Pennsylvania may soon join the few states ready to welcome flying cars. State Sen. Marty Flynn from the 22nd District has reintroduced Senate Bill 1077, also known as the Jetsons Act, during the 2025-2026 Regular Session.
The proposal amends Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, creating a new legal category for roadable aircraft. These vehicles would have the unique ability to operate both on public roads as motor vehicles and in the air as aircraft.
The legislation was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on Nov. 5, 2025. Although a similar version failed to pass last session, Flynn remains committed to positioning Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced transportation technology. He believes that laying the groundwork now will allow the state to adapt quickly when these vehicles become commercially viable.
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Lawmakers hope clear rules today will make tomorrow’s skyways as safe as the highways below.(Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Why this bill matters
Technology is advancing faster than most laws can keep up. The rise of advanced air mobility is blurring the line between cars and aircraft.
Several companies, including Alef Aeronautics, Samson Sky and CycloTech, are developing vehicles that can take off vertically or transform from cars to small aircraft within minutes.
Some states are already laying the groundwork for this new era. Minnesota and New Hampshire have passed legislation formally recognizing “roadable aircraft,” making them the first states to treat flying cars as both vehicles and aircraft under state law. Pennsylvania now hopes to follow their lead with its own version through Senator Marty Flynn’s Jetsons Act.
At the same time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun approving real-world tests. In 2023, the FAA granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate to SpaceX-backed Alef Aeronautics for its Model A prototype, allowing it to operate on roads and in the air for research and development. That approval marked the first time a flying car received official clearance for combined ground and flight testing in the United States.
Senator Flynn wants Pennsylvania to be part of this growing national conversation. In his co-sponsorship memo, he explained that proactive legislation will help the state prepare for the next wave of innovation.
The Alef flying car is made of ultra light material, allowing it to fly and drive on roads.(Alef Aeronautics)
How the Jetsons Act would work
Under Senate Bill 1077, Pennsylvania would officially define a “roadable aircraft” as a hybrid vehicle capable of both driving and flying. These vehicles would need to register with the state, display a unique registration plate and meet standard inspection requirements. When operated on highways or city streets, they would be subject to the same rules as other vehicles. When used in flight, they would remain under federal aviation oversight.
The bill also clarifies how drivers and pilots must transition between ground and air operations safely. It allows take-offs and landings only in approved areas, except during emergencies. Flynn emphasizes that clear definitions and consistent oversight will prevent confusion for both motorists and law enforcement. He hopes this clarity will also encourage manufacturers to consider Pennsylvania a test site for future flying car technologies.
Pennsylvania’s Jetsons Act aims to prepare the state for the future of flying cars before they take off.(CycloTech)
What this means for you
If you live in Pennsylvania, this bill could one day change how you think about personal transportation. While flying cars remain in development, legislation like this sets the stage for their eventual arrival. Drivers may one day register, inspect and insure a flying car just like a regular vehicle. Pilots could use the same roadways to reach take-off zones before switching to flight mode.
Even for residents who never plan to own a flying car, the ripple effects could be significant. New rules may influence local zoning, airspace management and infrastructure planning. Communities might see new vertiports or designated landing pads as part of urban development. Insurance companies and safety regulators will need to rethink how they handle this new class of hybrid travel.
The bill also signals a broader change in how states approach innovation. Rather than waiting for federal action, Pennsylvania wants to establish a framework that welcomes new technologies while protecting public safety.
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Senator Flynn’s Jetsons Act might sound futuristic, but it reflects a growing reality in transportation. As autonomous vehicles, drones and hybrid aircraft evolve, state governments must adapt to keep up. This legislation shows Pennsylvania’s willingness to lead rather than follow. While it may take years before you see a flying car parked in your driveway, the groundwork is already being laid. Lawmakers are thinking ahead about licensing, safety and how to integrate flying cars into existing traffic systems. That forward-thinking approach could one day make Pennsylvania one of the first states to see cars take to the sky.
Do you think flying cars will ever be for everyday folks, or will they stay a luxury reserved for the wealthy? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
More than 1,000 unionized Starbucks workers went on strike at 65 U.S. stores Thursday to protest a lack of progress in labor negotiations with the company.
The strike was intended to disrupt Starbucks’ Red Cup Day, which is typically one of the company’s busiest days of the year. Since 2018, Starbucks has given out free, reusable cups on that day to customers who buy a holiday drink. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing baristas, said Thursday morning that the strike had already closed some stores and was expected to force more to close later in the day.
Starbucks Workers United said stores in 45 cities would be impacted, including New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Diego, St. Louis, Dallas, Columbus, Ohio, and Starbucks’ home city of Seattle. There is no date set for the strike to end, and more stores are prepared to join if Starbucks doesn’t reach a contract agreement with the union, organizers said.
Starbucks emphasized that the vast majority of its U.S. stores would be open and operating as usual Thursday. The coffee giant has 10,000 company-owned stores in the U.S., as well as 7,000 licensed locations in places like grocery stores and airports.
As of noon Thursday on the East Coast, Starbucks said it was on track to meet or exceed its sales expectations for the day at its company-owned stores.
“The day is off to an incredible start,” the company said in a statement.
Around 550 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores are currently unionized. More have voted to unionize, but Starbucks closed 59 unionized stores in September as part of a larger reorganization campaign.
Here’s what’s behind the strike.
A stalled contract agreement
Striking workers say they’re protesting because Starbucks has yet to reach a contract agreement with the union. Starbucks workers first voted to unionize at a store in Buffalo in 2021. In December 2023, Starbucks vowed to finalize an agreement by the end of 2024. But in August of last year, the company ousted Laxman Narasimhan, the CEO who made that promise. The union said progress has stalled under Brian Niccol, the company’s current chairman and CEO. The two sides haven’t been at the bargaining table since April.
Workers want higher pay, better hours
Workers say they’re seeking better hours and improved staffing in stores, where they say long customer wait times are routine. They also want higher pay, pointing out that executives like Niccol are making millions and the company spent $81 million in June on a conference in Las Vegas for 14,000 store managers and regional leaders.
