Election category, Page 54
Papua New Guinea leader takes offense after Biden implies his uncle was eaten by cannibals there
MELBOURNE, Australia — Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II. Biden’s comments offended a key strategic ally as China moves to...
Local election workers fear threats to their safety as November nears. One group is trying to help
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The group gathered inside the conference room, mostly women, fell silent as the audio recording began to play. The male voice, clearly agitated, railed against what he thought had been fraud that cost former President Donald Trump reelection four years ago. “You’re gonna pay for it,”...
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins rally for Summer Lee in Pittsburgh
Left-wing firebrand U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the arsenal of high-profile politicians who rallied Sunday for Congressional Democratic incumbent Summer Lee, whose 12th District primary against Bhavini Patel has become a hot-button race. Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who represents parts of New York City, joined Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny...
When it comes to government planes and political trips, who pays for a president’s campaign travel?
WASHINGTON — It’s no simple matter to move the commander in chief from point A to B, and it’s even more complicated when the president is seeking a second term. President Joe Biden recently spent three days in Pennsylvania, a pivotal state in the 2024 campaign, and he plans to...
Crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple states creates a shadow war for the 2024 election
CHICAGO — As President Joe Biden and Donald Trump step up their campaigning in swing states, a quieter battle is taking place in the shadows of their White House rematch. The Republican National Committee, newly reconstituted under Trump, has filed election-related lawsuits in nearly half the states. Recent lawsuits over...
Voting precincts remain inaccessible to some disabled voters in Westmoreland County
Adam Halfill’s job description doesn’t include heavy lifting. But when Halfill reports to work Tuesday as the judge of elections at Greensburg Hose Company No. 3, he understands the job could involve the use of a little muscle. “Voters have to come down four or five steps to get into...
GOP reverses course, says mail-in ballots key to 2024 success
Local Republican leaders are pushing voters to get in the game when it comes to mail-in ballots, even if the most prominent voice in the party still is resistant. “It is important because we’re already starting each election with a deficit,” said Westmoreland GOP Committee Chairman Bill Bretz. “Many Democratic...
45th Senate District sees competitive Dem, GOP primary races
Allegheny County’s 45th state Senatorial District has attracted more candidates than any other race in the region, in a contest that could be crucial in determining which party controls the state legislature’s upper chamber next year. And, at least on the Republican side, there are a bit of fireworks. Kami...
32nd District Democrats to get first full chance at naming late Rep. DeLuca’s successor
For the first time since 1982, the Democrat ballot for Pennsylvania’s 32nd House District won’t feature Tony DeLuca. The late lawmaker of 40 years died in October 2022, one month before the general election and too late to print new ballots. He won nonetheless, triggering a special election. Joe McAndrew...
Donald Trump will use his weekend reprieve from the courtroom to campaign in North Carolina
WILMINGTON, N.C. — On a weekend reprieve from the courtroom, former President Donald Trump will campaign Saturday in North Carolina as he juggles legal troubles and his rematch against President Joe Biden. Trump’s evening stop in the coastal city of Wilmington marks his first rally since his criminal hush money...
Challenger Comans seeks to oust incumbent Salisbury in Democratic primary for Pa. House’s 34th District
In Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods and nearby suburbs, a Democratic primary battle for a state House seat is pitting a progressive challenger against a mainstream incumbent. Ashley Comans, a Wilkinsburg school board member, said the 34th Legislative District is hungry for someone who champions progressive policies like boosting public schools,...
Kennedy family makes ‘crystal clear’ its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.’s candidacy
PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert F....
12 jurors picked for Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Selection of alternates ongoing
NEW YORK — A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York, and the court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors. The rapid progress Thursday afternoon propelled the case closer to opening statements and weeks of testimony in a case...
Biden is off on details of his uncle’s WWII death as he calls Trump unfit to lead the military
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday misstated key details about his uncle’s death in World War II as he honored the man’s wartime service and said Donald Trump was unworthy of serving as commander in chief. While in Pittsburgh, Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan...
Alabama lawmakers advance bills to ensure Joe Biden is on the state’s ballot
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation Wednesday to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot, mirroring accommodations made four years ago for then-President Donald Trump. Legislative committees in the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate approved identical bills that would push back the state’s certification...
Election HQ: A voter guide to 2024 primary races
Primary election day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, April 23. It is a presidential election year, so voters will be picking the Democrat and Republican candidates for the role, although the results are already a given as neither faces a challenger. It’s the same case in the battle for one of...
A look at the Democratic primary between Summer Lee, Bhavini Patel
Pennsylvania’s primary election day is coming up next week and will feature one of the more interesting races as Democrats will choose between incumbent Rep. Summer Lee and challenger Bhavini Patel, an Edgewood councilwoman, in the battle for the District 12 seat in the U.S. House. TribLive reporter Ryan Deto...
In politically riven Pennsylvania, primary voters’ picks could impact policy paralysis in Harrisburg
HARRISBURG — The two parties in Pennsylvania’s state House and its congressional delegation are nearly evenly divided, and that won’t change once results are in from next week’s primary election. But come November, the candidates the parties will select April 23 for hundreds of legislative seats could alter what has...
Garland defends Biden’s mental fitness and says he has ‘complete confidence’ in him
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has shown no signs of cognitive impairment while defending Biden’s ability to serve as commander in chief. Garland, appearing before a House committee overseeing funding for the Justice Department, was answering questions on the report from...
Biden returns to his Scranton roots to pitch his plan for higher taxes on the rich
SCRANTON — President Joe Biden returned to his childhood hometown of Scranton on Tuesday to open three straight days of campaigning in Pennsylvania, capitalizing on the opportunity to work the battleground state while Donald Trump spends the week in a New York City courtroom for his first criminal trial. The...
Jewish Federation urges voters to heed mail-in ballot deadline as Passover approaches
The Pittsburgh Jewish community is reminding voters that Tuesday is the last day to request a mail-in ballot for the April 23 primary, a date with added importance this year since the Passover holiday will make it impossible for potentially thousands of Jews to vote in person on Election Day....
Cooper to face Republican challenger in 55th District primary
First-term state legislator Jill Cooper will face a primary challenge from a fellow Murrysville Republican this month. Cooper, 62, elected in 2022, will compete for the 55th District seat against Jamie Lingg, 50, who is in her first term on Murrysville Council. “There’s just some fundamental things that we’re not...
News organizations urge Biden and Trump to commit to presidential debates during the 2024 campaign
NEW YORK — Twelve news organizations on Sunday urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debates, saying they were a “rich tradition” that have been part of every general election campaign since 1976. While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination,...
Donald Trump and Lindsey Graham are again at odds, now over abortion. The strife could help both men
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The long and occasionally quixotic relationship between Donald Trump and Lindsey Graham has again turned negative after the South Carolina senator criticized the former president for refusing to support a federal abortion ban. Trump repeatedly disparaged Graham on his social media site and said he regretted endorsing...
How a hush money scandal tied to a porn star led to Trump’s first criminal trial
NEW YORK — It was the kind of tawdry tale that Donald Trump might have relished before politics: a porn actor claiming they had had sex. But on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Trump feared the story, which he says is false, would cost him votes. So, prosecutors...
