Pa. election updates: Mastriano wins GOP nomination for governor

With 15.5% of the vote before 10 p.m., Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain conceded to Doug Mastriano in Tuesday night’s primary election.

He opened his concession speech, to a room full of his supporters at Barnaby’s in his West Chester hometown, by congratulating Mastriano.

“Anybody can be a good winner. What matters is how we conduct ourselves when we face adversity,” said McSwain. “When that happens, we have to accept the disappointment, but we hold our heads high, we remain true to ourselves, we stick with our principles, and we act in dignity and honor. And that’s what I think we need in politics.” 

McSwain’s odds were stacked against him after former President Donald Trump declared him a “coward,” and he lost the backing of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, a Harrisburg conservative group. 

Commonwealth Partners endorsed Lou Barletta on Sunday. In a last minute effort to beat Mastriano, they called for McSwain and Dave White to pull out of the race and endorse Barletta.

In recent months, McSwain has also received criticism from West Chester families and community members for tweeting a photo of a Gay Straight Alliance club flyer hung in Fugett Middle School, of West Chester Area School District. He wrote, “this ends when I’m governor.” 

McSwain’s main talking points on the campaign trail were lowering the gas tax, ensuring veterans acquire marketable skills, and supporting law enforcement

“And while I wish I were giving a different speech tonight, the people of Pennsylvania have spoken, and I will always respect the will of the great people of Pennsylvania,” McSwain said.

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano has emerged as the winner from a crowded Republican primary for governor, according to a race call from The Associated Press.

A retired Army colonel, Mastriano has risen to prominence espousing far-right views directly to a homegrown network of online supporters. He’s also known for his support of a lie that widespread election fraud led to former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020. For that, Mastriano received Trump’s endorsement.

The lawmaker from south-central Pennsylvania campaigned using a mix of stand-by Republican positions like lowering taxes and publicly funding private schools, as well as more extreme stances on issues like abortion. Mastriano supports banning the procedure after six weeks and introduced a bill to that effect in the state Senate.

He will face Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the fall.

Videos sourced by online sleuths months after Jan. 6, 2021, showed the state senator marching alongside protestors past an abandoned police barricade near the U.S. Capitol. Mastriano released a statement shortly after the videos were released affirming his attendance at the rally for Trump and subsequent march to the U.S. Capitol that day, but insists he followed the law in doing so.

Mastriano is among the sitting lawmakers who have been subpoenaed by a U.S. House committee that is investigating the U.S. Capitol attack.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta’s bid for U.S. Senate fell short on Tuesday.

With nearly half of the votes counted, the 31-year-old Democrat sat in second to last place behind U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and Lt. Governor John Fetterman, who bested the four-person field. This is despite notable endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union of Pennsylvania.

Speaking inside the Divine Lorraine Hotel in Philadelphia, Kenyatta told supporters he was proud of his campaign, in part because of the history it made.

“Today, because of you, this is only the second time an African-American has even stood up to run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate,” said Kenyatta.

He said his campaign also helped push progressive issues forward.

“We stood up for a Pennsylvania where you have a good job, a good school for your kid, good healthcare, an affordable prescription. We fought for that to be the norm, not the exception,” he said.

Kenyatta, the first openly gay person of color to serve in Harrisburg, faced an uphill battle from the start, lacking the kind of name recognition and campaign fundraising needed to top his competitors.

His progressive campaign was rooted in social justice. His platform included calls to raise the federal minimum wage, end mass incarceration, and eliminate or reduce student loan debt.

With 36% of the votes counted in the county by 10 p.m., Kenyatta was ahead in Philadelphia.

Despite the loss, Kenyatta’s political career is still very much alive. He will remain a state representative unless a Republican bests him in November’s general election.

Kenyatta did not have a Democratic challenger in Tuesday’s primary election.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has won the state’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate just days after suffering a stroke.

The 52-year-old Fetterman defeated U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta on Tuesday to advance to November’s general election. He will face the winner of a hotly contested Republican primary that includes Dr. Mehmet Oz, ex-hedge fund CEO David McCormick, and community activist Kathy Barnette.

Fetterman suffered a stroke Friday, injecting uncertainty into the Democratic primary race that for weeks had been shaping up as a runaway. He said he is on his way to a “full recovery” but will remain in the hospital for a while. He underwent a procedure to receive a pacemaker implant earlier today.