Dochi Spoltore, a barista from Pittsburgh, said in a union conference call Thursday that it’s hard for workers to be assigned more than 19 hours per week, which leaves them short of the 20 hours they would need to be eligible for Starbucks’ benefits. Spoltore said she makes $16 per hour.
“I want Starbucks to succeed. My livelihood depends on it,” Spoltore said. “We’re proud of our work, but we’re tired of being treated like we’re disposable.”
The union also wants the company to resolve hundreds of unfair labor practice charges filed by workers, who say the company has fired baristas in retaliation for unionizing and has failed to bargain over changes in policy that workers must enforce, like its decision earlier this year to limit restroom use to paying customers.
Starbucks stands by its wages and benefits
Starbucks says it offers the best wage and benefit package in retail, worth an average of $30 per hour. Among the company’s benefits are up to 18 weeks of paid family leave and 100% tuition coverage for a four-year college degree. In a letter to employees last week, Starbucks’ Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly said the union walked away from the bargaining table in the spring.
Kelly said some of the union’s proposals would significantly alter Starbucks’ operations, such as giving workers the ability to shut down mobile ordering if a store has more than five orders in the queue.
Kelly said Starbucks remained ready to talk and “believes we can move quickly to a reasonable deal.” Kelly also said surveys showed that most employees like working for the company, and its barista turnover rates are half the industry average.
Limited locations with high visibility
Unionized workers have gone on strike at Starbucks before. In 2022 and 2023, workers walked off the job on Red Cup Day. Last year, a five-day strike ahead of Christmas closed 59 U.S. stores. Each time, Starbucks said the disruption to its operations was minimal. Starbucks Workers United said the new strike is open-ended and could spread to many more unionized locations.
The number of non-union Starbucks locations dwarfs the number of unionized ones. But Todd Vachon, a union expert at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, said any strike could be highly visible and educate the public on baristas’ concerns.
Unlike manufacturers, Vachon said, retail industries depend on the connection between their employees and their customers. That makes shaming a potentially powerful weapon in the union’s arsenal, he said.
Improving sales
Starbucks’ same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, rose 1% in the July-September period. It was the first time in nearly two years that the company had posted an increase. In his first year at the company, Niccol set new hospitality standards, redesigned stores to be cozier and more welcoming, and adjusted staffing levels to better handle peak hours.
Starbucks also is trying to prioritize in-store orders over mobile ones. Last week, the company’s holiday drink rollout in the U.S. was so successful that it almost immediately sold out of its glass Bearista cup. Starbucks said demand for the cup exceeded its expectations, but it wouldn’t say if the Bearista will return before the holidays are over.
The number of people killed in car crashes fell to a near-record low in Pennsylvania last year, but speeding and alcohol remain the most common factors in fatal collisions across the state, according to data from PennDOT
The state’s annual report on vehicle crashes breaks down trends in road behavior and the circumstances that most often result in crashes. Pennsylvania had 110,765 reportable traffic crashes in 2024, resulting in 1,127 deaths. Total crashes increased by 383 compared with 2023 — causing a higher number of injuries — but there were 82 fewer deaths.
Last year marked the second-lowest number of crash deaths in Pennsylvania since records were first kept in 1928. The record low was 1,059 fatalities in 2019. The state’s peak in traffic fatalities occurred in 1973, when 2,444 people were killed. The state recorded more than 2,000 traffic deaths every year from 1965 to 1981, but has only surpassed that mark once since then in 1987.
Among all fatal crashes last year, speeding was a factor in the deaths of 357 people — about 32% of all fatalities. Alcohol was involved in crashes that claimed 244 lives, making up about 22% of fatalities last year.
Alcohol-related deaths declined from 308 in 2023, but PennDOT noted such crashes were nearly 3 1/2 times more likely to result in deadly injuries than those unrelated to drinking.
About 72% of the fatal crashes involving alcohol last year were attributed to men driving under the influence. Nearly 75% of those who died were people driving drunk, and 90% of the fatalities involving alcohol occurred in vehicles driven by someone under the influence.
PennDOT said the state has seen an improvement in the number of crash deaths involving underage drinking. Among people between 16 and 20 years old, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 8% of driver deaths last year. That’s down from 10% in 2023 and 23% in 2022 among that age group.
Heavier traffic on the days surrounding major federal holidays contributed to a total of 13,103 crashes in Pennsylvania last year. There were 152 deaths during those periods, accounting for roughly 13% of total traffic deaths in 2024. The day before Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day accounted for the most crashes, but travel around Labor Day was tied to more deaths than any other holiday last year.
The report notes that 9% of all holiday crashes involved alcohol use last year, but 30% of traffic deaths during holiday weekends were alcohol-related.
Behind speeding, the most common causes of crashes in Pennsylvania last year were improper turns, distracted driving and violations of traffic laws at signals and other stops.
More than 46% of people killed in fatal crashes last year were not wearing seat belts, the report said.
PennDOT also noted a two-year trend of increasing crashes between cars and bicycles. There were 1,271 crashes last year, up from 810 in 2022 and 1,100 in 2023. The crashes last year resulted in the deaths of 19 cyclists, and 107 bicyclists were killed in crashes statewide from 2020 through 2024. Collisions between cars and pedestrians were down last year, falling to 3,035 from 3,199 in 2023. There were 174 pedestrians killed by cars in 2024 and a total of 872 pedestrians killed in crashes during the five-year period ending last year.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll called the decrease in traffic fatalities last year “good news,” but said the state must continue to invest in education and outreach to improve road safety.
“We will only get to zero fatalities when everyone works together,” Carroll said in a statement after the report was released earlier this year. “Please pay attention when you are driving, always follow the speed limit, and never drive impaired.”
