Get Out and Vote Today. This is the PoliticsPA Playbook.
Today’s the Day. Make a plan to vote.
Election Night Coverage. Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsPA all night for the latest election results from around the Commonwealth. Warning: we tweet a lot.
Your Morning Pick Me Up. People Have The Power. Patti Smith
PA Weather
Pittsburgh | Becoming Sunny, 77
Harrisburg | Mostly Sunny, 71 Scranton | Partly Sunny, 70 Allentown | Mostly Sunny, 70 Doylestown | Mostly Sunny, 69
PA Sports 
Sixers (7-1) | Chicago 126-107 | Wed at Detroit
Flyers (4-8-4) | Tue vs. Minnesota Penguins (5-7-2) | Tue vs. Vegas
What We’re Watching Today. Information on the biggest races in the Commonwealth can be found here in our 31 Races in 31 Days preview.
What We’re Hearing. “It’s Donald Trump’s midterms. He gets all the credit if we win. He gets all the credit if we lose,” one national GOP strategist told Axios.
Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to steve@politicspa.com.
The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. For the web version, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Top Story
“The costliest U.S. midterm election campaign in history concludes Tuesday with Pennsylvania voters’ choices for governor, the state General Assembly and Congress potentially altering the state and nation’s political landscape.
Again.
Spending on congressional elections across the nation alone has topped $11 billion, more than $2 billion more than the second-highest midterm, 2022.” | WVIA
Elsewhere
Where Do The Congressional Races Stand? “Where do things stand in Pennsylvania’s big four congressional races as the polls open at 7 AM?” | PoliticsPA
Election Experts Predicting Blue Tsunami With One PA U.S. House Race Called the ‘Tipping Point.’ “If final predictions and forecasts for Tuesday’s midterm elections are even close to being accurate, Democrats could be riding a blue tsunami that sweeps across Pennsylvania and the nation.” | PennLive
Josh Shapiro Takes On Pennsylvania Democrats’ Biggest Challenge: Beating Brian Fitzpatrick. “The Pennsylvania governor is working to help his party unseat one of the last remaining Northeastern moderate Republicans, perhaps bolstering a 2028 presidential campaign.” | NBC News
Fitzpatrick Loses Bid to Remove Bucks County Commish From Elex Board. “A Common Pleas Court judge has rejected a Bucks County GOP congressman’s 11th-hour request to remove and replace a Democratic Bucks County commissioner from the county Board of Elections on the grounds of her alleged extraordinary partisanship toward his Democratic competitor.” | Bucks County Courier Times
State
“Across the commonwealth Monday, election workers in 67 counties were preparing for midterm elections that will decide the balance of power in the state and federal governments for the next two years.
Pennsylvania has been in the national spotlight in the weeks leading up to midsterms, with the election for governor, four highly competitive congressional races, and nearly 250 state legislative seats on the ballot.
“Our voters should know that their vote is safe, and the process is transparent and fair, and not to have any fears if they go to the polls,” Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said.” | Penn Capital-Star
Elsewhere
Race For PA Governor and Balance of Power in Harrisburg and Washington Take Shape in Crucial Midterm. “From a battle in the heart of Trump country to a bellwether district in a closely divided region of Allegheny County to key races across the country, voters are heading to the polls today in a midterm election that will decide the balance of power in crucial state and federal elections.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Last-Minute Money Flows Into PA Governor’s Race. “Millions of dollars in last-minute political contributions have flowed into Pennsylvania’s race for governor in the final days of the midterm election cycle as candidates make their closing pitches to voters.” | City & State
PA-11: Mannion Takes On Challenge of Unseating Incumbent Smucker. “The numbers are certainly working against Nancy Mannion. Yet, that has not diminished her resolve that change is necessary in Washington and she can be part of that.” | PoliticsPA
Nothing Is Stopping the Flood of A.I. Political Ads. “An A.I.-generated Josh Shapiro talking about “deleting incriminating e-mails.” An A.I.-generated Abdul El-Sayed and the words “DEATH TO AMERICA.” They’re not real, but can voters tell the difference?” | New Yorker
Chamber Goes Big For Data Centers. “Start looking for the local business groups to sell the benefits of data centers and correct “misinformation.” It’s all part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s work to boost the fortunes of the facilities after beating them up became a bipartisan political hobby, said the group’s chief policy officer, Neil Bradley.” | Punchbowl News
Around The Commonwealth
“It’s finally here … Election Day 2026.
It’s time to make your voice heard. You opted not to vote by mail, instead choosing to go to your local polling place and casting your vote in person.
So, what should you expect now? Here is a primer to make your voting experience smooth and easy.” | PoliticsPA
Elsewhere
How Ballots Get From Pennsylvania Precincts to Election Offices. “Police escorts, sealed containers and chain of custody documentation: These are some of the measures that Pennsylvania counties take to secure ballots while they are transported from polling places to county facilities after polls close on Election Day.” | WITF
PA Voters Inundated With ‘Irritating’ Texts, Calls Ahead of Election. Can They Be Stopped? “It’s not enough to be on the National Do Not Call Registry. PACS and political campaigns are exempt from the registry because their messages aren’t classified as commercial telemarketing.” | PennLive
Why Tuesday’s Midterm Election in Philly Could Be More Personal Than Most. “The consequences of Tuesday’s midterm elections could reach deep into Philadelphia’s hospitals, classrooms and household budgets. More than 73,000 residents face the potential loss of Medicaid coverage, SEPTA running out of temporary financial assistance and City Hall spending local tax dollars to replace disappearing federal support.” | Philadelphia Tribune
Western PA Out of the Political Spotlight For Once, But Its Voters Have Lots of Choices. “While a handful of Congressional races in Pennsylvania could decide control of the U.S. House, the hardest-fought contests have been on the eastern side of the state. The same is true of state Senate races, which could determine whether or not Democrats flip the upper chamber, as they’ve been trying to do for three decades now. Still, voters in western Pennsylvania have a key role to play.” | WESA
Editorial
1 Thing
“Thanksgiving dinner may be built around a turkey, but Americans are increasingly putting the spotlight on the dishes served alongside it.
A new report from Campbell’s found that 80% of Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving enjoy cooking the side dishes more than the turkey. That’s an 11-percentage-point increase from 2023, according to the company’s 2026 State of the Sides Report, now in its fifth year.
So which dishes are Americans most likely to serve? Campbell’s annual report identifies five favorites, while highlighting the enduring popularity of two holiday staples.” | USA Today
Thank you for starting your day with us.
Make sure you use the power you’ve been given and vote today!
