Are They Allowed? This is the PoliticsPA Playbook.
Happy Wednesday. 13 days to the midterms.
Your Morning Pick Me Up. Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Queen
PA Weather
Jeannette | Sunny, 63 Houtzdale | Sunny, 62 Thorndale | Sunny, 62
PA Sports 
Sixers (1-0) | New York 106-100 | Thu vs. Cleveland
Flyers (2-6-3) | Wed at Buffalo Penguins (3-6-1) | Thu vs. Florida
What’s Happening Today. The Senate convenes at 10 AM, while the House begins at 11.
What We’re Seeing. More than 635,000 Pennsylvanians have cast their ballots in the 2026 general election. Two-thirds of those are registered Democrats, while just under 24 percent are registered Republicans.
What We’re Listening To. On this episode of Voices of Reason, Steve Ulrich speaks with Robert Boatright, Professor of Political Science at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and author of six books, who studies and writes about campaign finance. They will discuss the basic rules anyone can use to understand information about money in elections.
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
“Now, with less than two weeks before Election Day, the Pennsylvania governor’s race has taken an artificial intelligence turn.
An AI-generated ad by Stacy Garrity’s campaign has joined a handful of others around the country in major races, and the use of AI has raised eyebrows. It’s leading to the question, “Should this be allowed?”” | CBS Pittsburgh
Elsewhere
Midterm Messages. “We watched 587 midterm TV ads to see how politicians are trying to secure your vote. Here’s what we learned.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
Ratings Moves. Inside Elections has made prediction moves in Pennsylvania’s critical congressional races, as PA-07 and PA-08 races shift from Toss-Up to Tilt Democrat.| Roll Call
Trump Approval Hits New Low Two Weeks Before Midterms. “Likely voters favored Democratic candidates over Republicans by 11 percentage points in their congressional district, a New York Times/Siena poll found.” | New York Times
Rep. Mike Kelly Faces Challenge From Justin Wagner in Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District. “Kelly, who has coasted to victory in the last eight elections, is touting his experience and accomplishments for the district against Wagner, all amid an unpopular war and rising gas and grocery prices. However, Wagner believes this might be the year to end that streak given Kelly’s close alignment with President Trump.” | CBS Pittsburgh
State
“From the outset, Democratic congressional candidate Rachel Wallace sought to put Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser on the defensive in their debate Tuesday.
But Meuser gave as good as he got as the two candidates tangled, often sharply, for more than an hour.” | WVIA
Elsewhere
Watch the PA-09 Debate: Dan Meuser v. Rachel Wallace. “Congressman Dan Meuser and challenger Rachel Wallace faced off in a one-hour debate at Penn State Schuylkill in the race for the 9th Congressional District on Oct. 20.” | PoliticsPA
Scott Perry Ad Targeting Janelle Stelson Makes Unsubstantiated Allegations of Public Nudity. “In his attempt to hold onto his congressional seat, Republican Scott Perry released an ad through his campaign that misleadingly accuses his political opponent of public nudity. The ad presents the claim about Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district, Janelle Stelson, without evidence, WITF found. It includes what looks like a real legal document but is not.” | WITF
PA House Tells Blaring Streaming Ads to Pipe Down. “A bill that would require advertisers to keep their ads’ volume on par with the show or music station cleared the state House Oct. 19 with bipartisan support. Fourteen Republicans voted against it.” | USA Today Network
Around The Commonwealth
“Allegheny County Council passed a law Tuesday night requiring employers with 15 or more workers to provide new parents and legal guardians with 12 weeks of paid leave.
Pennsylvania doesn’t require private employers to offer paid parental leave, so Allegheny County’s measure could significantly expand workplace benefits.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Elsewhere
The Justice Department Has Opened a Criminal Investigation Into Philly DA Larry Krasner’s Office, Sources Say. “The request is the latest development in a high-profile saga centered on a post-conviction case that has led to a series of controversial revelations about Krasner’s office.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
2026 Election Preview: 24th Senate District. “It’s a three-way race in Berks and Montgomery County among Tracy Pennycuick, Chris Thomas and Mike Schonewolf.” | PoliticsPA
Asian American Voters in Bucks and Montco Could Sway Key U.S. House Race. Democrats Are Making Their Pitch. “National Democrats are targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander voters as they try to flip a Bucks County congressional seat next month in one of the mostly closely watched contests in the country.” | Philadelphia Inquirer
York County Dems Knew of Candidate’s Assault Conviction Before Primary Election. “After news broke that York County state Senate candidate Thomas Johnson had an assault conviction, one question emerged: Who among party leadership knew what, and when?” | PennLive
Editorial
1 Thing
“Roll Call senior photographer Tom Williams talks about and shares some of his favorite photos from previous trips to cover campaigns in Pennsylvania.” | Roll Call
Thank you for starting your Wednesday with us.
Have a great day. See you tomorrow.