The disruption of the closure, clocking in at 43 days, varied in its impact. Some people, like unpaid federal workers, were immediately and directly affected. Others included recipients of federal funding through programs like Head Start and food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
As the shutdown progressed, effects rippled. Delays and flight cancellations started racking up for passengers as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cut back on flights because of air traffic controller shortages. There were closures at Smithsonian museum sites and the National Zoo (although the animals still got fed).
That’s a lot of programs, agencies and systems. Reclaiming “normal” won’t be instantaneous. Here’s a guide to what reopening looks like:
WHAT HAPPENED: About 1.25 million federal workers haven’t been paid since Oct. 1, missing about $16 billion in wages, according to official estimates. The workers were either furloughed or worked without pay in agencies across the federal government. Many struggled to make ends meet during that time, and the regional economy around Washington, D.C., took a hit.
WHAT NOW: The Office of Personnel Management, which manages the civil service, posted on X that federal workers were expected to be back Thursday, saying that “employees are expected to begin the workday on time. Normal operating procedures are in effect.” The pay owed to the workers will come in by Nov. 19. The money will go out in four separate tranches, depending on the agency, according to a senior administration official.
WHAT NOW: A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said Thursday that an agency within HHS will “work swiftly to administer annual awards,” but no timeline was given. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, said it could take until mid-December or longer. Wolfe said recipients should still submit applications and tell utility companies they’re waiting for the funds. It’s trickier for people who rely on oil and propane because typically there are no protections. Recipients should check with their state; Vermont backfilled funding and Connecticut has pledged to cover the cost.
WHAT HAPPENED: The shutdown caused significant disruptions in aviation, with more and more unpaid air traffic controllers missing work as they dealt with the financial pressures and some of them picked up side jobs. Those staff shortages, combined with some troubling safety data, prompted the government to order airlines to cut some of their flights over the past week to relieve pressure on the system.
WHAT NOW: Those cuts aren’t increasing right now, but the Federal Aviation Administration won’t lift the order until safety metrics improve. Airlines say they expect to resume normal operations quickly after that. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that controllers and other FAA employees should receive 70% of their back pay within 24-48 hours of the end of the shutdown, with the rest to come.
Federal social programs: SNAP
WHAT HAPPENED: Among the most high-profile impacts of the shutdown was on the SNAP program, which serves around 42 million people — about 1 in 8 Americans — in lower-income households. A series of court rulings and shifting policies from the Trump administration led to a patchwork distribution of November benefits. While some states had already issued full benefits, about two-thirds of states had issued only partial benefits or none at all.
WHAT NOW: On Thursday, state officials said they were working quickly to get full benefits to the millions of people who missed their regular monthly payments. Some states said SNAP recipients should receive their full monthly benefits starting Thursday or Friday, though it could take up to a week.
Federal social programs: Head Start
WHAT HAPPENED: When it comes to Head Start, the shutdown had held up the distribution of federal grant payments. Some affected centers remained open by furloughing portions of their staff or tapping into emergency reserves. Others were forced to close, shutting down child care for thousands of families. Head Start serves children from birth to age 5 who come from families that qualify for federal low-income guidelines, are homeless or receive public assistance. The program provides preschool education as well as developmental screenings and free meals.
WHAT NOW: The Office of Head Start will expedite funding and directly contact the impacted programs to share a timeline of when they can expect federal money, said Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The office is already operating at a reduced capacity after experiencing substantial layoffs earlier this year. But even when programs receive their money, program leaders worry of staffing shortages if too many furloughed employees already found other jobs. Some advocates said it could take several weeks for some of the programs across the country to receive funding and restore operations.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Internal Revenue Service had closed walk-in assistance centers.
WHAT NOW: The centers are being reopened. The agency said all tax deadlines remain in effect but a backlog of paper correspondence developed during the shutdown, so responses will be delayed. Social Security recipients continued receiving payments throughout the shutdown. Local offices also remained open, though they had temporarily suspended a few services, including replacing Medicare cards and updating earnings records.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Education Department laid off 466 Education Department staffers in the cross-government firings meant to pressure Democratic lawmakers over the shutdown. Those layoffs had been halted by a federal judge. The department furloughed 2,117 employees at the start of the shutdown, but some were brought back for essential work. New grants were also put on hold during the shutdown. Most school districts received the bulk of their federal funding over the summer, but some grants have been delayed.
WHAT NOW: The department said Thursday it had brought back all furloughed staff members or those dismissed in the Trump administration’s mass firings. Recipients of Impact Aid, which boosts the budgets of districts with large amounts of federal land that can’t be taxed for local schools, were waiting to learn when their payments would be processed.
WHAT HAPPENED: Members of the U.S. military dealt with weeks of anxiety over whether they would get paid as they continued working. The Trump administration ultimately found ways to pay troops for the two pay periods during the closure. But the process was fraught; the administration located the money just days before each paycheck. Pay arrived days later than usual for many service members with early direct deposit, disrupting their ability to pay bills and forcing some to pay late fees or rack up debt. Reimbursements for the cost of moving between bases, which affects roughly 400,000 military families each year, were paused during the shutdown, advocates said. And weekend drills for many reservists were canceled, eliminating a chunk of pay that can be several hundred dollars each month.
WHAT NOW: Civilians in the Defense Department began returning Thursday. According to a memo provided to The Associated Press, the Air Force said civilians could take a day of administrative leave or work remotely for up to a week. Several military officials said the impacts on active-duty troops have been minimal.
WHAT HAPPENED: The country’s national parks largely stayed open through the shutdown with limited staffing. Outside groups and state governments had picked up the tab during the shutdown to keep visitor centers running and help with trash cleanup at many parks. And the Trump administration tapped into previously collected entrance fees to pay for cleaning restrooms and other basic services. But the efforts didn’t stop vandals from defacing rock features along Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park in Utah and toppling a stone wall at Devil’s Den in Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.
