Chair Lori McFarland defended the selection process, saying that it is dictated by state law and Democratic party bylaws.

At least five Democrats have announced bids for the 22nd District seat vacated by Josh Siegel, which covers a large portion of Center City Allentown, including two who have launched public campaigns: Julian Guridy, a constituent services representative with state Sen. Nick Miller’s office and former Democratic delegate in the 2024 election; and Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach.

An additional three also have applied to fill the vacancy — Erlinda Aguilar, Douglas Kunkle and Lewis Shupe, though they have not launched public-facing campaigns.

The election will take place Feb. 24 to serve the remainder of Siegel’s term. Siegel resigned from the seat this month; he will be sworn in Monday as Lehigh County executive.

During a news conference Monday, critics accused Democratic Party leaders of unfairly supporting Guridy’s bid for the seat by removing “precinct committee persons” who live in the district and holding meetings that are closed to the public and the media.

Precinct committee persons are members of the Democratic Party who are elected to represent their local voting district. They will meet Saturday to conduct candidate interviews and select a Democratic nominee, whose name will be on the Feb. 24 election ballot.

Only PCPs who live in the 22nd District are eligible to vote on their preferred candidate, according to McFarland.

The Saturday meeting will not be open to the public or members of the media. Around 20 precinct committee members who live in the 22nd District will be eligible to vote for the Democratic nominee, however, there are 28 vacant PCP seats in the district, according to McFarland.

Erik Rodriguez, an Allentown resident, said Monday that he and his wife were elected as a precinct committee member in the 22nd District around three years ago. They found out they were removed last week when Gerlach informed him.

Rodriguez said he did not know when or why the party leaders decided to remove him as a committee member, because he was not given an explanation.

“My biggest reason why I’m here today is I would like an explanation — why things are being held the way that they’re being held, why things are being done the way they’re being done, and I would like an opportunity to fight for the seat that my wife and I, we both worked for,” Rodriguez said. “And I want the people of Allentown to be represented fairly.”

McFarland called the news conference an “unfair attack” against the local Democratic Party, which is following state laws and party by-laws in the candidate selection process. She said she does not know Rodriguez, but that precinct committee members are removed when they do not attend quarterly membership meetings and do not respond to outreach from the party.

“State law explicitly prescribes that the respective parties shall internally select their nominee in special elections. The Lehigh County Democratic Committee will follow the law and our bylaws to select a nominee,” McFarland said in a written statement. “Any and all candidates are allowed to apply for an interview, which will be held during the upcoming county committee recommendation meeting. The recommendation will be transmitted to the PA Democratic Party, who makes the final decision on the nomination. The voters will select the next State Representative for the 22nd District in the February 24 special election.”

McFarland told The Morning Call last week that she has paused the process of appointing new precinct committee persons until the election concludes because of concerns that newly appointed persons could give a candidate an unfair advantage.

Critics, however, accused the party of disenfranchising prospective voters and trying to manipulate the selection process in favor of Guridy, who is a precinct committee person for the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, and therefore has the right to cast a vote in his own favor. Aguilar is also a member, according to McFarland.

“They knew this position was coming up, they knew who was running, and they planned accordingly,” said Paulette Hunter, who said she is a volunteer for the Democratic Party. “The difference this time is they did not plan for the citizen involvement, but planned selfishly for their person to win. This is clearly a setup. A planed setup, and we the citizens will not allow it. We want to vote.”

In an interview, Guridy said that he is focused on reaching out to voters ahead of the Feb. 24 election and denied the accusation that his campaign is being improperly bolstered by the county Democrats.

“I am just following the process, I am following the law of what and how [the election] occurs. I mean, this is how every special election is throughout the state,” Guridy said.

Gerlach has been critical of the selection process, and has called upon the party to open the meeting to the public and to host a debate before choosing a candidate.

“Democracy doesn’t happen behind closed doors,” Gerlach said in a statement. “An open debate is a basic step toward restoring trust and ensuring the process serves voters — not insiders.”

It is unclear whether the Republican Party will select a candidate for the heavily Democratic district; party Chair Joe Vichot did not respond to a phone call requesting comment. Therefore, the winner of the Feb. 24 election could be decided by the ad-hoc committee Jan. 3, barring a successful write-in campaign from another candidate.

Both Guridy and Gerlach have said they would run in the May primary election for the Democratic nomination to run for a full term in November.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

HARRISBURG — Special interests, organizations connected to Pennsylvania’s richest man, and groups with mysterious donors broke spending records to influence the outcome of this year’s critical state Supreme Court elections.

In all, they spent cash and provided other support worth at least $18.7 million, a Spotlight PA review found.

Pennsylvania’s 2025 retention races are likely among the five most expensive elections of their kind in American history, according to Douglas Keith, a deputy director of the New York-based Brennan Center who tracks judicial elections.

“A lot of the changes that we’re seeing around retention elections right now, they reflect a changing understanding of how important these courts are,” Keith told Spotlight PA. “But they also reflect some enormous changes in just how our campaigns operate in this country.”

