May 20, 2022
Election Update
Tuesday, May 17 was the Primary Election in Pennsylvania. A majority of the votes have been counted, and most races called. However, with less than 100% of the vote in, and the Secretary of State yet to certify the results, the results are still unofficial. Here is where things stand at the moment.
United States Senate
The Republican primary is too close to call. Currently, with less than 2% of the ballots still to be counted, Dr. Mehmet Oz has a 1,127 vote lead over former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick. It’s all but certain that a recount will occur, as state law requires a recount in elections where the top two candidates are separated by .5% or less of the votes tallied. The Secretary of State must order the recount by Thursday, May 26.
The eventual winner of the Republican primary will face Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman in November’s General Election. Fetterman defeated Congressman Conor Lamb.
Governor
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who did not face a primary election challenger, will face state Senator Doug Mastriano in November. Mastriano won the Republican nomination after defeating eight candidates, most notably former Congressman Lou Barletta and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain.
Lieutenant Governor
State Representative Austin Davis won the Democratic primary and will face his counterpart in the state House, Representative Carrie DelRosso, in the general election. Both candidates are from Allegheny County.
State Legislature
Half of the Senate (25 members in even-numbered districts) and the entire House of Representatives (203 members) are on the ballot this year. The most notable results occurred in the districts of the House and Senate Republican Appropriations Committee Chairs. Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) lost to Wendy Fink and Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) lost to Jarrett Coleman. Sen. Browne is currently losing by 30 votes so a recount is likely.
Other incumbents that lost are:
- Rep. Martell Covington (D-Allegheny)
- Rep. Gary Day (R-Lehigh)
- Rep. Pam DeLissio (D-Philadelphia)
- Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald (D-Philadelphia)
- Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York)
- Rep. Johnathan Hershey (R-Juniata)
- Rep. Brian Kirkland (D-Delaware)
- Rep. Michael Puskaric (R-Allegheny)
- Rep. Jason Silvis (R-Westmoreland)
There was also a Special Election held in SD-5 to fill seat vacated by former Sen. John Sabatina (D-Philadelphia), who was elected to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. James Dillion (D) defeated Samuel Oropeza (R). Dillion will serve the remainder of the term, which ends in 2024.
The Week Ahead
Both chambers are in session next week for what is expected to be a busy three days.
Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on juvenile justice reform. Additionally, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold an informational meeting regarding the establishment of population density or setback restrictions where landfills can open and operate. Then the Joint State Government Commission will hold an informational meeting of the Opioid Abuse Child Impact Task Force.
The House Insurance Committee will consider H.B. 2585 (Pickett, R-Bradford), which would address the Department of Human Services’ attempt to limit choices for participants in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee will consider bills including H.B. 1393 (Struzzi, R-Indiana), which would legalize fentanyl test strips for personal use.
On Wednesday, the House Consumer Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing to discuss H.B. 2202 (Mercuri, R-Allegheny), which would require larger companies and personal information aggregators to share more information about what data is gathered, tracked and sold. Furthermore, the Performance-Based Budget Board will hold a hearing to vote on the Independent Fiscal Office’s review of the Department of Education.
The House State Government Committee will consider three bills of note:
- H.B. 2087 (Hershey, R-Juniata), which would prevent a public agency from requiring individuals or 501(c) non-profit charitable organizations to provide personal information except as required under law;
- H.B. 2385 (Labs, R-Bucks), which would establish a regulatory sandbox program within the Independent Regulatory Review Commission to review an agency’s application for a regulation waiver; and
- H.B. 2480 (Grove, R-York), which would establish grant accountability and transparency by requiring the establishment of uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for state and federal pass-through awards to non-federal entities.
The House Local Government Committee will consider S.B. 275 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would prohibit a municipality from restricting or prohibiting certain types of energy sources. Lastly, the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee will consider H.B. 2434 (Causer, R-McKean), which would require an increase in the reimbursement rates under Medicaid for emergency medical services.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
In Other News
- Governor Wolf announced an aggressive push to secure clean hydrogen hub in Pennsylvania.
- The Governor announced a $98 million grant opportunity for certified child care providers to support workforce recruitment and retention.
- More than $5.2 million in Community Block Grant Development funding was awarded to update existing water and/or sewer systems.