We'll be covering Pennsylvania's 2022 primary election throughout the day, including key races for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House Districts 12 and 17, and state Senate and House races. Check back frequently for updates.
1:50 a.m. - Lee declares victory, but with votes uncounted, Irwin doesn't concede
Congressional candidate Summer Lee declared victory over Steve Irwin in the bitterly contested 12th Congressional District last night. But Lee acknowledged that there are still votes to be counted in the razor-thin race — votes that county officials said would take days to be recorded — and Irwin did not concede.
In a speech around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Lee said that the victory of her campaign represented the culmination of a five-year-old movement “that centers each and every one of us, that we could get rid of the politics of old that says that Black people and brown people and women and progressives and young people and workers and unions don’t belong here."
And while Lee conceded that “we’ve still got some precincts left” to count, she told an ecstatic crowd in a Downtown shared work space, “This is the mightiest movement in the land!”
Shortly before, Irwin had made a brief appearance of his own at his campaign’s headquarters in East Liberty.
Read the full story from WESA's Chris Potter and Kate Giammarise.
12:36 a.m. - Renewable energy proponent and former County Councilor win primaries in redrawn northern suburbs
In House District 33, Democrat Mandy Steele appears to have bested Tristan McClelland to represent a swath of Allegheny County that combines affluent suburbs. WESA's Kiley Koscinski reports Cindy Kirk appears to have won a competitive Republican primary race against Tom Fodi in House District 30 – which includes sprawling Franklin Park and McCandless, along with parts of Hampton and the Ohio River communities of Kilbuck, Emsworth and Ben Avon.
11:40 p.m. - Incumbents Kinkead and Benham win primaries in Pennsylvania 20th and 36th House Districts
Two progressive, first-term incumbents have won their primaries for the Pennsylvania statehouse. WESA's Sarah Boden reports this means that state Reps. Jessica Benham and Emily Kinkead will almost certainly return to Harrisburg next year as part of the Allegheny County delegation.
Benham and Kinkead are among a group of progressive women who, in recent years, have won in Pittsburgh-area districts that previously were held by more moderate Democrats.
10:18 p.m. - Results from the 17th Congressional District race
Democrats and Republicans have picked Chris Deluzio and Jeremy Shaffer as their nominees to replace Conor Lamb in the 17th Congressional District.
The 17th includes Beaver County and a swath of the Allegheny County suburbs. Political prognosticators consider it to be a "toss-up" this fall, and the outcome of this race could help determine how high an expected Republican tide is going to rise this election year.
Deluzio, a U.S. Navy veteran who heads a cyber policy center at the University of Pittsburgh, jumped out to an early lead over Sean Meloy in mail-in balloting, and he did not lose it.
WESA's Chris Potter has the full story.
10:06 p.m. - Trump pick Doug Mastriano wins GOP nomination for governor
Doug Mastriano has won the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor, overcoming an eleventh-hour push by the state’s GOP political establishment to consolidate support around an alternative in the crowded primary.
Mastriano, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and has promoted his lies about the 2020 election, will face Democratic state Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the November general election. The incumbent, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, is term-limited.
Read more here.
9:04 p.m. - Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman wins Democratic Senate primary
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor, has won the state's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, according to a race call from The Associated Press.
The 6-foot-9 Fetterman, who often wears shorts to campaign events and has the persona of an authentic anti-politician, topped Rep. Conor Lamb in the primary.
Fetterman's win was expected despite the fact that he suffered a stroke last weekend and was not able to attend the last swing of campaign events. On Tuesday his campaign announced he was about to undergo a procedure to implant a pacemaker. Fetterman has said he'll be fine.
