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Pa. election 2022: A basic guide to vetting candidates for U.S. Senate, governor, and more

Posted on September 27, 2022

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

HARRISBURG — All eyes will be on Pennsylvania this November election as a number of contentious races on the ballot will determine the state’s political future.

In the race for governor, voters will pick between Democrat Josh Shapiro, the state’s attorney general; Republican Doug Mastriano, a state senator; and a handful of third-party candidates.

In the U.S. Senate, where Democrats’ slim margin hangs in the balance, voters here could determine which party controls the chamber in 2023. Representing them will be either Democrat John Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor, or Republican Mehmet Oz, a retired surgeon and TV personality.

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Pa. election 2022: There will be no constitutional amendments on the Nov. 8 ballot, but big ones are looming

Posted on September 27, 2022

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters will not see any proposed constitutional amendments on this year’s November ballot, but that is almost certain to change when the state legislature opens its new two-year session in January.

Once used rarely — if only because it is a lengthy and complex process — amending the state constitution has become the go-to tactic among legislative Republicans to advance policies that are deeply unpopular with their Democratic colleagues.

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Spotlight PA

With a key race too close to call, here are 4 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries

Posted on May 18, 2022

Five states held primary elections Tuesday.

They once again tested former President Donald Trump’s influence on the Republican side — with mixed results; President Biden looks to have suffered a loss with one of his endorsements; a key U.S. Senate race is too close to call; and a controversial congressman lost his bid for reelection.

The results are in — well, most of them. Here’s some of what they tell us:
1. Waiting on Pennsylvania

The headliner state was Pennsylvania, and especially the key Senate race there. In the GOP primary, Mehmet Oz — that’s celebrity TV doctor Dr. Oz — was pitted against David McCormick, a former hedge fund head who spent millions of his own money in the race, and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette.

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