WHAT NOW: National Park Service employees were ordered back to work Thursday. It will take time for rangers to fully assess parks, including backcountry areas, and more damage could yet be discovered, said Kristen Brengel with the National Parks Conservation Association. No fees were collected during the shutdown, costing parks almost $1 million a day in lost revenue.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Smithsonian buildings and the National Zoo were first closed Oct. 12. They are typically open every day except Christmas. The 20 sites together hosted more than 16 million people last year, and the organization has more than 3,600 federal employees. While the zoo has been closed, the popular livestream feeds capturing the famous giant pandas g were offline. The normally active social media pages sharing animal updates and colorful photographs were silent. The animals continue to be fed and get care.
WHAT NOW: Two of the Smithsonian’s museums along the National Mall – American History and Air and Space – were to reopen Friday. The organization says on its website that the rest of the Smithsonian’s sites across the Washington area and New York will reopen by Monday on a rolling basis.
Associated Press journalists Tia Goldenberg, David A. Lieb, Makiya Seminera, Susan Haigh, Josh Funk, R.J. Rico, Annie Ma, Ben Finley, Konstantin Toropin, Matthew Brown and Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from around the country.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman had what his office says was a “ventricular fibrillation flare-up” that caused him to feel light-headed and fall during an early morning walk Thursday.
Fetterman was doing well and hospitalized in Pittsburgh, his office said. He sustained minor injuries to his face and was under “routine observation” at the hospital while doctors fine-tune his medication regimen, his office said.
Cardiomyopathy can impede blood flow and potentially cause heartbeats so irregular they can be fatal. Atrial fibrillation can cause blood to pool inside a pocket of the heart, allowing clots to form. Clots then can break off, get stuck and cut off blood, causing a stroke.
Fetterman has said the stroke was atrial fibrillation. Fetterman, 55, underwent surgery after the stroke to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator to manage the condition.
The lingering effects of his stroke include diminished auditory processing speed, called auditory processing disorder, which makes it harder to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation into meaning.
Weeks after joining the Senate in 2023, Fetterman checked himself into the hospital for clinical depression. He was released six weeks later and has since urged people who are depressed to get professional help.
Post-stroke depression is common and treatable through medication and talk therapy, doctors say.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a day, at least, beleaguered Democrats are hopeful again. But just beneath the party’s relief at securing its first big electoral wins since last November’s drubbing lay unresolved questions about its direction heading into next year’s midterm elections.
The Election Day romp of Republicans stretched from deep-blue New York and California to swing states Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There were signs that key voting groups, including young people, Black voters and Hispanics who shifted toward President Donald Trump’s Republican Party just a year ago, may be shifting back. And Democratic leaders across the political spectrum coalesced behind a simple message focused on Trump’s failure to address rising costs and everyday kitchen table issues.
The dominant performance sparked a new round of debate among the party’s establishment-minded pragmatists and fiery progressives over which approach led to Tuesday’s victories, and which path to take into the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections and beyond. The lessons Democrats learn from the victories will help determine the party’s leading message and messengers next year — when elections will decide the balance of power in Congress for the second half of Trump’s term — and potentially in the 2028 presidential race, which has already entered its earliest stages.
People cheer as Democrat Abigail Spanberger walks out on stage after she was declared the winner of the Virginia governor’s race during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
People cheer as Democrat Abigail Spanberger walks out on stage after she was declared the winner of the Virginia governor’s race during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
“Of course, there’s a division within the Democratic Party. There’s no secret,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference about the election results.
Sanders and his chief political strategist pointed to the success of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as a model for Democrats across the country. But Rep. Suzan Del Bene, who leads the House Democrats’ midterm campaign strategy, avoided saying Mamdani’s name when asked about his success.
Del Bene instead cheered the moderate approach adopted by Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in successful races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey as a more viable track for candidates outside of a Democratic stronghold like New York City.
“New York is bright blue … and the path to the majority in the House is going to be through purple districts,” she told The Associated Press. “The people of Arizona, Iowa and Nebraska aren’t focused on the mayor of New York.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a likely Democratic presidential prospect who campaigned alongside Democrats in several states leading up to Tuesday’s elections, noted the candidates hit on a common issue that resonated with voters, regardless of location.
“All of these candidates who won in these different states were focused on peoples’ everyday needs,” Shapiro said. “And you saw voters in every one of those states and cities showing up to send a clear message to Donald Trump that they’re rejecting his chaos.”
Intraparty criticism
Amid Democrats’ celebratory phone calls and news conferences, members of the party’s different wings had some sharp critiques for each other.
While Shapiro cheered the party’s success during a Wednesday interview, he also acknowledged concerns about Mamdani in New York.
Shapiro, one of the nation’s most prominent Jewish elected leaders, said he’s not comfortable with some of Mamdani’s comments on Israel. The New York mayor-elect, a Muslim, has described Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks as “genocide” against the Palestinian people and has been slow to condemn rhetoric linked to anti-Semitism.
“I’ve expressed that to him personally. We’ve had good private communications,” Shapiro said of his concerns. “And I hope, as he did last night in his victory speech, that he’ll be a mayor that protects all New Yorkers and tries to bring people together.”
Meanwhile, Sanders’ political strategist, Faiz Shakir, warned Democrats against embracing “cookie cutter campaigns that say nothing and do nothing” — a reference to centrist Democrats Spanberger and Sherrill.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who defeated democratic socialist Omar Fateh to win a third term, said at a news conference Wednesday that “we have to love our city more than our ideology.”
“We need to be doing everything possible to push back on authoritarianism and what Donald Trump is doing,” Frey said. “And at the same time, the opposite of Donald Trump extremism is not the opposite extreme.”
Signs welcomes voters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Del Mar, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Signs welcomes voters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Del Mar, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Democrats win everywhere
Despite potential cracks in the Democratic coalition, it’s hard to understate the extent of the party’s electoral success.
In Georgia, two Democrats cruised to wins over Republican incumbents in elections to the state Public Service Commission, delivering the largest statewide margins of victory by Democrats in more than 20 years.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept not only three state Supreme Court races, but every county seat in presidential swing counties like Bucks and Erie Counties, including sheriffs. Bucks County elected its first Democratic district attorney as Democrats there also won key school board races and county judgeships.