Fetterman, a former mayor of Braddock, is a progressive who has vowed to be a reliable vote for organized labor and liberal causes in Washington. Democrats see the seat being vacated by retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey as among their best pickup opportunities in the country.

Pennsylvania Democrats have made their choice for governor official, handing the nomination to second-term state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The incumbent, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, is term-limited.

Shapiro, 48, from the Philadelphia suburb of Abington, spent the primary campaign season raising money and working to boost his pick for lieutenant governor ahead of what is expected to be a grueling fall campaign.

He is a former state lawmaker and county commissioner whose record as attorney general includes the production of a 2018 report into child sexual abuse among the state’s Catholic churches.

Shapiro’s advertising in recent weeks has included spots introducing him to voters, but he also has targeted state Sen. Doug Mastriano as the Republican gubernatorial candidate who emerged from the large primary field as a frontrunner.

Polls are closed and all eyes are on the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat left open by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

In the past week, it has heated into a tight race between three frontrunners: famed TV doctor Mehmet Oz, former hedgefund CEO David McCormick and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette. Oz won former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and the race is seen as a test of the power of the former president’s backing.

By 8 p.m., the national media had already descended upon the Newtown Athletic Club in Bucks County, where Oz is holding his watch party. A stage was set up with American flags, and a small group of invited guests — family and supporters — gathered around cocktail tables. Reporters set up equipment on risers in the main room, while others (including WHYY News) were restricted to an “overflow” room to watch the party on television screens.

Around 9 p.m., a small crowd of family and supporters watched the results trickle in on Fox News, including an easy win for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the Democratic primary race for Senate.

Oz has generally led polls among the crowded field of GOP primary candidates — but not by much. He has also struggled with likability, with some polls showing more Republican voters holding an unfavorable opinion of him than a favorable one.

Results Tuesday evening showed Dave McCormick neck and neck with Oz.

In South and West Philadelphia on Tuesday, one of the most contentious races on the ballot is for the state Senate’s 8th District.

Former public school teacher and union organizer Paul Prescod is challenging longtime incumbent Anthony Hardy Williams — and at least once, things got heated at the polls between volunteers for the two campaigns.

At the polling place at Grand Yesha Ballroom in South Philly, just down the street from one of Williams’ district offices, volunteers for Prescod were concerned Williams’ volunteers were electioneering too close to the polling places, something political operatives aren’t supposed to do.

A shouting match ensued and the Prescod workers called the District Attorney’s office, which handles election malfeasance — though a spokeswoman said no official complaint was ever filed, and noted that polling place disputes are often settled at the scene.

Anton Moore, the ward leader for this section of South Philly and a dedicated Williams supporter, confirmed he was involved in the altercation, and said he thinks it followed lines of tension he’s seen throughout this race. There’s a perception among some Williams supporters — common in Philly politics — that Prescod’s progressive supporters are all people who don’t have history in the district.

Moore said he felt disrespected. “I don’t go in and tell people, ‘this is what you should think,’” he said. “We must remain respectful in what we’re doing. No one is better than anyone.”

Dino Guastella, who is director of operations for Teamsters Local 623 and has a long history with Philly’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), calls that “typical shenanigans.” He was at the polls supporting Prescod, and said he sees the race very differently from Moore: not as a case of interlopers, but as an opportunity for positive change.

“Hardy Williams has been there a long time, and he’s not done a lot, especially for the unions and for a lot of the working people,” Guastella said. “We’re supposed to have a trolley barn in this district, which would have been a lot of SEPTA jobs. Those are all union jobs. Those are good, career-long jobs for people to have for many, many years. And Hardy Williams supported making them Amazon jobs. Those are bad jobs, non-union jobs.”

The race is a bit of a David and Goliath battle. Williams is one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate, and in his 23 years in the chamber — he won the seat in an uncontested election after his father, Hardy Williams, retired from it — he has never had a serious primary challenger. He has the backing of the city Democratic Committee, as well as building trades like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 98, and pro-charter school groups.

Prescod is new to politics, but has raised a competitive campaign chest of around $300,000 and developed a formidable ground game thanks to several of the organizations who are supporting him — chiefly, Teamsters Local 623, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia, and Philly DSA.

With the workday over for many in the region, voters may see longer lines at their polling places from now until they close at 8 p.m.

