WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2026 — Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced that Sean Clerget has joined as senior principal in its Washington, D.C., office.
The first special elections of the year will take place on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in Lehigh County’s House District 22 and Allegheny County’s House District 42 to fill the vacancies left by former Representatives Josh Siegel and Dan Miller. These contests are the first of five scheduled special elections through May. In Lehigh County, voters will choose between Democrat Ana Tiburcio and Republican Robert Smith, while Allegheny County voters will decide between Democrat Jennifer Mazzocco and Republican Joseph Leckenby. The Democrats currently maintain a narrow 100–98 majority in the House, with five additional seats vacant due to resignations.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held a community meeting to discuss the oversight process for restarting the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, now rebranded as the Crane Clean Energy Center. Most attendees, including union laborers and local business owners, expressed support for the project’s projected economic benefits. The project, backed by a $1 billion federal loan, aims to supply 835 megawatts of electricity to Microsoft for its artificial intelligence data centers. The restart remains a unique challenge as no commercial nuclear station in the U.S. has successfully returned to operation after being mothballed, but the NRC expects to spend nearly 8,000 man-hours on the review and inspections.
A federal appeals judge paused a lower court’s injunction on Friday, ruling that the Trump administration does not need to restore the remaining slavery exhibits to Philadelphia’s President’s House site for now. The order prohibits the government from damaging existing displays or installing replacements, maintaining the status quo while the case undergoes an expedited appeal. Prior to the stay, National Park Service staff had already reinstalled 16 glass panels and several video monitors in response to an earlier court order.
Governor Josh Shapiro attended a breakfast at the White House on Friday after President Trump reinstated invitations for the Democratic governors of Maryland and Colorado, ending a weeks-long dispute that threatened the nonpartisan tradition of the National Governors Association. Governor Shapiro, who had previously pledged to boycott the event if his colleagues were excluded, used the meeting to advocate for Pennsylvania-specific issues, including the avian flu, withheld broadband funding, and the impact of federal policies on rural communities. Governor Shapiro described the closed-door session with the President and his cabinet as productive, maintaining that his primary responsibility is to work across partisan lines to deliver results for the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania is expected to play a significant role in determining control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms, with four congressional districts widely viewed as competitive swing seats. These competitive districts include the 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th districts, currently represented by U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-08) and Scott Perry (R-PA-10). Democrats aim to leverage Governor Josh Shapiro’s high approval ratings to flip the seats, while Republicans are betting that economic improvements will lead voters to retain incumbents and preserve the GOP’s narrow House majority.
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Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
February 23, 2026
February 23, 2026
February 23, 2026