Almost three-fourths of the spending and support — more than $13 million — favored retention for three justices elected as Democrats: Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht. It came from the candidates’ campaigns as well as a plethora of Democratic-aligned interest groups funded by plaintiffs’ lawyers who argue for big money verdicts, organized labor, and liberal-leaning mega donors from across the country.

The spending opposing retention came predominantly from nonprofits tied to a network of political groups historically funded by billionaire Jeff Yass. This type of spending is often known as “dark money” because of the difficulty of tracing the money’s origins, and was enabled by the federal Citizens United ruling in 2010.

In total, spending on these races was much higher than in 2005, the last time this kind of election was seriously contested. The two candidates reported spending under $1 million combined that year.

Despite a determined effort to oust them through a campaign of, at times, misleading ads, all three justices were comfortably retained. In each race, roughly 800,000 more voters supported keeping them on the bench rather than kicking them off. Turnout was high for an off-year election, particularly in Philadelphia and its suburbs — areas favorable to Democrats.

Historically, the goal and intention of the retention elections are for voters to base their decision on a judge’s performance, Deborah Gross, chief executive of advocacy group Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, told Spotlight PA. But looking at 2025, “money has now reared its ugly head.”

Judges, she added, are “not accountable to the public. They’re accountable to the Constitution and the rule of law, and the public shouldn’t really be influencing that. They really need to be independent.” This level of spending — and fundraising it entails — could threaten that independence, she argued.

Added Jim McErlane, a lawyer and 2016 Republican National Convention delegate, to Spotlight PA: “Judges should not have to worry about their popularity with anybody.”

It’s still unknown if 2025 was an aberration or a sign of things to come.

McErlane thought it was a one-off driven by a unique opportunity for Republicans to open a path to flip the court from a majority of justices elected as Democrats. Had voters rejected any of the candidates, that seat would have been vacated and up for grabs in the next odd-year election (Donohue’s seat will be on the 2027 ballot because she is approaching the mandatory retirement age).

While the court had delivered rulings on issues like gerrymandering and voting by mail that aligned with Democrats’ positions, that didn’t mean the justices deserved to be kicked off the bench, McErlane argued.

“Sometimes your side’s going to win, sometimes your side’s going to lose,” he said. “I think you sort of roll with it.”

But writing in a November op-ed, Matt Brouillette, who leads the network of Yass-funded groups, struck a defiant note, calling for GOP-aligned investment to match Democrats’ spending.

“It’s time for the Right to recognize what’s at stake — and send in its own cavalry to win Pennsylvania,” he wrote.

A likely incomplete total

As money flooded into this year’s judicial races, many of the spending details weren’t clear to voters ahead of Election Day.

Spotlight PA reported in October that the state’s process for political groups to report independent spending is full of loopholes, has minimal penalties, and is mostly self-enforced.

To gain a better understanding of the donors and power players who shaped this year’s retention elections, Spotlight PA in mid-December analyzed three big buckets of spending. The news organization examined spending as reported by the candidates’ own committees, independent expenditures reported by outside groups, and “in-kind” contributions accepted by the candidates. Those in-kind contributions can be anything of value under state law, but typically include TV ads, mailers, and fundraiser expenses like food and drink.

Since money sometimes moves between different groups, Spotlight PA took steps to avoid double-counting dollars. The analysis also included totals for some disclosures that appeared to lump spending on the state Supreme Court retention election with other races.

The total could still rise. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State told Spotlight PA in mid-December that agency officials were “still receiving some Independent Expenditure reports and are working to enter them,” with new entries entered by hand in real time.

Brouillette’s groups, the established Commonwealth Partners and the brand new Citizens for Term Limits, paid for nearly all of the advertising opposing retention, totaling about $4.8 million, Spotlight PA’s analysis found. As both groups are nonprofits, the source of these dollars is unknown. However, Brouillette’s groups have historically been funded by billionaire stock trader Jeff Yass.

A spokesperson for Commonwealth Partners did not respond to requests for comment.

On the pro-retention side, Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht — plus groups coordinating with them — spent or made “in-kind” contributions of more than $9 million.

All three candidates also contributed to a political action committee called Vote Yes for Fair and Independent Courts, which paid for the production and placement of TV ads. Vote Yes received the majority of its funding from trial lawyers, who often argue big money personal injury, medical malpractice, and other civil suits before judges.

At least $4 million in pro-retention spending was done independently by groups that did not coordinate with the candidates, including Planned Parenthood’s advocacy arm. A wide range of other organizations also paid for student engagement, flyers, text messages, canvassing, and other support.

The ACLU reported spending about $914,000 to the Department of State, and online records describe the expenditures as supporting the candidates. The state and national chapters described the campaign as educational in public statements, while a spokesperson told Spotlight PA its independent expenditure report included the disclaimer that the organization “does not endorse or oppose candidates.”

“The expenditures being reported in this filing were in support of one or more of the positions of the candidates identified on critical civil liberties issues,” the spokesperson continued.

Other pro-retention spending was done by Pennsylvanians for Judicial Fairness, a state-level super PAC. It has poured money from unions, trial lawyers, billionaires, national super PACs, and dark money nonprofits into the commonwealth’s statewide judicial races since 2023.