Maine voters defeated a Republican-backed measure that would have mandated showing an ID at the polls. Colorado approved raising taxes on people earning more than $300,000 annually to fund school meal programs and food assistance for low-income state residents. And California voters overwhelmingly backed a charge led by Gov. Gavin Newsom to redraw its congressional map to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections.
Key groups coming back to Democrats
Trump made inroads with Black and Hispanic voters in 2024. But this week, Democrats scored strong performances with non-white voters in New Jersey and Virginia that offered promise.
About 7 in 10 voters in New Jersey were white, according to the AP Voter Poll. And Sherrill won about half that group. But she made up for her relative weakness with whites with a strong showing among Black, Hispanic and Asian voters.
The vast majority — about 9 in 10 — of Black voters supported Sherrill, as did about 8 in 10 Asian voters.
Hispanic voters in New Jersey were more divided, but about two-thirds supported Sherrill; only about 3 in 10 voted for the Republican nominee, Jack Ciattarelli.
The pattern was similar in Virginia, where Spanberger performed well among Black voters, Hispanic voters and Asian voters, even though she didn’t win a majority of white voters.
This combination of photos taken on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, shows Abigail Spanberger in Richmond, Va., left, Zohran Mamdani in New York, center, and Mikie Sherrill in East Brunswick, N.J. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Yuki Iwamura and Matt Rourke)
This combination of photos taken on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, shows Abigail Spanberger in Richmond, Va., left, Zohran Mamdani in New York, center, and Mikie Sherrill in East Brunswick, N.J. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Yuki Iwamura and Matt Rourke)
Democrats will soon face a choice
The debate over the party’s future is already starting to play out in key midterm elections where Democrats have just begun intra-party primary contests.
The choice is stark in Maine’s high-stakes Senate race, where Democrats will pick from a field that features establishment favorite, Gov. Jan Mills, and Sanders-endorsed populist Graham Platner. A similar dynamic could play out in key contests across Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Michigan.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is aligned with the progressive wing of the party, said the people he speaks to are demanding bold action to address their economic concerns.
“Folks are so frustrated by how hard its become to afford a dignified life here in Michigan and across the country,” he said.
“I’m sure the corporate donors don’t want us to push too hard,” El-Sayed continued. “My worry is the very same people who told us we were just fine in 2024 will miss the mandate.”
___
Associated Press reporter Mike Catalini in Newark and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed.
A lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security by the brother of Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant who died at a Central Pennsylvania detention facility.
At the Moshannon Valley Processing Center on Aug. 5, Ge was found dead in a shower stallwith a cloth wrapped around his neck and with his legs and hands tied behind his back, according to the lawsuit.
Yangeng Ge, the detainee’s brother, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claiming federal officials unlawfully ignored his Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers about his brother’s death.
ICE’s Detainee Death Report for the inmate lists that he was brought to MVPC on July 31 after being convicted of accessing an electronic device issued to another who did not authorize use. It also lists the emergency procedures that officials took after finding Ge unresponsive.
David Rankin, a lawyer with New York-based law firm Beldock Levine & Hoffman, who is representing Ge’s family on the case, refuted this information in an emailed statement. He said he understood Ge was held at the facility for “a number of months.”
“We do not understand the information about how long he was at MVPC to be correct — which makes the whole report highly suspect,” Rankin said via email. “A chronology of what happened after they discovered him does not shed light on why it happened. … Hopefully standing up and demanding transparency will encourage others to do the same. The more we can shed light on what happens at MVPC the better.”
ICE said it “cannot comment on pending litigation.”
The lawsuit claims Ge felt isolated in MVPC because no one in the facility spoke Mandarin and the staff made no effort to communicate with him. Rankin said this allegation was corroborated by interviews with people who left the facility and medical records.
Yangeng Ge filed a FOIA request through his attorneys on Sept. 9 seeking information about his brother’s detention including details about the conditions of the facility, his treatment by personnel and the circumstances of his death, the lawsuit said.
On Sept. 15, Yangeng Ge said he received confirmation from the U.S. Postal Service that ICE received the request, but he said it went “unlawfully ignored” because the agency was required to inform him whether hey would comply within 20 days of receipt.
“The government is so committed to keeping the public in the dark about what is happening at these detention centers that it is willing to violate the law,” Jeremy Ravinsky, associate attorney at Beldock Levine & Hoffman, said in a statement. “This lawsuit calls for much needed transparency into how the government is treating detainees.”
Yangeng Geis seeking injunctive relief and for the agencies to release all records pertaining to his brother’s detention and death.
“I am devastated by the loss of my brother and by the knowledge that he was suffering so greatly in that detention center,” he said in a statement. “He did not deserve to be treated that way. I want justice for my brother, answers as to how this could have happened and accountability for those responsible for his death.”
A fall getaway to Milford, PA guarantees more than stunning scenery: chase waterfalls, explore winding trails backdropped by autumn leaves, shop your way through a charming historic downtown, and linger over dinner in cozy historic taverns. This small Pennsylvania town deserves to be on your bucket list.
Exploring Milford, Pennsylvania in the Fall
Hotel Fauchere’s serene garden courtyard features a flowing fountain and complimentary beach cruisers for exploring Milford | Photo: Better Living
There aren’t many places where you can sip coffee in a famous Michelin-key hotel, discover Pennsylvania’s tallest waterfall, explore Gilded Age mansions, and eat in a restored 19th-century gristmill next to a 24-foot waterwheel all in an afternoon. In Milford, PA, you can.
First settled in 1796 and known as the “Gateway to the Poconos,” Milford is the perfect blend of natural beauty, centuries-old charm, and small-town warmth. With a historic downtown featuring over 400 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places within a half mile, you can shop small, go antiquing, eat in cozy historic taverns, and discover museums housing some of America’s most important artifacts.
