The political focus is pivoting to what’s shaping to be a pivotal midterm election in 2022 as the final tally of votes continues.
Crispin Havener or looks at what’s to come with this year’s election,
“For all intents and purposes in the books. Let’s look ahead to next year. The big statewide races have already begun in earnest as candidates are lining up to replace the term limited governor Tom Wolf and a retiring senator Pat Toomey. Democrats have unified behind Attorney General Josh Shapiro to be the governor nominee, while Republican primary voters will have plenty to choose from for their nominee
Nine people have already thrown their hats in the ring, the highest profile being former congressman Lou Barletta, with more weighing their options, including center county Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, who said he would decide his future after Tuesday’s election in the Senate race.
Both sides will have fierce intraparty battles. Republicans have eight declared candidates, with establishment Republicans leaning toward former lieutenant governor candidate Jeff Bartos while the base favors demand, former President Trump has already endorsed former congressional candidate Sean Parnell. Democrats are also weighing their partizanship between moderates like Representative Conor Lamb and Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkush and progressives like Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta.
There were also, of course, be a host of congressional and state legislative races, but how those matchups will shape up will be
determined by how the maps will be reshaped, something not done yet due to late arriving census data and possibly could delay this May’s primary election.
So which side has the advantage as we head to next November? Both races are seen as toss ups by the Cook political report. But what may be the canary in the coal mine? Republicans swept the statewide judicial races Tuesday, months after Republican backed referendum questions were also approved.
Also giving Republicans more optimism from Tuesday night winning in Virginia’s governor’s race after President Biden won the state last year by ten points. And Republicans are still on a too close to call barnburner in the New Jersey governor’s race, where President Biden won by 16 year ago.
But things, of course, can change in the next twelve months. And one reason why Josh Shapiro doesn’t appear he will have any other challengers in a Democrat primary. He’s been the top vote getter in the state in both of his AG elections.”