This year, more than a third of its funding came from nonprofits such as PA Alliance Action, a state-level dark money group, according to Spotlight PA’s analysis of PJF’s fundraising. Such organizations’ funding is harder to trace than that of a typical PAC, as they do not have to disclose their donors.

PJF’s spending also shows some of the limits in how the commonwealth tracks political spending, particularly in the age of dark money.

As of Dec. 22, it reported spending more than $780,000 on digital ads, mail, “production,” and a phone program to the Department of State as independent expenditures.

However, the super PAC also funded at least one pro-retention TV ad, Spotlight PA previously found. The group had not reported that spending as an independent expenditure as of mid-December, though it did disclose spending about $3 million on TV buys through separate reports — campaign finance filings to the state.

PJF did not respond to a request for comment to explain what the about $3 million was spent on — the reports describe the expenditures as TV buys and TV ad buys — and why it wasn’t reported as an independent expenditure.

These discrepancies are “another indication of maybe some gaps in Pennsylvania’s reporting system, or at very least the way it’s presenting the data,” said Keith, of the Brennan Center.

Whether the tsunami of money actually changed voters’ minds is hard to say.

Sue Grice, a 41-year-old mother of four and registered independent from Montgomery County, told Spotlight PA on Election Day that she supports abortion access, but was also still frustrated by the closure of schools and churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weighing the two stances, she decided the latter was her priority and voted against retaining all three justices.

Finding trusted, nonpartisan information on the races was a frustrating endeavor, she said, compared to the barrage of advertising.

“I got a stupid amount of text messages,” she said, “and sent them all to spam.”

BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.

Vance, speaking before a crowd of hundreds at the Uline warehouse facility in Lower Macungie Township promised that the golden age of the United States is “on the horizon,” citing President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut taxes and crack down on illegal immigration.

Supporters filled folding chairs and stood in a fenced-off area amid the stacked cardboard boxes that filled Uline’s 926,000-square-foot packing facility, which opened in 2022.

Vance and other GOP officials who spoke before him lauded provisions of Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which extended $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that were set to expire and added new cuts, including eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, Social Security and car loan interest. The law broadly cuts taxes for nearly all Americans, although critics say the wealthiest are expected to benefit the most.

Vance placed blame for high inflation and stagnant job growth on Joe Biden and other Democrats, and made the case that Trump has presented a solution to the economy.

“When I hear the Democrats talk about the affordability crisis that they created, it’s a little bit like Charles Manson criticizing violent crime. Look in the mirror, my friend,” Vance said. “You are the cause of the problem, and Donald J. Trump’s administration is the solution to the problem you created.”

Vance promised that Americans would have “the best tax season in 2026 that you have ever had” due to the tax cuts and rebates passed by Republicans this year, which will lead to “more money in your pocket.”

He also touted the most recent jobs report, which saw 64,000 private sector jobs added in November, though the country lost 105,000 jobs in October. The unemployment rate also rose slightly to 4.6%, its highest since 2021. The jobs lost in October were largely attributed to the layoffs of thousands of federal workers at the end of September, which Vance said was a positive example of the administration cutting down on bureaucracy.

Vance’s visit comes as a majority of Americans say they are unsatisfied with the economy; according to an AP poll, just 31% of adults surveyed are satisfied with Trump’s economic leadership.

Asked by a reporter whether he thought that affordability could be a “liability” for Republicans during the 2026 midterm election, Vance said he thinks voters will understand that it will take time for Americans to feel the effects of their economic policies.

“I feel very confident that if we keep wages high, we keep energy prices low, we keep on chipping away at the affordability crisis created by Joe Biden’s administration, yes, I believe the American people are going to reward us because the American people are smart,” Vance said. “They know Rome wasn’t built in a day. They know what Joe Biden broke is not going to get fixed in a week.”

Vance agrees with Trump’s assessment in an interview last week that the U.S. economy deserves a grade of “A+++,” he told the audience.

He also shared his reaction to an indepth Vanity Fair interview with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, in which she criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, said Trump has the personality of an alcoholic and called Vance a “conspiracy theorist.” Wiles in a statement Tuesday criticized the Vanity Fair article but did not deny any of the statements attributed to her.

Vance said that he has not read the Vanity Fair article but he respects Wiles and did not condemn her comments, though he added that White House staff should learn a lesson to give “fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets.”

“Susie Wiles, we have our disagreements. We agree on much more than we disagree, but I’ve never seen her be disloyal to the president of the United States,” Vance said. “And that makes her the best White House chief of staff that I think the president can ask for.”

Vance was joined by Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the Lehigh Valley in Congress, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Pennsylvania Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garritty, who gave remarks before his address.

“This is what happens when you have a Congress and an administration that puts America first,” Mackenzie said. “When we put workers, families and small businesses first, we know that we can succeed. This is the alternative to the last administration that was America last, funding their special interests, and making sure that nobody could actually get ahead.”

Several local Republicans, including Bethlehem police officer Sam Elias, former Republican candidate for Lehigh County Commissioner Jackie Rivera and Rick Reppert, owner of commercial contractor R L Reppert, spoke before Vance, lauding the Trump administration’s tax cuts and crackdown on immigration.

