and the agriculture industry would be a top priority, and his campaign website touts his record on farmland preservation as a township supervisor.

42nd Senate District

Democratic state Sen. Wayne Fontana faces a primary challenge this cycle from Paul Steenkiste, a Pittsburgh-based software engineer. Fontana has served in the state Senate since 2005, and is currently minority chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee. This session, he’s sponsored legislation to combat gun violence by establishing a process for Extreme Risk Protection Orders in the commonwealth, and has also sponsored several bills to address risks posed by gambling. Steenkiste, per his campaign website, lists affordability, strengthening public education and addressing money in politics as some of his major priorities.

46th Senate District

Republican state Sen. Camera Bartolotta is one of several Senate Republicans facing a primary challenge in 2026 – and the primary battle for the 46th Senate District has grown into a heated and contentious affair over the last several months. Bartolotta has authored a range of bills that have become law during her time in the Senate, and the chamber has advanced several of her bills this session, including one that would prevent government entities from restricting the types of vehicles consumers can buy. However, the Washington County GOP has soured on Bartolotta, accusing her of undermining President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Local party officials approved a “no confidence” vote against Bartolotta in January – a vote that was later voided by the Pennsylvania Republican Party. Bartolotta is facing a challenge from Albert Buchtan, a former member of the Carmichaels Area School District School Board and founder of a masonry business. Buchtan supports eliminating taxes and regulations, shrinking state government and protecting constitutional freedoms and the Second Amendment, per his campaign website.

48th Senate District

In the 48th Senate District, GOP state Sen. Chris Gebhard is facing a primary challenge from Clovis Crane, a thoroughbred horse trainer, wrestling coach and former professional cowboy. Gebhard has served in the Senate since 2021 and is the majority chair of the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee. He’s sponsored a constitutional amendment to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania, and has introduced bills to end taxes on tips and regulate and tax skill gaming machines. Crane, meanwhile, supports eliminating property and inheritance taxes, cutting regulations, stopping overdevelopment and defending the Second Amendment.

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PA-7 Dem rivals take aim at Brooks in wake of his bombshell claim about 2024 state treasurer race

Hilary Danailova — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:01:41 -0400

In the wake of reporting by Axios that Bob Brooks, the Lehigh Valley Democratic Congressional candidate, related an unflattering 2024 election story involving his political patron, Gov. Josh Shapiro, several of Brooks’ rivals for PA-7 seized on the episode to gain political advantage in the hotly contested race.

Brooks has frequently been cited as a front-runner for the governor's handpicked candidate to challenge vulnerable GOP incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in PA-7. But he came under sharp criticism from two of his Democratic primary rivals, Carol Obando-Derstine and Ryan Crosswell, after Axios quoted Brooks telling a Lehigh University audience that Shapiro covertly boosted the 2024 reelection bid of Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

Shapiro reportedly did so as a retaliatory move against Garrity’s Democratic opponent, Erin McClelland, whose comments about Shapiro’s weakness as a potential vice-presidential candidate reportedly irked the governor.

On Sunday afternoon, Axios included recordings confirming its reporting on how Brooks, who heads the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, related the episode to a Lehigh University audience last Wednesday.

“Josh Shapiro had requested because Stacy, er, Erin McClelland came out hard about something on Josh Shapiro, and really, the Democratic Party as a whole turned on Erin McClelland,” Brooks said, according to the Axios report. “And he said, 'I would like you guys to endorse Stacy Garrity.'"

Once the comments were made public, Brooks attempted damage control, saying in a statement: “I misspoke and made an inaccurate comment."

On Monday, he elaborated to City & State in an email that “many people in our party – including organized labor across the Commonwealth – were upset with McClelland's bad faith attacks against our Governor. The Governor did not ask my union to make any endorsements." Brooks further clarified that McClelland did not apply for an endorsement from the firefighters’ union in the 2024 race.

The episode transpired within hours of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee highlighting Brooks as one of its latest Congressional candidates chosen as fundraising priorities for the party’s “Red to Blue” program – a list of the 20 Republican-held districts the party views as most vulnerable, and is targeting to flip Democratic in November.

Manuel Bonder, the communications director for Shapiro’s reelection campaign, responded to the episode in a post on X late Sunday night. “We and Bob Brooks have made very clear this is very inaccurate and not what happened. Ridiculous for that fact to get purposely buried,” he wrote. “Gov. Shapiro's entire political focus is on Democrats winning up and down the ballot this November. Everything else is a distraction.”

When reached on Monday for further comment, Bonder directed City & State back to his Sunday tweet.