8:45 p.m. - Where to find WESA reporters and our partners this evening
- Sarah Schneider - @sarahschni - Monitoring state House Districts 30 and 33 (North Hills suburbs)
- Kate Giammarise – @KateGiammarise - Steve Irwin watch party
- Kiley Koscinski - @kileykoscinski – John Fetterman watch party (hosted by his wife, Giselle)
- Oliver Morrison - @ORMorrison– David McCormick watch party
- Julia Zenkevich - @juliazenkevich - Conor Lamb watch party
- Sarah Boden - @Sarah_Boden – Phone calls for state House Districts 20 and 36
- Ariel Worthy - @airreeulll – Monitoring state House Districts 19 and 24
- Brett Sholtis - @BrettSholtis - Kathy Barnette watch
- Sam Dunklau - @SamDunklau - Doug Mastriano watch party
And, of course, follow Chris Potter - @CPotterPgh - for all things Pennsylvania politics tonight.
Hey folks! I'm watching the results for Districts 19 and 24 for state reps. Those seats will replace Jake Wheatley and Mayor Ed Gainey. So far for D19 Aerion Abney is ahead of Glenn Grayson. And in D24 Martell Covington is ahead of La'Tasha Mayes and Randall Taylor.
— Ariel Worthy (@airreeulll) May 18, 2022
Gisele Fetterman has arrived along with the first few dozen supporters. Crowd skews young and white so far. “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen plays. A classic rock-heavy playlist this evening. @905wesa pic.twitter.com/GMDTwdNe3d
— Kiley Koscinski (@kileykoscinski) May 18, 2022
8:20 p.m. - Shapiro wins Democratic primary for governor
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.
8:03 p.m.: Polls close; Printing error in Lancaster County could delay counting
Polls are closed in Pennsylvania, although anyone still in line as of 8 p.m. will still be able to vote.
POLLS ARE CLOSED. County reports that there have been 90,909 mail-in and absentee ballots have been scanned. Roughly 1,000 additional mail-in ballots were brought to the County Office Building by voters who requested but didn't mail them.
— Chris Potter (@CPotterPgh) May 18, 2022
Meanwhile, a printing mistake forced local election officials in Lancaster County, Pa. to redo thousands of mailed ballots, a laborious process that could delay results for some closely contested races in Tuesday's primaries.
Republican-leaning Lancaster County said the company that printed its mailed ballots included the wrong ID code, preventing scanning machines from being able to read them. The problem involved at least 21,000 mailed ballots, only a third of which were scanning properly.
In Berks County, Pennsylvania, a judge ruled Tuesday that all polling places would remain open an hour later, until 9 p.m. Eastern, after several locations experienced technical issues with electronic pollbooks that are used to check in voters. Voters who arrive at polling places after 8 p.m. will have to cast provisional ballots rather than using voting machines.
The problems in Pennsylvania flared in a state where former President Donald Trump disputed his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 and where many Republican lawmakers have repeated his false claims of a stolen election.
The wrongly coded mail ballots drew renewed attention to a 2019 state voting law — passed with bipartisan support — that greatly expanded voting by mail, a frequent Trump target.
Local election officials throughout the state have criticized several of the law's restrictions, especially one that prevents them from processing mailed ballots before Election Day. That would allow counties to get a head-start on validating those ballots and start identifying any errors.
The Lancaster County board chairman, Ray D’Agostino, called the law “untenable” for counties trying to run elections.
County officials said the contractor, Claysburg, Pennsylvania-based NPC, sent the county test ballots with the correct ID code, but used the wrong code on the ones sent to voters. NPC did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment, but D'Agostino said the company had taken “full responsibility.”
The Pennsylvania Department of State said it was aware of the problem in Lancaster County. Spokesperson Ellen Lyon said no other counties have reported similar issues.
County election workers now must recreate voters’ choices on blank ballots and then scan those, a process expected to start Wednesday. Lancaster County, which went for Trump by about 16 percentage points over Biden in the 2020 presidential contest, had to use a similar process during primaries last year because of a printing error by a different vendor that was later fired.
Christa Miller, chief clerk of voter registration, said an elections worker will read out each voter’s choices, a second worker will record them on a blank ballot, and an observer will make sure the choices are marked correctly.
“Our main priority is accuracy and not how fast we can do something,” she said.