Susan Cowell, a retired teacher from Bangor who attended Vance’s address, said more Americans should “trust” that the Trump administration will address lingering economic issues like high grocery prices.

“The economy is fine, this guy knows what he’s doing. Trust the man,” Cowell said. “Everything the man is doing, he’s lowering taxes, he’s giving us rebates of money that’s really ours. He’s attacking the people who are ripping America off.”

Around 4 miles away, a group of 30 protesters stood with signs protesting Vance and the Trump administration. “Your economy sucks” and “High prices are real” were written on some of their signs.

Brooke McDermitt, the head organizer of Indivisible Lehigh Valley, a left-leaning organizing that helped organize the protest, said it is hard to claim that the affordability is a “hoax,” which Trump claimed last week during an address at in Mount Pocono, Monroe County, when everyone can see the prices at the register.

“[Americans] know that prices aren’t going down,” she said.

The rate of inflation in the United States is 3%, higher than a low of 2.3% this year but far below rates of inflation in 2021, which were as high as 7%.

Following his remarks at Uline, Vance visited the Allentown Rescue Mission, an organization that serves homeless men in downtown Allentown, and served food to a group of the nonprofit’s clients, according to a White House pool report.

Reporter Chris Dornblaser contributed to this report. Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

Here is what we know about the high-profile visit.

When and where?

Vance is scheduled to give remarks at 10 a.m. Tuesday at a Uline Shipping Supplies facility in Lower Macungie Township, according to the Republican National Committee website. Doors will be open to the public for 90 minutes starting at 8 a.m.

People can register for one ticket per cellphone number online on a first-come, first-served basis. The exact location of the event is 8449 Congdon Hill Drive.

The  Republican vice president is expected to focus his speech on the economy; it is part of the administration’s efforts to assure voters that it is working to address inflation, according to his office. The visit comes as U.S. voters are largely dissatisfied with the administration’s handling of the economy: According to an AP poll, just 31% of adults surveyed are satisfied with President Donald Trump’s economic leadership.

Who will be there?

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District, will join Vance, according to a news release from his office. No other guests have been announced.

“We look forward to welcoming Vice President Vance to the Lehigh Valley to discuss the work that Congress and this Administration have accomplished on behalf of all Americans,” Mackenzie said in a statement. “Working together with the President and Vice President, we have managed to secure real tax relief for the people of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, and we’re looking forward to achieving more in the coming months.”

Vance’s visit comes a week after Trump appeared at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County for an address on the economy. He was joined by Mackenzie as well as fellow Pennsylvania GOP officials including U.S. Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Dan Meuser.

During his speech, Trump said he mitigated inflation and a cost-of-living crisis caused by the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden. But his speech also often veered toward personal attacks on his perceived political enemies and broad attacks toward immigrants

Are anti-Vance protests planned?

Activists with groups including Indivisible Lehigh Valley and Lehigh County Democrats plan to protest Vance’s visit. According to an event listed on Mobilize.us, protesters will gather at 950 Mill Road, a nearby shopping center, at 9 a.m. The event listing asks protesters to dress for the cold and bring signs and banners.

Will there be traffic delays?

Police have not released any specific information on road closures, but expect traffic in and around the area Tuesday morning.

In a news release, Shapiro called Brooks “the fighter our friends and neighbors all across the Lehigh Valley deserve in Washington.”

“We need Bob in Congress to be my partner in delivering for Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said in a written statement. “Bob has always had my back — and I am proud to endorse him in this race and stand with him in the fight to make life more affordable and get stuff done for our communities.”

Brooks is one of five Democrats seeking the nomination in 2026. Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure, former PPL executive Carol Obando-Derstine, former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley also are running in the May Democratic primary.

The Democrats all are vying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who ousted Susan Wild from office last year and is running for a second term.

Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, announced his bid for the seat in August. On the campaign trail, he has drawn upon his working class background and career in firefighting to make the case that he would advocate for working people if elected.

Brooks also has also secured endorsements from national progressive figures including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17th District; and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. The International Association of Fire Fighters’ president and state director of the Service Employees International Union also have endorsed him.

However, not all local Democrats have thrown their support behind Brooks, shaping up what will likely be a competitive Democratic primary.

Obando-Derstine is backed by Wild, and was endorsed this month by a slate of Latina politicians. McClure, who did not seek reelection as executive, has the backing of other prominent elected officials including Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong.

Crosswell has received endorsements from national veterans groups but few locally; however, he’s raised the most money out of all of the Democratic candidates. Pinsley has secured endorsements from progressive political groups including Progressive Democrats of America.

The 7th District, which includes all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, and parts of Monroe, is one of a few competitive races nationwide that determines which party controls the House of Representatives. Mackenzie won last year by about 4,000 votes; Wild’s margin of victory in the 2022 race was about 6,000 votes.

Ryan Crosswell reads from his resignation letter.

A former federal prosecutor now running for Congress, he quit in February when President Donald Trump’s administration dropped corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in return for his cooperation on immigration enforcement.