There’s been a steady stream of people filing into the Museum of the American Revolution in Old City, Philadelphia, where Davoren Chick was casting her vote. She said she prefers voting in person over submitting a mail ballot. 

“I like the civic experience of coming out and interacting with other voters and people volunteering their time to set up ballot boxes, and the energy around the voting sites. I just love voting,” Chick said. 

Ruth Kelly made sure to come out to cast her vote in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. She ended up voting for Lt. Governor John Fetterman, even though she thinks Congressman Conor Lamb may fare better in the general election. 

“I think it’s important to vote for who you think represents you,” Kelly said. 

“Don’t love Fetterman’s outfits,” she added. 

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face one of five candidates vying for the seat in the Republican primary

Bucks County resident Susie Maguire cast her ballot for Dr. Mehmet Oz, who led a recent poll of likely Republican voters conducted by Emerson College. She sees Oz as patriotic –– a political outsider ready to change things. 

“Democrats, they’ve done nothing,” said Maguire. “Absolutely nothing, except taking us down.” 

Fellow Republican Rich Velucci voted against Oz, calling the celebrity doctor an “opportunist.”

“I think he wants power…I don’t think he really has the people in mind,” said Velucci. 

Philadelphia has finished counting the roughly 47,000 mail ballots it was slated to process today. Results from those ballots will start going live at 8 p.m., when polls close statewide.

Starting Wednesday afternoon, city election workers will begin counting whatever mail ballots were received after last week’s application deadline. That effort should wrap up sometime on Friday, said Nick Custodio, a spokesperson for the City Commissioners, who oversee elections in Philadelphia.

Custodio said he expects the final tally to contain more in-person ballots than mail ballots. In 2020, the split was roughly even. Since then, mail ballots have accounted for roughly a third of the overall tally.

“Roughly speaking,” Custodio said.

The Lancaster County Board of Elections reported issues scanning a “significant number” of mail ballots that arrived before Election Day.

When election staff started opening and scanning the ballots at 7 a.m. Tuesday, “it became immediately apparent that a significant number of the mail ballots did not scan,” according to a county press release.

“Upon further inspection of the ballots, the county identified the ballots were printed by the mail ballot vendor, NPC, with the wrong identification code,” the release continued. “This error prevents the ballots from being scanned on the county’s central scanners.”

The county board said there was no way to know about the issue before scanning the ballots this morning. Test ballots scanned without a problem, and under current state law, election staff cannot legally open mail ballots before polls open on Election Day.

The board said it would re-mark all of the affected ballots by hand and then scan them — the same process it used in the 2021 primary election, when a previous vendor also printed the ballots incorrectly.

“The county subsequently fired [that vendor] and replaced [it] with this current vendor, which serves many Pennsylvania counties,” the press release said. “These types of errors are unacceptable and we hold the vendors responsible.”

At an afternoon press conference, county officials said about two-thirds of the 21,000 mail ballots received as of Tuesday morning were affected by the error, and that the process to re-mark and count the ballots would likely take several days.

GOP County Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino said that in addition to the mail ballot vendor, they placed blame for the issue on Act 77, a 2019 state law that allows voters to cast mail ballots without needing a legally-approved reason. Republican lawmakers have objected to no-excuse mail ballot voting, and the state Supreme Court is currently weighing its constitutionality.

Lt. Governor John Fetterman will undergo a “standard procedure” to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator, the Democrat’s campaign announced this afternoon.

“It should be a short procedure that will help protect his heart and address the underlying cause of his stroke, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), by regulating his heart rate and rhythm,” reads a short statement released around 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Fetterman, who is running to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Republican Pat Toomey’s retirement, suffered a stroke on Friday.

In a statement released afterward, the 52-year-old said he wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital at the insistence of his wife, Gisele.

“I hadn’t been feeling well, but was so focused on the campaign that I ignored the signs and kept going,” said Fetterman. “On Friday, it finally caught up with me.”

Fetterman is considered the frontrunner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, and community organizer Alexandria Khalil are also vying for the open seat.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday evening that President Pro Tempore of the Senate Jake Corman will “temporarily assume the duties of acting lieutenant governor.”

“We continue to wish the lieutenant governor the very best as he continues to focus on his health and recovery. However, as the lieutenant governor undergoes a standard procedure, there is a process in place to ensure that our government remains fully operational,” Wolf said in a statement.

“This is a short-term transfer of power, and we hope and expect the lieutenant governor to resume his duties very soon.”