6:48 p.m.: Morning ballots counted; Corman to assume acting lieutenant governor duties
Allegheny County officials say 90,753 ballots have been opened and scanned. Voters still have until 8 p.m. to return their ballots to the County Office Building downtown, and a final post office pick-up will take place around 7:30 p.m.
About 100 submitted ballots that were damaged will be “recreated” on a counting machine and added to the totals.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running for U.S. Senate, had a successful surgery Tuesday afternoon, during which he was given a pacemaker. According to his campaign, Fetterman is resting at the hospital.“John continues to improve every day, and he is still on track for a full recovery,” his campaign said.
Per his wife Gisele, Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman is out of surgery. His procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator finished just before 6 p.m. A statement from his campaign describes the procedure as successful. https://t.co/HHK2TqqR0Z
— Kiley Koscinski (@kileykoscinski) May 17, 2022
During his surgery and recovery, President Pro Tempore of the state Senate Jake Corman temporarily took over Fetterman’s duties as lieutenant governor. According to Pennsylvania law, Fetterman can return to his responsibilities “four days after a written declaration is sent by his office to the General Assembly.”
4:00 p.m.: What's at stake in the U.S. Senate race
The winner of Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate race could determine control of the Senate, and therefore it’s one of the most closely watched elections this year.
The seat is currently represented by Republican Pat Toomey, who in October 2020 announced his planned retirement.
Democrats see the seat as an opportunity to defend their 50-seat majority (with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris) in what is shaping up to be a good year for the GOP. The winner could provide a critical vote on a number of issues on which Democrats have struggled to unite themselves, including the climate crisis and voting rights.
Republicans, meanwhile, want to hold the seat in order to gain control of the Senate, giving them the ability to further stymie the goals of President Joe Biden.
Read more about the candidates running for U.S. Senate.
3:15 p.m.: Fetterman to receive pacemaker following stroke
From WESA's Chris Potter:
As voting continued across the state, the campaign of Senate candidate John Fetterman announced that he "is about to undergo a standard procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator. 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."
Fetterman missed a number of campaign events this weekend before his campaign announced that he had suffered a stroke late last week. Fetterman has said that he suffered no cognitive damage and expects to make a full recovery, but the stroke has introduced even more uncertainty into an already chaotic election season.
2:51 p.m.: More on pre-canvassing in Allegheny County
Allegheny County had scanned 40,551 mail-in and absentee ballots as of 2:20 p.m., according to a county spokesperson.
The county also officially tallied up the ballots delivered by the post office today, for a total of 5,234 ballots.
2:08 p.m.: Ballot misdelivery fixed
The U.S. Postal Service accidentally delivered 200 Westmoreland County mail-in ballots to the counting facility in Allegheny County, WESA's Bill O'Driscoll reports.
Following a court order to release the ballots, Allegheny County deputies were dispatched to pick them up and deliver them to Westmoreland County. Election officials say the ballots will arrive in time to be counted.
1:43 p.m.: A dispatch from East Liberty
From Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center, WESA’s An-Li Herring reports voters trickled in and out of the polling station around mid-day. Democratic voter Ron Bennett said two issues that concern him this election season include voting and abortion rights.
“It’s pretty black and white,” the Stanton Heights resident said. “One party [the GOP] is actively trying to take away people’s voting rights and bodily autonomy, and the [Democratic] party is not.
“It comes down to just trying to control people and prevent them from having a say in the government and their own lives, really.”
Bennett said the “most effective way” to avoid the policy changes he opposes is “voting: putting people in positions of power to actually prevent these things from happening.”
12:54 p.m.: Lee and Irwin make campaign stops
WESA's Chris Potter checked in with two of the candidates for the 12th Congressional district:
Congressional candidate Summer Lee appeared alongside Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, a staunch supporter, outside Gainey's Paulson Avenue polling place around lunchtime. And as has been increasingly the case in the final weeks of the campaign, the conversation was dominated by a multi-million-dollar ad campaign from outside spending groups.