“I pray that the Department of Justice remains dedicated to upholding the rule of law evenly without fear or favor. Sincerely, Ryan Crosswell,” he read at a recent campaign event.

The line got applause and whoops from dozens of Democratic Party activists who had gathered to see him in the West End Taproom in Allentown. Crosswell is one of five candidates who are vying for the opportunity to unseat Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a top target of Democrats in next year’s midterm election, when control of the U.S. House will be on the line.

Polling shows that voters prioritize economic issues, and Democrats have focused on concerns about affordability as they try to claw back power in Washington.

Crosswell is testing a different approach, relying on his law enforcement and corruption-fighting background amid fears about how Trump is reshaping the nation’s justice system.

Voters often ask him about Trump’s pardons for the politically connected, immigration enforcement officers using force, U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean or prosecutions against the president’s enemies.

“I think I get asked that probably more than the average candidate, but I also lean into it,” Crosswell said in an interview.

Mackenzie’s campaign said voters in Pennsylvania “aren’t interested in a lecture, they’re interested in the issues — affordability, public safety and national security.”

Running amid fears of authoritarianism

Crosswell’s background was a draw for many who came to see him at the event.

“I like that he quit his job because he was given a job that went against his moral compass,” said Elisabeth Grant.

Grant and others said they believe Trump is attacking the rule of law, and many described it a top motivation.

Some described personal fears. Joe McDermott said he is outspoken on Facebook about his criticism of the Trump administration — “I refer to it as a ‘crime family’” — and people ask him if he isn’t afraid that someone will come after him.

He is, and he wouldn’t discount the Department of Justice going after someone like himself.

“I would not put anything beneath them right now,” McDermott said.

Joniel Colon Rosario is thinking twice about whether he should speak his native Spanish on the street around strangers.

“I don’t know if some random guy in a ski mask is going to come down and tackle me because I’m speaking my native tongue,” said Colon Rosario, who is originally from Puerto Rico.

Crosswell said voters are worried that the government “appears to do anything the president orders.”

“People aren’t asking, ‘How can my government protect me?’ It’s, ‘How can I protect myself from my government?’” he said.

A prime swing seat in Pennsylvania

It’s no wonder Democrats are eager to challenge Mackenzie. A freshman, Mackenzie was a state lawmaker when he won his race for Congress by 1 percentage point last year, among the narrowest margins in the country.

Crosswell — also a former active-duty U.S. Marine and a current reservist — isn’t alone in leaving federal government service this year to run as a Democrat.

Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor and Navy lawyer who worked briefly for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, is running for an open seat in Kentucky. And John Sullivan, a former FBI intelligence official, is running for a Republican-held seat in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Crosswell, 45, will have some baggage in his primary contest.

He changed his registration from Republican to Democrat a year ago. After he resigned in February, he moved from Washington, D.C., to Allentown — about 45 miles from where he grew up in Pottsville.

Crosswell remembers thinking, “Do I want to leave public service or do I want to fight back?”

Economic fears are No. 1 in polls

It’s unclear whether a corruption-fighting message will carry the day in either a primary or general election.

Polling has consistently showed that Americans are more focused on economic issues than broader concerns about how government is functioning.

A CNN poll from August found roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults said economic concerns were the most important problems facing the country, and only about 1 in 10 named attitudes about government, including concerns about the rule of law or corruption.

The House Democrats’ campaign arm, which is officially neutral in Crosswell’s primary race, said the midterms are “shaping up to be a referendum on who is going to lower costs and help improve the lives of everyday Americans, not the wealthy and well-connected.”

Crosswell acknowledges that not everybody is concerned about how Trump wields power, and that it depends on the audience.

Jon Macklin, a Crosswell supporter who goes door-to-door for Democratic candidates, told a similar story. People he meets who are less engaged with politics are most concerned about their finances and how the economy is affecting them.

But Crosswell said public corruption doesn’t have to be separate from that. And he intends to drive home that message. In other words, a corrupt government and a corrupt economy can hurt everyone.

“Corruption is a kitchen table issue,” Crosswell said. “Because public office is a public trust.”

The race

Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is considered one of the most competitive in the country, and a key seat in determining which party controls the House of Representatives. The margins of elections have been razor thin in recent years — Republican Ryan Mackenzie ousted Democrat Susan Wild by just one percentage point, or 4,000 votes, in 2024, and Wild, in 2022, was reelected to a third term by a slim two percentage point margin, or around 6,000 votes.

Mackenzie, who so far is running unopposed for the GOP nomination, will face one of five Democrats who have lined up for the nomination to run against him.

Democrats are aiming to harness perceived anger at the GOP for forthcoming cuts to some social programs and a still-stagnant U.S. economy, while Mackenzie is touting economic progress and immigration crackdowns in his pitch to 2026 midterm voters.

Congressional races in the Lehigh Valley often see major spending and ads from outside groups that are not directly affiliated with the candidates’ campaigns. In 2024, spending from outside groups on the Lehigh Valley election outpaced spending from the candidates’ campaigns, according to Open Secrets.