Only 75 miles from NYC, Milford sits on the edge of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, hugged by the Delaware River where you can hike, bike, and kayak your way through over 70,000 glorious acres. With quick access to some of the most scenic trails and waterfalls in the Poconos, Milford’s location makes it one of the best day trips from Philadelphia for nature lovers.
On our getaway here, we found fall brings out Milford’s best: crisp air, colorful foliage, cozy streets, and postcard-worthy views. If you’re planning a weekend getaway from Philadelphia, Milford should be at the top of your list. Here’s where we stayed, what we did, and what we ate while exploring this charming destination.
Where to Stay in Milford, PA
Milford’s boutique hotels and inns offer more than a place to rest – they’re part of the experience.
Hotel Fauchère
Hotel Fauchere’s iconic facade glows on a fall evening in downtown Milford | Photo: Better Living
For luxury with a legacy, Milord’s famous Hotel Fauchere has been drawing travelers, notable figures and celebrities to Milford since the 1800s. And if you like quiet, historic boutique properties like we do, you’ll love it.
In the heart of Milford’s historic district, it was first founded as a summer retreat and side hustle by Louis Fauchère in 1852, a Swiss born master chef who made a name for himself Delmonico’s, the US’s first fine dining restaurant in New York City. The first one to introduce fine dining to town.
Recently awarded a prestigious Michelin key, Hotel Fauchere offers a relaxed and intimate retreat known for its elegant accommodations, personalized service, and its two fine dining restaurants – Bar Louis open for dinner and the Delmonico Room open for brunch on Sundays. The hotel’s current building, with a sweeping covered porch where you can relax with a book or dine in style, dates back to 1880.
Unwind on your private balcony with a firepit and sweeping views of Milford’s autumn colors | Photo: Better Living
And with only 16 cozy rooms and suites, this quiet property is the perfect place to recharge.
The rooms here have lush modern comforts like plush beds, Carrera marble and Pennsylvania bluestone bathrooms, radiant-heated bathroom floors, Frette linens, and modern decor that elegantly blends with vintage accents.
While meticulously restored with the hotel’s original grand historic charm, modern amenities like smart TV’s and free WIFI will keep you connected to the present.
Some of our favorite features in our room were the Nespresso machine, the warming towel racks and our private balcony with a firepit. With a glass of wine, it was the coziest way to unwind on a fall evening.
Outside the room, the sunlit library is the perfect spot for reading or doing a puzzle. Or head outside to their serene garden with flowing outdoor fountain, where complimentary yoga is offered to guests on Saturdays.
Start your day with Hotel Fauchere’s complimentary breakfast buffet featuring eggs, pastries, and their famous homemade yogurt | Photo: Better Living
Even night owls will love waking up here. Each morning, a complimentary buffet breakfast is served here daily with eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, fruit, and freshly baked croissants.
A special treat we couldn’t get enough of is their homemade vanilla yogurt and granola. To get a caffeine fix, a coffee bar with Starbucks coffee is available for guests to enjoy throughout the day.
For specialty coffee drinks like frappes, cappuccinos, pastries, scones, muffins and cafe fare, head next to their annex at 403 Broad Cafe next door. It’s a beautiful historic space to catch up on some work or fuel up for your next adventure.
Then explore Milford on one of Hotel Fauchere’s beach cruisers available for guests. Whether you want to make an appointment at local spa or need a guide for a hike or a local recommendation, the concierge here will guide you in the right direction,
La Posada
La Posada’s Presidential Suite features two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and vibrant Mexican hospitality | Photo: Better Living
La Posada offers something unexpected in Milford — a boutique inn and quiet escape that feels like a portal to Mexico in the Poconos.
Housed in a lovingly restored 19th-century building, La Posada is an 11 room boutique property where Mexican hospitality meets small-town Pennsylvania charm.
It’s intimate, stylish, and comfortable unfussy accommodation for a comfortable stay. And each room here is thoughtfully designed with handcrafted details, clean lines, modern furnishings and a palette that embraces Mexico’s warmth and vibrancy.
Select suites have views of the Delaware River and offer king and queen beds with sleeper sofas. Other convenient amenities include free WIFI, smart TVs, bottled water, microwaves, mini fridges and room service when the onsite restaurant, Felix’s Cantina is open.
For more space, consider booking their expansive Presidential suite with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, living room and reading nook with library. Guests are treated to a complimentary breakfast at Hotel Fauchere every morning.
Whether you’re here for a romantic weekend, a culinary getaway, or a stroll through Milford’s historic downtown, La Posada invites you to slow down and stay awhile.
Dining in Milford, PA: From Underground Speakeasies to Riverside Mill Restaurants
Milford’s dining scene impressed us with its range of restaurants. From cozy historic taverns to sophisticated brasseries and authentic international cuisine. You won’t walk far without finding fresh gourmet coffee, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
Bar Louis: An Iconic Underground Brasserie
Bar Louis’s sophisticated speakeasy atmosphere showcases rare Andy Warhol images by Christopher Makos | Photo: Better Living
Dinner at Bar Louis, Hotel Fauchere’s underground fine dining brasserie, was a highlight of our trip. Accessed through an understated side entrance and down a flight of stairs, this sophisticated speakeasy transports you to another era.
The gallery wall showcases notable hotel guests throughout history: Charlie Chaplin, Andrew Carnegie, JFK, Babe Ruth, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, both Presidents Roosevelt, and more. But the most iconic feature? Rare 1970s and 80s Andy Warhol images by his friend and collaborator, photographer Christopher Makos. Behind the bar hangs the rarest of them all: Andy Warhol kissing John Lennon. It’s a wonderful backdrop for enjoying their unique craft cocktails.
Bar Louis’s classic Escargot arrives in Burgundy shells drenched in garlic herb butter | Photo: Better Living
We visited on a Monday for Oyster Night – $1 raw or $2 roasted. We went for a half dozen roasted, and they were juicy, fresh, and delicious. For appetizers, the Escargot arrived in Burgundy shells drenched in garlic herb butter with grilled crouton. Our entree, the seared buttery Halibut in saffron broth with fingerling potatoes, creamy fava beans, asparagus, shaved fennel, and baby artichokes, was plated beautifully. The halibut was tender and rich. For dessert, Bar Louis’s refined Carrot Cake satisfied our sweet tooth with its moist, deeply spiced crumb.