Summer Lee at Mayor Ed Gainey's polling place. Notes she couldn't vote for herself in Congress because new district lines put her JUST outside district 12 (She is eligible to run and serve.) Says race is, among other things, a chance to reject negative ads by outside superPAC. pic.twitter.com/iSBsGePmeT
— Chris Potter (@CPotterPgh) May 17, 2022
Most of that money targeted Lee, and the largest sums appear to have been spent by a group tied to a hawkish pro-Israel organization that has questioned Lee's Democratic bona fides — even while it's back scores of Republicans who sought to reverse the 2020 election.
Both Lee and Gainey decried the ads, in part for their effect on other people who might want to run for office. Gainey called the ads "unfortunate" and said they represented a form of violence.
Lee said that a victory for her campaign "would send a message: that this is not the type of politics that we accept in our party, it's not the type of politics we accept in our region."
Lee's chief rival on the race, Steve Irwin, noted to WESA during a Tuesday stop that he didn't control the messages sent by outside groups.
"We need to look at limits on what people can put into campaigns that you can't control," Irwin said. "I'd much rather have had the control over all the advertising, but I can't" — anymore than Lee could stop outside groups whose spots have criticized him.
Read more about the candidates for the 12th Congressional district.
12:00 p.m.: David McCormick at the polls in Pittsburgh
WESA's Chris Potter caught up with Republican Senate candidate David McCormick this morning:
McCormick arrived at his Chatham University polling place shortly after 11 a.m. with his wife, Dina Powell, the former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy for former President Donald Trump.
McCormick told reporters he expected a long night of counting ahead. "What people have told us is that we should expect it's going to be a late night," he said.
David McCormick talking to reporters after voting at Chatham University. Says he's ready for a long night of vote counting if that is what's in store. pic.twitter.com/fZJNOpAL2h
— Chris Potter (@CPotterPgh) May 17, 2022
Polls have shown a complicated three-way race between himself, Mehmet Oz and Kathy Barnette.
McCormick said he wasn't surprised by the uncertainty around the race.
"People told me that Pennsylvania often waits until the end to sort of zero in on things, and we've known there was a huge number of undecideds," he said."I think people have the sense that the country is going in the wrong direction, so they're angry and frustrated and they're watching. And I think they have a growing sense that this race matters so much. So I think it's appropriate that they're looking at it carefully and doing their due diligence "
11:42 a.m.: The latest on mail-in and absentee ballots
Allegheny County received an additional 4,500 to 5,000 ballots from the post office today, according to a county spokesperson. That mail is being time and date stamped.
The county began scanning ballots at 11 a.m.
11:13 a.m. — A dispatch from Allison Park
WESA's An-Li Herring visited Hosack Elementary School in Allison Park and spoke with Republican voter Mike Hammond. He said "electability" is his top priority in this election.
“This last year and a half has not been good," Hammond says. "Things just aren’t going very well right now. They talk about inflation being 8 percent. I go to the grocery store, and everything’s 100 percent. Gas is up. Something’s wrong here. So it needs to change. It really does.”
“I’m more conservative than I am Republican. I’m not crazy about some of the stuff [Republicans] do either. [But] as a party, they tend to be pro-life [and support] lower taxes. The Democrats … got nothing for me.”
10:37 a.m. — Pre-canvassing continues
According to an Allegheny County spokesperson, elections staff have opened all the mail-in and absentee privacy ballots and are now pulling out and flattening ballots. Three authorized representatives are watching the process at the county's elections warehouse.
As noted earlier, the county had received 86,515 ballots as of yesterday.
If you have a mail-in ballot and haven't already sent it in, you should hand-deliver it to your county election office by 8 p.m. today. (Some counties also have drop-off boxes; check your county’s site.)
10:07 a.m.: What's at stake in the 12th Congressional District race
For the first time in 25 years, Pittsburgh will have a new representative in Congress. Longtime U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, a Democrat, announced his retirement last fall.