After an extremely slow start this morning at the polls, the previously nonexistent lines have grown.

With foot traffic picking up, many voters said the contest that motivated them to cast their ballot is the U.S. Senate race.

William Harrison, 66, of Jenkintown, feels that his candidate is not getting a fair shake from her critics.

“I’m concerned about Kathy Barnette in that — all of a sudden, just before the election — a lot of accusations come out without enough time for her to disprove them,” Harrison said.

He categorized himself as anti-abortion and “strongly pro-religious freedom,” so he expects his U.S. Senate choice to support U.S. Supreme Court nominees who reflect his conservative ideals.

Clara Boyer, 73, of Jenkintown, said that her choice to fill Pat Toomey’s Senate seat is state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

One issue that she hopes her ballot selections address is gun violence.

“There is too [much] gun violence. There is too [much] gun violence. So I knew I needed to vote,” Boyer said.

From gun control and inflation to gas prices and abortion rights, there are many issues on the minds of voters.

“It’s just a lot of stuff going on,” said James Ke, 71, of Jenkintown. “Sometimes scary, even politically. But, I think [if] we all come out and do what we are supposed to do. We’ll work it out.”

As voters head to the polls today, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office is activating its election task force, to review concerns at polling places.

“People out to steal Philly votes go to jail,” DA Larry Krasner said in a statement ahead of the primary. “We will hold accountable those who are caught intimidating or threatening voters and election workers.”

More than 30 assistant district attorneys and detectives will be monitoring and responding to voting-related complaints about issues like intimidation and unlawful electioneering throughout the day. The task force will stay active until election results are certified.

Voters looking to report issues outside polling places can call the election task force hotline at 215-686-9641.

For issues inside polling places, voters can call the county board of elections at 215-686-1590.

Health issues have thwarted Election Day plans for two prominent Democratic candidates. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who’s vying for U.S. Senate, suffered a stroke on Friday and is currently recovering in the hospital. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who’s running uncontested for governor, tested positive for COVID-19 last night and is isolating at home.

All this has raised a question for voters: what do you do if you become sick on Election Day?

In Pennsylvania, voters who fall unexpectedly ill or have a last-minute emergency and can’t go to the polls in person can apply for an emergency absentee ballot and authorize a representative to pick up and return that ballot.

A campaign spokesperson confirmed that Shapiro will vote by emergency ballot.

On Tuesday afternoon, Fetterman tweeted that he had just cast his vote from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital using an emergency ballot.

Just cast my Primary Election Vote from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital using an emergency absentee ballot. ✅ pic.twitter.com/HftIKtZG2V

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 17, 2022

The deadline to submit an emergency absentee ballot is 8 p.m. on Election Day, the same time the polls close.

Josh Shapiro, the lone Democratic candidate for governor in the Pennsylvania primary, has tested positive for COVID-19.

The state attorney general tweeted that he took a precautionary test last night before heading to Johnstown and Pittsburgh for Election Day, and is experiencing mild symptoms. He’s isolating at home.

Shapiro had planned to cast his ballot in his hometown of Abington this morning, then make remarks in Johnstown before attending an Election Night party for Lt. Governor candidate Austin Davis in Pittsburgh. Those plans have been called off, and a campaign spokesperson confirmed that Shapiro is voting by emergency absentee ballot.

He said he plans to get back on the campaign trail next week, and to kick off the general election in Johnstown.

“After these few days at home, I’m going to go win this race for Pennsylvania,” he tweeted.

» READ MORE: Josh Shapiro, Dem. candidate for Pa. gov., tests positive for COVID

Thanks to a 2019 law, Pennsylvania voters don’t need a reason or excuse to vote by mail.

As of Monday, almost 60,000 people had returned their ballots. But if you’re still holding onto yours, there are several ways to turn it in.

First, you can drop it off at a secure mail ballot drop box. There are 16 drop box locations throughout Philadelphia, along with locations in Bucks, Chesco, Delco, and Montco.

If you prefer to vote in person, you can bring your mail ballot with you and surrender it to a poll worker, who will void it. Don’t forget to bring all the envelopes it came in. Once you’ve surrendered your mail ballot and signed a declaration, you can cast a regular ballot.

Finally, if you requested a mail ballot and never received one, or don’t have one to turn in, head to your polling place and ask for a provisional ballot. After Election Day, officials will verify that you didn’t already vote by mail and count your ballot.