But on X, at least, it was obvious from the myriad skeptical replies that many people found that explanation disingenuous – as did several of Brooks’ rivals, who were only too eager to capitalize on a misstep by the governor’s candidate.

“Bob Brooks will say whatever it takes to avoid answering for his record or his actions, which includes repeatedly endorsing election deniers,” candidate Carol Obando-Derstine told City & State. The former nonprofit executive and senior adviser to former Sen. Bob Casey went on: “When he’s called out, he lies and deflects. It’s the same dishonest, zero-accountability politics people are fed up with in Congress.

“We don’t need another John Fetterman,” she concluded, referencing the commonwealth’s senior senator, a Democrat whose mercurial stances are increasingly infuriating to many in his party.

Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, another Democrat vying to challenge Mackenzie, used the episode to draw a contrast between the prevarication of his rival – and that rival’s backer – and Crosswell’s own integrity, which is central to his anti-corruption platform.

He zeroed in on Shapiro's reported support for Garrity, a 2020 election denier – and, like Obando-Derstine, accused Brooks of also having supported election-deniers.

“Now Brooks is saying he 'misspoke.' So he was either lying then, or he is lying now,” Crosswell said in a statement his campaign issued Monday. “The Democratic nominee in PA-07 will be taking on Ryan Mackenzie, one of Trump's many election-denying lackeys in Congress. This party cannot run a candidate who endorses them."

Asked for further clarification, he told City & State: "The most important job of the next Congress is to protect the 2028 election … Electoral denialism is poison to democracy. We need people in Congress who will fight it, not enable it."

For her part, McClelland posted an acid response to the story. “What goes around comes around,” she wrote. “Now that someone is actually on record saying what everyone else knew, Shapiro's fealty-frenzied troglodytes are revising history and in some cases, bold-faced lying ... They're trying desperately to put the genie that Bob Brooks let loose, back in the bottle."

The only one of Brooks’ rivals to decline to comment was the one most likely to benefit from a slip in the firefighter’s popularity: Lamont McClure Jr., the former two-term Northampton County executive. McClure, the only candidate previously elected to public office, has strong local support – and, along with Brooks, has been considered a front-runner in the race.

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Passing school safety measures: a matter of life and death

Beth Sanborn — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:06:30 -0400

I have spent more than two decades in law enforcement and school safety. I started as a police officer, then served as a school resource officer, and now I oversee school safety efforts across Montgomery County. I also serve as president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Resource Officers.

That perspective gives me a front row seat to what is working, what is not, and where we are falling short. And right now, we are falling short.

Across the country, 10 states have passed Alyssa’s Law, legislation named after a 14-year-old girl killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Pennsylvania is not one of the states that have enacted the law requiring schools to have silent panic alarms that connect directly to law enforcement. That is not because of a lack of effort. Over the past several years, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both chambers. It has been supported by school boards, chiefs of police, educators, and organizations like PASRO. There is agreement on the need, but agreement without action does not protect anyone. We need to move this forward and get it right.

Not all versions of Alyssa’s Law are created equal. Some states have passed laws that check the box but fall short in practice. Others have built systems that truly support first responders and school staff in real time.

Utah is a strong example. Their model includes wearable panic buttons, multisensory alerts, and detailed school safety mapping. That combination matters.

I have responded to school emergencies. I can tell you what first responders need in those moments. They need immediate, accurate information: Where is the incident? What are they walking into? Who else knows what is happening?

School safety mapping answers those questions. Wearable panic buttons allow a teacher to call for help instantly, without leaving students or escalating a situation. Multisensory alerts make sure everyone in the building receives clear, consistent information at the same time. Seconds matter in these situations – and these systems buy us those seconds.

We have already seen the impact. At Apalachee High School in Georgia, advanced safety infrastructure helped law enforcement respond quickly during a school shooting and prevented additional loss of life. In Florida, panic buttons and mapping technology helped save two students experiencing cardiac arrest by reducing response times.

This is not just about worst-case scenarios; it is also about everyday safety.

In Normandy Schools in Missouri, schools using these systems saw an 81% reduction in out-of-school suspensions. When staff can call for help early and discreetly, situations are de-escalated before they spiral.

We have seen this kind of transformation before. After a devastating school fire in Chicago in the 1950s, fire safety standards changed across the country. Fire drills became routine, fire codes improved, and lives were saved.

We did not debate whether that investment was worth it; we acted. School safety deserves that same level of commitment. The threats facing our schools today are different, and our response has to evolve with them.

Pennsylvania legislators have an opportunity this session to pass meaningful, comprehensive school safety legislation. That means clear requirements for wearable panic buttons, multisensory alerts and school safety mapping.

A real, effective system that supports the people responsible for protecting our kids. It is time to get this right.

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