At recent debate, WESA's Chris Potter reports the Democratic candidates offered only a few sharp policy contrasts, but did showcase differences in style and governing philosophy.
State Rep. Summer Lee has said Doyle’s departure gives voters the opportunity to have a more outspoken, progressive voice in Washington, DC., while local attorney Steve Irwin has said that while he would assert key Democratic principles, pragmatism is also needed to provide for the district’s needs. (Irwin has the backing of Doyle and the local Democratic establishment.) Pitt law professor Jerry Dickinson has suggested that his legal expertise could help craft legislative solutions and help work around Republican opposition.
But this election will still have a “Mike Doyle” on the ballot: A Republican by the same name is running.
Read more about the candidates here.
9:23 a.m.: Lamb weighs in on his chances in the primary, and Democrats' prospects this November
WESA's Chris Potter has more from U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb:
Speaking to reporters outside his polling place in Mt. Lebanon, Lamb described himself as an "optimist" when it came to his prospects and those of the Democrats, despite what he acknowledged "very, very challenging political environment" for Democrats this fall.
"I think the voters are trying to decide who is the most capable of waging this campaign against the Republicans this summer and fall," he said. "The Democratic Party is going to have to think really hard about how we're going to succeed." And the stakes were high, he added — "nothing less than our ability to govern the country. What the Senate has proven to be under Republican control ... is basically just a shield against policy-making on some of the most fundamental issues we have," like women's rights, the climate, and economic inequality.
And winning Pennsylvania's seat this fall, he said, was "imperative" because "there are very few opportunities, realistic ones, for the Democrats in the coming years."
But he acknowledged that many Democratic primary voters felt "frustration" about the fact that "we haven't gotten more done yet in Washington. ... Nobody shares that frustration more than a member of the House of Representatives, because we keep passing things that get stonewalled in the Senate. But the debate we've been having as a party is what we do about that."
9:03 a.m.: What's at stake in the oft-overlooked lieutenant governor's race
The lieutenant governor’s office doesn’t have a long list of official responsibilities, but the role’s gravity transcends its historically low profile (scandal and star power notwithstanding), Emily Previti reports for WESA.
In addition to refereeing the state Senate, the LG chairs the Board of Pardons and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The job also requires keeping tabs on local government agencies across the diverse, massive Keystone State.
All those tasks have amassed more import in recent years since the role’s relevance was questioned. And the position’s significance seems poised to grow on the heels of the pandemic and a chaotic 2020 election (and startlingly unaffected redistricting process) — not to mention the Board of Pardons’ significance in desperately needed criminal justice reforms.
And, maybe, this year's winner will someday be needed to cast the state Senate's tie-breaking vote.
Read more about the candidates for lieutenant governor.
8:38 a.m.: Call-offs due to COVID, no Shapiro visit tonight
Allegheny County officials have reported only scattered problems with polling, which are typical early on an election day, WESA's Chris Potter reports. Polls opened late at locations in Pittsburgh, East Pittsburgh, West Deer and Monroeville, the county said shortly after 8. It also was sending reserve poll workers to some locations where officials received "call-offs due to COVID."
In another COVID-related call-off, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro will not be visiting Pittsburgh for an Election Night gathering with state Rep. Austin Davis, who Shapiro hopes votes will nominate to be his running mate as lieutenant governor.
Shapiro, who is currently the state's Attorney General, sent out a tweet saying that he tested positive for COVID last night when he took a precautionary test. "I'm experiencing some mild symptoms and will continue serving the people of Pennsylvania as I isolate at home."
Last night, after taking a precautionary test before heading to Johnstown and Pittsburgh, I tested positive for COVID-19.
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) May 17, 2022
I’m experiencing some mild symptoms and will continue serving the people of Pennsylvania as I isolate at home.
8:13 a.m.: Conor Lamb makes an appearance
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, who is running for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary, showed up outside his polling place this morning to talk with reporters.
