🗳️ The future is now | PA 2026 Newsletter
💰 And a look at Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s big spending.
📅 There are 11 days until Election Day.
The midterms might be all you are hearing about, but some politicians are already talking about (and preparing for) 2028.
🎤 Gillian McGoldrick here again, reporting from the final legislative session days in Harrisburg before the midterm election, where the vibes were… anxious. Democrats appear bullish they have a real chance at a trifecta, while Republicans seem to be making contingency plans. (Don’t worry, they all still made time for fundraising and politicking on their final day in the state Capitol before the election.)
But some in Pennsylvania are looking even further ahead.
(Un)shockingly, Gov. Josh Shapiro still won’t say whether he’s running for president in 2028. My colleague Michelle Baruchman and I sat down with him briefly last week, and we found a noticeable shift over the last year, in which he’s sharpened his criticisms of Republicans and President Donald Trump — and explore whether that signals he’s gearing up for a 2028 run. (All signs point to yes!)
Another familiar name toying with a presidential run: former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said this week that the midterm elections will mark “the official end of the Donald Trump era.”
🗳️ The elephant in the room: As he runs for reelection, Gov. Josh Shapiro doesn’t want to talk about 2028.
🗳️ Keep this on file: Pennsylvania legal experts says it’s unlikely that Democrat Bob Harvie has any “FBI files” to release, despite what U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has been saying.
🗳️ Spending blitz for Fitz: Fitzpatrick is on track to spend more than his last three campaigns combined.
— Gillian McGoldrick, Sam Janesch, Fallon Roth, Michelle Baruchman (pa2026@inquirer.com)
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The latest
GOP candidates in competitive Pennsylvania races are making sure their ties to Shapiro are known, even as the governor campaigns for their Democratic opponents. One political science professor said it’s “quite telling” for Republicans.
In the Lehigh Valley, Democrat Bob Brooks told U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and the National Republican Congressional Committee to take down a “false and defamatory” TV ad that accused Brooks of “criminal” misconduct.
Comcast committed to giving $7.5 million to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, according to a report, while Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass pledged $5 million.
In Bucks County, Democrats are making their pitch to Asian American voters, who could help determine the outcome of the 1st Congressional District race.
Fitzpatrick, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has called for an investigation into Elon Musk’s reported actions related to infringing on national security in the country.
The Philly suburbs’ last Republican member of Congress is on a spending spree.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s massive $5 million campaign spend heading into the final month of his race against Democrat Bob Harvie set him on track to spend more on his current campaign than his last three campaigns combined.
The moderate lawmaker is facing his toughest challenge ever. And unlike another high-profile Pennsylvania Republican, the cavalry has also come in to help. National Republicans have poured millions of dollars into boosting Fitzpatrick beyond his own personally record-breaking campaign spending.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC associated with House Speaker Mike Johnson, redirected a significant $4.5 million for its own ads benefitting Fitzpatrick. The group has snuck in even more funding in a roundabout way — becoming the primary donor behind the Defending America PAC, a group Harvie sued over the summer and that has now spent $1.3 million to attack him, according to recent fundraising reports.
🗳️ Did you know voting in this election is already underway? In Pennsylvania, voters can cast their ballots by mail prior to Election Day. The deadline to request a mail ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 27. Ballots can be mailed back to county elections offices or submitted via a dropbox location and must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
To learn more about the candidates, check out our voter guide.
👀 What we’re watching
🚨 State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican challenging Shapiro for governor, raised more money in the 12 days following their televised debate than she raised in the last 14 months, her campaign said. We’ll get to see that fundraising haul and much more in campaign finance reports due today for all the state-level candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot.
📫 As we’ve seen in all major elections since Pennsylvania expanded mail ballots, Democrats are outpacing Republicans in mail voting, according to Department of State data. The breakdown:
Democrats have requested 802,662 mail ballots, and returned 60% of them, as of Thursday. That amounts to 483,913 ballots already cast by Democrats, 11 days out from the election.
Republicans have requested 301,319 mail ballots, and returned 58% of them, for a total of 173,961 mail ballots cast by registered Republicans across the state.
Another 135,544 mail ballots have been requested by unaffiliated and third-party voters, who have returned 48% of them so far, for 64,477 mail ballots cast.
💸 State Sen. Frank Farry (R., Bucks), who is among the most vulnerable state senators in a swingy part of Lower Bucks County, filed his campaign finance report ahead of Friday’s deadline. It shows nearly 75% of his $4.8 million raised since June came from a PAC funded by Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest person. (H/t to Spotlight PA’s Stephen Caruso for sharing first.)
👋 We’re entering the final week of the campaign, and you can stay up to date on the latest at inquirer.com/politics. Otherwise, we’ll see you next Friday in your inbox – same time, same place.
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