Remember that mail ballots must be delivered to a drop box or in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. Mail ballots that are postmarked by the deadline, but haven’t yet been received, don’t count — so if you still have your ballot on Election Day, you have to drop it off or show up in person at the polls.

All eyes might be on Pennsylvania’s statewide races this election — but a suburban race for state representative has captured the attention of the Mainline.

Democratic state Rep. Greg Vitali has been serving the Haverford area in the 166th District for 30 years.

Now he is meeting a challenger from the left — David Brown, formerly the campaign manager of the county Democratic Party’s campaign arm.

And the Delaware County Democratic Party is endorsing the challenger. However, Vitali doesn’t feel as though there is a need for change.

“I do have a challenger,” Vitali told WHYY News at a polling location in Broomall. “I’m out here because I want to continue to work on issues that are important to me like environmental policy. I’m the Chairman of the House Environmental Committee, and my life’s mission has been environmental protection and I want to keep doing that.”

Vitali said he wants voters to know his platform is expansive.

“In addition to environmental protection, I support progressive values, like women’s reproductive choice, sensible gun legislation, brick and mortar public schools, things along those lines,” Vitali said.

Brown, the challenger, felt energized this morning at his polling location Chestnutwold Elementary School in Ardmore.

“I got into this race largely because my background is in campaigns. And I had been working for years now with our elected officials around Delaware County, all of whom have been enormously more productive in the legislature than our own representative,” Brown said.

Brown told WHYY News that his platform centers on three main issues: voting rights, the environment, and strengthening labor laws.

Although the 166th isn’t the largest district, Brown believes it plays an important role in state politics.

“We have a saying with the Haverford Township Democratic Committee that as Haverford goes, so goes Delaware County. And that’s because we have such a strong municipal committee, such strong volunteers, activists, and such responsible voters that we have the power, as we have many times before, to sway the county elections,” Brown said.

Despite their differences of opinion on whether the 166th needs a change, both were in agreement that the party needs to come together to select the right candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate.

While the sun is making an appearance for Pennsylvania’s primary election — voters in the suburbs have not so far.

There wasn’t much of a morning line at Chestnutwold Elementary School in Ardmore and the Marple Township Municipal Building in Marple, but that was somewhat expected considering it is a primary election. However, expect the lines to pick up throughout the day as Pennsylvanians head to the polls to cast their ballots for several statewide races, including U.S. Senate and governor.

Voters waiting for the polls to open had many thoughts on the major races. Lisa Prendergast, 64, of Marple, said that she’s a big fan of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and his bid for Senate.

“I think he stands for the people,” Prendergast said.

She added that she wasn’t happy with the direction of the country and wishes President Joe Biden would do more.

“I’m not really proud of what he’s doing, but they need to do something about guns. That’s my big thing. Guns and pro-choice,” Prendergast said.

James Burke, 69, of Broomall, considers himself an “old-fashioned Republican” and is unhappy about his party and his choices on the ballot.

“I’ve been watching these ads, and they’re disgusting. As I said, I’m a centrist. And the party is going way to the right. And I just wanted to vote against a few people basically,” Burke said.

The polls are set to close tonight at 8 p.m.

Pennsylvanians are heading to the polls today to cast ballots in primaries for governor, U.S. Senate, and a long list of down-ballot races.

Mail voting has been open for weeks, and as of Monday, nearly 600,000 people had returned their ballots already. But in the final days of the primaries, the races have still been evolving quickly.

In the past week, far-right Republican Senate candidate Kathy Barnette began a last-minute surge in the polls, creating a tight three-way primary. Similarly far-right GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano developed a solid lead in his own primary, as Republican insiders tried to coalesce around a slightly more mainstream candidate. And John Fetterman, the leading candidate for the Democratic Senate nod, suffered a stroke over the weekend and, while expected to fully recover, will miss his own Election Night party.

If you’re still deciding who to vote for, here’s a guide to the Senate candidates, here’s a look at the gubernatorial candidates, and here’s a look at what’s on the ballot in Philadelphia.

If you’re looking for logistical guidance, check out our voter guide for information on finding polling places, dropping off last-minute mail ballots, and more.

Thanks to a law that prevents Pennsylvania counties from beginning to process mail ballots before Election Day, results in the commonwealth can be delayed, especially in close races during high-turnout elections. There’s a good chance at least some of the races will be called on primary night, but other results could take several days.