Lamb already voted by mail, according to WESA's Chris Potter.
Conor Lamb meets with reporters outside his Mt. Lebanon polling place. 'The Democratic Party is going to have to think very very hard about how it will succeed" in a tough election year he says. pic.twitter.com/vF0jww2qb7
— Chris Potter (@CPotterPgh) May 17, 2022
Gisele Fetterman, Pennsylvania's second lady, was scheduled to vote later this morning in Braddock.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running against Lamb, remains in the hospital after suffering a stroke on Friday. Fetterman said in a statement Sunday that doctors believe he's on his way to making “a full recovery.”
8:05 a.m.: A dispatch from Squirrel Hill
WESA's An-Li Herring reports the Temple Sinai polling place in Squirrel Hill was quiet this morning shortly after polls opened.
Democratic voter Natasha Berman, who works in health care as a genetic counselor, says her top issues are abortion rights, public health and general social equity.
"I think it's really important to be part of the process," Berman says. "But I think specifically a lot of the things that I felt were really important were things like making sure that reproductive rights were being protected, and then I also think really trying to reinforce that we're making good public health choices."
7:46 a.m.: What's at stake in the Pennsylvania governor's race
The gubernatorial race may well reshape state law on issues ranging from abortion rights to gun control and voting rights, as WESA's Kate Giammarise writes.
If Republicans keep their majorities in the state legislature, a GOP governor would give them full control over state government; a Democratic governor would continue the divided government the state has had since 2015.
Along with legislative leaders, the governor has a major hand in crafting the state’s multi-billion-dollar budget, setting priorities for spending on K-12 education, higher ed, corrections, social programs, and more.
While there are nine Republicans on the ballot, two — Jake Corman and Melissa Hart — dropped out in recent days and endorsed former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, in an attempt to counter state Sen. Doug Mastriano. Mastriano was endorsed by former President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Josh Shapiro, currently the state's attorney general, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Learn more about the candidates for governor with the WESA Voter Guide.
7:12 am.: The latest on local mail-in ballots
This morning, Allegheny County workers will begin preparing mail-in ballots — some 86,515 of which had been received out of 123,567 approved as of Monday afternoon — to be scanned this evening.
Officials say the first results from those ballots should be available shortly after polls close tonight.
7:00 a.m.: Polls are now open
All of the county’s more than 1,300 polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. today. Those in line at 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote.
An important note: 33 polling places in Allegheny County have changed since the last general election. So, confirming your polling place isn't a bad idea! You can find it at the Pennsylvania Department of State's site.
6:32 a.m.: All eyes on Pennsylvania's governor and Senate race
NPR's Deepa Shivaram and Don Gonyea highlight the 10 primary races to watch today. Pennsylvania's race for U.S. Senate ranks 1st on their list, while the governor race is 3rd. As they write on the Senate race:
"Thanks to the retirement of Republican Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania has an open Senate seat for the first time in a dozen years. And this race has had more than its share of plot twists — including two Donald Trump endorsements over the past nine months."
Read their full roundup.
Beyond Pennsylvania, there are primaries in Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and North Carolina.
6:15 a.m.: What's on the ballot today
Pennsylvania's Republican and Democratic voters cast ballots in their party's primaries today, selecting champions for what will be a crucial November election up and down the ballot. The outcome this fall will decide who controls the governor's mansion, and could reshape the U.S. Senate and House..
On the state level, every seat in the state House is up for grabs, with competitive primary fights in a number of seats across the region.
6:00 a.m. — Election Day is here
Morning! Grab a cup of coffee and dig into the WESA Voter Guide for overviews of what's at stake in today's election, as well as profiles of candidates running in competitive primaries.
A statewide redistricting earlier this year means you may find yourself in new legislative districts at both the state and federal level: Allegheny County offers voters a chance to review sample ballots for your voting ward and district here.
Need a reminder of where you should vote? You can find your polling place at the Pennsylvania Department of State website.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. this evening. Voters in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