The ad

A black screen with a voiceover and matching text reads: “You are hearing a lot about Medicaid these days, so let’s get the facts.”

It goes on to claim that “there are no cuts to Medicaid in the new law Congressman Ryan Mackenzie voted for,” and features a photo of Mackenzie. It claims the law, the One Big Beautiful Bill, “incentivizes states to prioritize caring for the needy, including low-income children and the elderly, and establishes work requirements for able-bodied adults to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.”

It includes visuals depicting children, the elderly and a stock video of a dollar bill burning with fire, symbolically depicting perceived waste, fraud and abuse.

The ad ends saying “those are just the facts,” and asks viewers to call Mackenzie and thank him for “strengthening Medicaid.”

The ad is funded by the American Prosperity Alliance, a 501(c)4 nonprofit that is affiliated with former Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, according to a Politico report. Such groups are sometimes referred to as “dark money” organizations because they can raise and spend unlimited amounts and are not required to disclose their donors.

Mackenzie’s campaign is not directly involved in the ad. Candidate campaigns are legally barred from coordinating with outside political groups in most cases.

Analysis

The ad cites an article from the Paragon Health Institute, a right-leaning health care think tank led by Brian Blase, a former special assistant to President Donald Trump for economic policy from 2017-19, during Trump’s first term.

The Paragon Health Institute article calls Medicaid cuts a “myth,” and claims that the Big Beautiful Bill instead slows the growth of Medicaid spending over time, rather than “cutting” the program.

The Paragon Health Institute article cites figures from the Congressional Budget Office, as well as its own data estimates, that show that the changes, set to take effect in 2027, will slow the growth of federal Medicaid spending. The article also claims that 12 million people are “improperly enrolled” in Medicaid or Affordable Care Act insurance programs.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state health insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income people, families, children, disabled people and seniors. The program was established under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, but was significantly expanded via the Affordable Care Act, a signature piece of legislation from President Barack Obama’s first term in 2010.

The ACA expansion meant that nearly all adults with income 138% or below the federal poverty level could qualify for a Medicaid plan, although that expanded eligibility has only been adopted by 40 states and Washington, D.C., according to KFF. Generally, who is eligible for the program varies by each state, which administers the program via state and federal funds.

Around 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for their health insurance.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump in July, will significantly reduce the amount of people eligible for the program.

The new law implements work requirements for able-bodied people who receive Medicaid, requiring them to prove to the government that they work, job search or participate in job training programs for at least 20 hours a week, with some exceptions.

Republicans have lauded the work requirements as a commonsense reform. However, critics have said that the requirement creates excessive and burdensome paperwork requirements for Medicaid recipients and states that must vet them, and point to the fact that some states that have implemented similar requirements have not meaningfully reduced unemployment.

Looking at the numbers in isolation, Medicaid spending will continue to increase in future years, hence the ad’s claim that there are “no cuts” to the program. According to KFF, states expect Medicaid spending to continue to increase despite the Big Beautiful Bill’s cuts to the program due to the increasing health care needs of recipients and the growing cost of care, among other factors.

However, the claim that there are “no cuts” is misleading. According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan federal research agency, the bill will cause 10.9 million people to lose Medicaid health insurance by 2034. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that spending on Medicaid will be reduced by $793 billion over the next 10 years, compared with spending projections prior to the Big Beautiful Bill’s passage.

The One Big Beautiful Bill cuts Medicaid as it exists today, because it reduces the amount of spending needed to keep its current enrollment numbers. Therefore, it is misleading to call Medicaid cuts a “myth,” or claim that the bill does not cut Medicaid.

Paragon Health Institute’s claim that 12 million are “improperly enrolled” is disputed by the American Hospital Association, which claims that Paragon incorrectly assumes that people on Medicaid or other marketplace health insurance programs who do not file any claims are fraudulently enrolled, among other issues they cite with Paragon’s research.

Mackenzie voted for the One Big Beautiful bill and vocally supported its passage, and specifically called the implementation of work requirements a “commonsense reform.”

However, he has joined with a group of Republican lawmakers who seek to extend premium tax credits for Marketplace health insurance programs. Millions of people who buy insurance plans on the ACA Marketplace (not Medicaid recipients) will see their premiums spike in 2026 because federal subsidies for such programs have expired, and Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to call a vote to extend them.

Verdict

The ad is misleading because it claims that there are “no cuts” to Medicaid, even though several studies show that millions of people are expected to lose their health insurance due to the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Even though year-over-year spending on Medicaid is projected to continue to increase, it will do so at a reduced rate because fewer people will receive health care coverage under the changes to the program.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

A group of five independent voters including political commentator Michael Smerconish have filed a lawsuit asking a Pennsylvania court to end a state law prohibiting independent voters from participating in primary elections.

Under Section 2812 of the Election Code, people who are not registered as members of the two major political parties cannot vote in partisan primaries.

The group, which also includes David Thornburgh, chairman of Ballot PA Action and son of former Gov. Dick Thornburg, argues the provision is unconstitutional.

It violates the right “to cast an equally weighted vote” and to “have an equal opportunity to translate votes into representation,” enshrined in the Free and Equal Elections Clause of the state Constitution, claims the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday, Dec. 10.

