Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, November 2, 2026

Pennsylvania

PA Legislature Control on the Ballot

Control of the Pennsylvania General Assembly is at stake in Tuesday’s election, with all 203 House seats and half of the 50 Senate seats on the ballot. Democrats currently hold a narrow 103-100 majority in the House and are seeking to flip the Senate, where Republicans maintain a slim 27-23 advantage. If Democrats retain the House and capture the Senate, they will secure a political trifecta alongside the governor’s office, granting them the ability to set state policy with few limitations. The balance of power will ultimately be decided by approximately two dozen competitive House races located primarily in suburban areas and six highly contested Senate districts across the commonwealth.

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IFO Releases October Monthly Revenue Update

The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), the state agency responsible for providing revenue projections and impartial analysis for state legislators, has released its monthly revenue update for the month of October, showing that actual collections were $119 million, or 3.0%, higher than IFO projections, and fiscal-year-to-date (FYTD) collections of $15.28 billion are $571 million, or 3.9%, above estimate. The report also shows that revenues of $4.06 billion reflect an increase of $596 million, or 17.2%, compared to the same month in the prior year. View the report here.

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Directs $5.5M to Expand Childcare

Allegheny County officials have announced a $5.5 million investment to expand local childcare and out-of-school programs as part of the “Forward with Families” initiative. Utilizing $3 million from the Heinz Endowments and a proposed $2.5 million from the 2027 county budget, the program will provide grants to help providers hire additional staff and upgrade facilities. The funding is expected to create 1,000 new childcare slots, advancing the county’s broader goal of adding 5,000 slots over the next five years to combat local shortages driven by low industry wages. County Executive Sara Innamorato stated that the investment, working in tandem with the recently passed county parental leave mandate, aims to support workforce participation, stabilize families, and strengthen the regional economy.

PA Congressional Push for Senior Care Solutions

With Allegheny County’s population of residents aged 85 and older projected to grow by 85% by 2050, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) convened a congressional hearing in Pittsburgh to address the escalating challenges of senior care in Pennsylvania. Experts, including representatives from the Area Agency on Aging and Meals on Wheels, emphasized the urgent need for increased federal funding and the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act to support essential home, community, and meal delivery services for the state’s 2.5 million seniors. Witnesses highlighted the severe health impacts of social isolation and loneliness among older adults, which significantly increase dementia risks, and urged greater investment in “age tech” innovations spanning mobility, home design, and social connection tools to improve seniors’ quality of life amid stagnant funding and growing demand.

Federal

Justice Department Sends Election Record Preservation Warnings

Days before the midterm elections, the U.S. Justice Department sent letters to state election officials across the country reminding them of the federal requirement to preserve ballots and voter-registration records for 22 months following a federal election, while warning that willful failure to do so is punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. The letters, signed by acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter rather than a civil rights division official, arrived shortly after a federal judge in California verbally admonished the Trump administration to cease “threats” of criminal prosecution against election officials in a separate, ongoing legal dispute over ballots cast by suspected noncitizens. While former Justice Department officials and election law experts note that reminding states of the 1960 preservation requirement is not inherently improper, they described the nationwide distribution of such warnings by a high-ranking official just days before an election as highly unusual.

Cozen Corner

In-Conversation w/ Howard Schweitzer: Congressional Management Foundation CEO Jen Daulby on Rebuilding Trust in Congress

Jen Daulby—CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) and a longtime congressional leader—joins Howard Schweitzer, CEO of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, for a conversation on bipartisanship under pressure, rebuilding trust in democratic institutions, and the path to modernize government. Drawing on more than two decades of experience on Capitol Hill, including navigating the pandemic, January 6, and extraordinary operational challenges, Jen reflects on what it takes to lead when there is no playbook. Together, ahead of the midterms, we bring perspectives from opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to consider a fundamental question: What does it take to build a government that works better for the people it serves? To watch click here or to listen click here. 

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