Bar Louis is open Thursday through Monday for dinner and Sunday brunch – a local favorite for date nights and celebrations.
The Delmonico Room: Sunday Brunch Tradition
The Delmonico Room at Hotel Fauchere offers Sunday brunch in an elegant Victorian setting | Photo: Better Living
For a more formal experience, The Delmonico Room at Hotel Fauchere continues the property’s fine dining legacy. While we enjoyed the daily complimentary buffet breakfast during our stay, the Sunday brunch in this elegant dining room is a Milford tradition worth experiencing.
Tom Quick Inn: Italian-American Comfort in a Victorian Landmark
Tom Quick Inn’s signature sixty-hour braised short rib is comfort food perfection | Photo: Better Living
For soul-warming Italian-American comfort food, we headed to Tom Quick Inn, just steps from Hotel Fauchere. This beautifully restored Victorian landmark, once an 1800s stagecoach stop, is now a culinary gem serving hearty plates and handmade pastas.
Inside, dark woods, a large winding antique bar, chic vintage accents, and a fireplace create a cozy atmosphere. An unexpected feature? A large tropical fish tank. The outdoor veranda is a local favorite in warm weather, but we loved the intimate indoor setting.
Standout dishes included the rich TQ Chowder, which blends Manhattan and New England styles, and the sixty-hour braised short rib served over creamy mashed potatoes with Romanesco cauliflower and red wine demi glaze. Crispy shallots added a welcome savory crunch.
Don’t skip the craft cocktails. Our Passionfruit Mojito with rum, muddled mint, and lime juice was perfectly balanced. The warm hospitality here makes every meal feel special.
Apple Valley Restaurant: Roadside Americana at Its Best
Apple Valley’s charming barn-style interior features vintage Americana touches and Pocono hospitality | Photo: Better Living
If you’re craving comfort food, quirky shops, and a little roadside nostalgia, Apple Valley Restaurant & Village Shops is your go-to stop. Just off Route 6 and across from Grey Towers, this restaurant and mini-village modeled after Peddler’s Village in Bucks County, blends Americana charm with Pocono hospitality, making it a favorite for locals and tourists since 1966. And we love it.
Open for lunch and dinner daily with a full bar, Apple Valley serves hearty American comfort food like blooming onions, nachos, brisket, fajitas, and burgers, with seasonal surprises like Oktoberfest specials bringing schnitzel and bratwurst to the table.
The shareable nachos at Apple Valley are piled high with flavor | Photo: Better Living
We couldn’t resist the savory mushroom Brie soup and the Valley Sampler Platter with chicken and lemongrass pot stickers, deep-fried mozzarella moons, and buffalo chicken tenders served with teriyaki, marinara, and bleu cheese sauces – great for sharing. For dessert, the Brownie Bomb is unbeatable: a warm chocolate chip-filled brownie topped with peanut butter ice cream, fresh whipped cream, candied walnuts, chocolate syrup, and peanut butter sauce.
After your meal, wander through the cottage-style shops to browse handmade gifts, Christmas ornaments, outdoor gear, and candy. The grounds feature apple trees, koi ponds, a restored 1800s schoolhouse, and picnic tables for relaxing.
The Waterwheel Cafe: Dining Beside History
The Waterwheel Cafe’s fully functional three-story waterwheel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places | Photo: Better Living
The Waterwheel Café, Bakery and Bar offers one of Milford’s most unique dining experiences. Here you can enjoy American, French, and Vietnamese comfort food while dining beside a fully restored, three-story-high 19th-century waterwheel listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Waterwheel Cafe blends American, French, and Vietnamese flavors in dishes like their fresh rice noodle salad | Photo: Better Living
Through the glass window in the dining room, you’ll watch the fully functional waterwheel turn while enjoying dishes like tempura soft shell crab wraps, bánh mìs, open-faced brie melts, Cubanos, croissant sandwiches, and rice noodle salads. When weather permits, the deck overlooking peaceful Sawkill Creek is the place to be.
The bakery is a destination in itself, with freshly baked scones, pain au chocolat, and rotating pies. The mixed fruit and berry pie is a standout. Before leaving, browse the connected country store filled with antiques and vintage finds, then take a self-guided tour of the mill and waterwheel.
Felix’s Cantina: Authentic Yucatán in Pennsylvania
Taco Tuesday at Felix’s Cantina features authentic Yucatán flavors and build-your-own margaritas | Photo: Better Living
For truly authentic Mexican cuisine, Felix’s Cantina on the ground floor of La Posada exceeded all expectations. The menu features Yucatán dishes made from family recipes—queso fundido, ceviche, arrachera, whole fried snapper, chicken mole, and tres leches cake served in a space that transports you to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Lucky to visit on Taco Tuesday, we were blown away by the fresh, authentic flavors. Standouts were the cochinita pibil tacos and flash-fried Puffy Chicken Tacos made with handmade corn tortillas topped with lettuce, grilled marinated chicken, tomato, avocado, and pickled onions.
Flash-fried Puffy Chicken Tacos with handmade tortillas are a Tuesday night favorite at Felix’s Cantina | Photo: Better Living
We built our own margarita with guava and a Tajin rim – a refreshing complement to our meal. If you’re a fan of rare or small-batch tequilas, Felix’s shelves are stocked with hard-to-find bottles you won’t see in big-box stores.
With colorful décor, warm hospitality, and a menu inviting exploration, Felix’s was one of our favorite stops in Milford. Felix’s is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, but don’t miss Margarita Mondays or Taco Tuesdays for dining and drink specials.