“After 88 years of being treated as second-class Pennsylvania citizens, 1.4 million independent voters will finally get our day in court,” Thornburgh said in a statement.

The filing in Commonwealth Court follows an unsuccessful request to the state Supreme Court to exercise its power to hear extraordinarily important or sensitive matters without first being considered in lower courts. The high court rejected the group’s King’s Bench petition in August.

“Our current law disenfranchises independent voters,” said Shanin Specter of Kline & Specter, who represents the independent voters. “It is past time independent voters are given the same rights as Republican and Democratic voters.”

In addition to Kline and Specter, the five petitions are represented by Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.

The new petition includes expert testimony citing Pennsylvania election data that shows how denying unaffiliated voters participation in primaries dilutes the power of their votes.

Carnegie Mellon University Department of Mathematics Professor Wesley Pegden analyzed election data between 2002 and 2020 for all state House and Senate races. He also looked at mayoral and school board elections in the counties where the petitioners live and major local elections for mayor and other executive roles across the state.

The analysis measured voter influence, which is the number of votes it would take to flip the outcome of an election. The smaller the margin, the more individual votes matter in a given race, Ballot PA Action said in a news release.

“Since Democratic and Republican voters get to vote in two elections — both a primary and a general election — and independents are only allowed to vote in the general election, the partisan voter’s influence is greater when elections are contested,” the organization said.

Pegden found the median influence of Democratic and Republican voters in legislative elections from 2002 to 2020 was nearly double that of independent voters. The only time affiliated and unaffiliated voters have equal influence is when the primary and general elections for an office are uncontested, and that, Ballot PA Action said, is because the number of votes doesn’t matter.

“In other words, the only elections in which independent voters have equal electoral influence to partisan voters is when no voters have any choice at all,” Ballot PA Action said.

According to the Department of State, more than 1.4 million Pennsylvanians are registered to vote as unaffiliated or as members of a minor party. The Democratic and Republican parties have 3.8 million and 3.6 million registered voters, respectively, according to the most recent count Nov. 3.

Legislation intended to end the prohibition on independent or unaffiliated voters casting ballots in primaries has also fizzled in recent years.

Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, has a bill currently making its way through the state House that would allow unaffiliated voters to participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary, but wouldn’t allow third-party voters. The legislation passed the House State Government Committee in May.

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, introduced a bill to end closed primaries in 2023 but it did not advance beyond the Senate State Government Committee. Boscola said earlier this year she intends to reintroduce the bill.

Sources vary, but Pennsylvania is one of between nine and 11 states with closed primaries in which only voters registered as a Democrat or Republican may vote.

Other states allow voters to cast primary ballots through a variety of systems — ranging from registering with a party at the polls to choosing which party’s ballot to vote on in the voting booth, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

This story was originally published by Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

In an interview, Mackenzie called for bipartisan action to keep the tax credits in place, even though some Republicans oppose extending them, and said both parties have failed to adequately address the cost of health care.

The tax credits were a key factor in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history this fall, which lasted 43 days and ended in mid-November. Most Senate Democrats refused to vote for a spending bill that reopened the government because it failed to extend the premium tax credits, which are set to expire next year.

Republicans said they would negotiate extending the tax credits after the budget vote, but one month later, the federal government has no plan to extend those tax credits. The Senate on Thursday rejected both a Democratic plan to extend the subsidies for three years and a Republican effort to replace the subsidies with new health savings accounts, the Associated Press reported.

Enhanced premium tax credits, which were increased in 2021 under former President Joe Biden, make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans who buy health insurance plans on the ACA marketplace. Premiums for those plans are expected to skyrocket without an extension on the subsidies.

According to a report from Punchbowl News, several House Republicans were dissatisfied with Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal to reform the Affordable Care Act because he did not support extending the premium tax credits.

Ryan Mackenzie among swing-district Republicans pushing for compromise on health care subsidies

Several Republicans, including Mackenzie and fellow Pennsylvania Republican Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Brian Fitzpatrick, signed on to a “discharge petition,” which circumvents the normal voting process.

Ordinarily, Johnson, a Republican, has sole discretion on which bills are brought up for a vote on the House floor. But a discharge petition forces a vote if a majority of House members (218) sign on.

The discharge petition measure signals a rift between some rank-and-file House Republicans and GOP House leaders, who have refused to bring the tax credits up for a vote.

In an interview, Mackenzie criticized party leaders on both sides of the aisle.

“I think leadership on both sides has failed on this issue,” Mackenzie said. “Speaker Johnson has not put forward a reform package on the ACA tax credits like I think he should have, and I have advocated to him for income caps and reforms that crack down on waste and abuse of different tax credits.”

He also criticized Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who refused to support a proposal some Republicans put forward during the government shutdown that would have extended the premium tax credits by one year.

The proposal Mackenzie signed onto would extend the tax credits for two years for people who make less than 700% of the federal poverty line, extend open enrollment on the ACA marketplace until March 2026, and expand access to health care savings accounts, among other reforms that would limit how many people are eligible for the tax credits.

He also signed onto a similar, separate proposal that would extend the tax credits for those making less than 1,000% of the federal poverty line for one year, and begin phasing out the credits for those who make more than 600%.

Both discharge petitions have bipartisan support. The former proposal, introduced by Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, has 17 signatures, and the latter, introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., has 33.

Democrats have introduced their own discharge petition to force a vote on a measure that would extend the premium tax credits but does not include any of the reform measures backed by Republicans. No Republicans have signed on in support.

Mackenzie called on Democrats to sign onto the two bipartisan proposals that could force a vote on extending the tax credits. He said he does not support the Democrats’ proposal that lacks any of the reform measures supported by Republicans.

“We have put forward a bipartisan commonsense proposal to extend tax credits and get relief to those in need, and I think we should be moving forward,” Mackenzie said. “At this point we have already secured the Republican signatures necessary to do a discharge petition over our leadership, now it is up to Democrats if they are going to sign on and offer their signatures to get to the 218 we need.”

Punchbowl News reported that some House Democrats are considering signing onto the discharge petition, which could give it the 218 votes needed to force a vote.

However, without support in the Senate, the extensions are likely to expire at the end of the year. Plans backed by both Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a 60-vote threshold in votes Thursday afternoon.

Mackenzie has been part of a group of swing-district Republicans in the House seeking a compromise on extending the subsidies. A first-term member of Congress, Mackenzie represents the Lehigh Valley-based 7th District, which is considered one of the most competitive swing districts in the nation. He defeated Democratic Rep. Susan Wild in the 2024 election by around one percentage point.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

The Pottsville native has held various positions within the government. Her first job in 2010 working for former U.S. Rep. Tim Holden led to a career in public service including in the State Department from 2014 to 2017, on the staff of a U.S. Senator from 2018 to 2019 and then in the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she served as chief of staff from October 2021 to May 2023.

“I have learned so much about how the federal government works, and I have also learned so much about how the federal government does not work,” she said.

The 37-year-old said that behind-the-scenes education is the primary reason she decided to launch a campaign to represent the 9th Congressional District, which includes parts or all of 12 counties stretching from northern Berks County to the New York state line.

“I think Congress is a big part of the problem,” she said. “People are tired of seeing their representatives yell at each other and never actually get anything done. We deserve better and I think I have the experience to deliver real results for my neighbors.”

A ninth-generation Pennsylvanian and the daughter of a nurse and a pastor, Wallace was working at the White House when she learned her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She decided to move back to Schuylkill County to be closer to her family.

That’s when she began to pay more attention to local leadership and was left disappointed by the voting record of Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser.

“The last straw was when he voted to take away health insurance from 18,000 people in our district and SNAP benefits from 8,000 people in our district,” she said, referring to Meuser’s support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act this year. “I was shocked when he voted for that because I don’t think those are our values.”

As for the issues she would champion if elected, Wallace said there are a handful that are close to her heart.

She said she would focus on lowering the cost of health care, noting she would vote to extend tax credits that help people afford insurance premiums, cap the amount of premiums that go toward insurance company salaries, and ban prior authorizations — a process that requires doctors to seek advance approval from an insurance company before performing treatments or prescribing medications.

Wallace said reducing the cost of living is another critical priority. She said it has become obvious that people are feeling the impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs across a broad spectrum of products from food to energy.

Her third priority would be bringing federal dollars back to the 9th District to support local projects.

Wallace said her priorities have been shaped by the conversations she has had with residents over the past few months in her district.

“The best part of the campaign has been talking to people and hearing their concerns,” she said. “I think it’s very important that we have a representative that wants to hear from their constituents. I know we’re not going to agree on everything, but there is so much common ground that has nothing to do with what political party you belong to.”

Wallace’s campaign has been backed by Holden, who represented Pennsylvania’s former 6th Congressional District — which included parts of Berks and Schuylkill counties — for 10 terms. He announced Thursday his official endorsement of her candidacy.

“We need someone who’s going to go to Washington, stay away from the petty party bickering and work to bring home money to fund projects that are needed,” Holden said in a video message. “Infrastructure, our health care systems — they all need help. But you don’t accomplish that when you’re fighting with the other side all the time.

“And I know Rachel, I know that’s not her personality. I know when she gets there, she’s going to roll up her sleeves and get to work everyday.”

Wallace is the third candidate to announce a bid for the Democratic nomination. She will face Daniel Byron, a retail manager who lives in Williamsport, and Jenn Brothers, a former corrections officer who lives in Susquehanna County, in the May 19 primary.

U.S. representatives serve a two-year term and receive an annual salary of $174,000.

Meet the candidate

Candidate: Rachel Wallace, 37, Schuylkill County.

Position sought: U.S. representative for the 9th District, which stretches from Lebanon County and Berks County north to the New York state line. It includes Berks, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Carbon, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia, Luzerne, Lycoming, Sullivan, Wyoming, Susquehanna and Bradford counties.

Current salary for position: $174,000.

Background: Wallace began her career working for former U.S. Rep. Tim Holden before serving in several government roles, including positions in the U.S. Senate, the State Department and the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Website: wallaceforcongress.com