More Milford Dining Worth Exploring
The Social (224a Broad St) serves outstanding casual Italian, pizza, and small plates. We devoured a Shrimp Parmigiana Hero and Sausage Pizza with fresh, tangy sauce, mildly spicy sausage, and a light and chewy crust with a crisp edge. With only a handful of tables, it fills quickly during peak hours. It’s BYOB, so grab a bottle from Milford Wine and Cheese Co a few doors down.
Historic Dimmick Inn (101 E Harford St) is one of Pennsylvania’s oldest pubs, originally built by Samuel Dimmick in 1828. Recently restored with three dining rooms, a fireplace, and a renovated bar decorated with vintage finds and local art, it’s known for hearty American fare and award-winning French Onion Mac and Cheese. We loved their giant Bavarian beer pretzel served with creamy Yuengling buttermilk cheese sauce. The wood-fired Fig and Pig pizza, topped with fresh mozzarella, whipped ricotta, fig, pancetta, hot honey drizzle, and arugula was sweet, savory, and spicy.
Milford, PA Things To Do: Waterfalls, Mansions, and Hidden Parks
At 178 feet tall, Raymondskill Falls is Pennsylvania’s tallest waterfall and just 4 miles from downtown Milford | Photo: Better Living
For a magical experience, visit Pennsylvania’s tallest waterfall, Raymondskill Falls, just 4 miles from downtown Milford. A 5-minute walk on an easy, beginner-friendly trail (about 0.3 miles) leads to one of the region’s most beautiful natural wonders. At 178 feet tall, it’s only a few feet shorter than Niagara Falls.
Raymondskill Falls has two viewing platforms—one near the top looking down on the falls and one placing you at the center of the waterfall’s three cascades. For the best view, head to the lower platform. Best of all, it’s free. This waterfall is especially stunning in fall when surrounded by colorful foliage—making it a highlight of any fall foliage road trip of the Northeast.
Tip: Wear shoes with good grip as some trail parts can be slippery when wet. Park at the first of two parking lots for direct access to the lower platform. Weekends can be busy, but on our early weekday visit, we encountered only a handful of people.
Grey Towers: The Birthplace of American Conservation
Grey Towers National Historic Site, the birthplace of American conservation, showcases stunning French chateau architecture | Photo: Better Living
Just outside downtown, Grey Towers is a Gilded Age mansion and National Historic Site considered the birthplace of American conservation and one of Milford’s most impressive attractions.
Built in 1886 by wealthy wallpaper merchant and philanthropist James Pinchot, this French chateau-inspired estate later became home to his son, Gifford Pinchot. Gifford became the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, appointed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, and a two-term Governor of Pennsylvania. He believed that “without abundant resources, prosperity is out of reach” and that managing forests was for “the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run.”
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This 102-acre estate became a gathering place for conservationists and politicians whose discussions shaped early U.S. environmental policy. Today you can tour the architectural grandeur of this estate with its fairytale turrets, sweeping mountain views, manicured gardens, seasonal blooms, and shaded trails. The grounds are open to cars and pedestrians from sunup to sundown year-round.
Self-guided home tours are available, but check the website before you go for hours and updates, especially during holidays and government shutdowns.
Milford Beach: River Access and Scenic Trails
Milford Beach offers peaceful riverside walks and access to the 37-mile McDade Recreational Trail | Photo: Better Living
With a launch site for canoes and kayaks, Milford Beach is a popular spot for swimming, paddling, picnicking, and exploring trails minutes from downtown. Open year-round, you can walk along the beach or access the northern gateway of the 37-mile McDade Recreational Trail running the length of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The trail offers stunning views of the Delaware River, forests, fields, and passes old homesteads, canal locks, and colonial-era landscapes. It’s excellent for birding and seeing wildlife like bald eagles, herons, and deer. In winter, the trail becomes a snowy corridor for cross-country skiing.
In the off-season, there’s no entrance fee and you’ll have it all to yourself – great for a picnic or a peaceful beach walk.
Ethel Barckley Memorial Park: A Hidden Overlook
Milford Beach offers peaceful riverside walks and access to the 37-mile McDade Recreational Trail | Photo: Better Living
For a hidden gem with stunning high-up panoramic views of the Delaware River, stop at tiny Ethel Barckley Memorial Park. This pocket park is dedicated to notable Milford resident Ethel Barckley, a landscape artist named Pike County Woman of the Year in 1954, founding member of the Milford Garden Club, and first secretary of the Pike County Historical Society.
With a swing and a bell that chimes with strong winds, it’s a peaceful spot for a short rest, just steps from downtown. We discovered this gem before eating at Felix’s Cantina at La Posada, which is across the street.
The Columns Museum: Standing Inches from History
At The Columns Museum, you’ll stand inches from one of the most haunting relics in American history inside a 1904 Neo-Classical mansion. Explore this historic 22-room mansion to find the blood-stained flag that cradled Abraham Lincoln’s head the night he was assassinated, along with Pike County’s most fascinating artifacts including a restored 1850s stagecoach, Civil War memorabilia, vintage fashion, rare photographs, and more.
Curated by the Pike County Historical Society, the exhibits honor the people and stories that shaped this corner of Pennsylvania, including the indigenous Lenape tribes who lived here.
Visitor Tip: The museum is typically open Wednesday through Sunday, with a modest admission fee supporting local preservation efforts. Guided tours are available and well worth it for the deeper stories behind the artifacts.
Shopping Downtown Milford
Downtown Milford’s walkable half-square-mile features over 400 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places | Photo: Better Living
Explore Milford’s charming blend of boutique finds, artisan goods, vintage treasures, and locally made gifts in a walkable half-square-mile downtown.
Don’t miss Willow (317 Broad St), a beautiful eclectic shop with vintage and modern wares where you can browse unique gifts, home decor, clothing, and cards. For treasure hunting, visit Old Lumberyard Antiques, where over 40 vendors offer their unique finds.
For an organic espresso bar, bakehouse, cafe, juice bar, and bookstore with community spirit, check out Better World (322 Broad St #2). Enjoy great coffee, sourdough, and gluten-free treats while browsing curated books, puzzles, toys, and unique gifts like grow-your-own kits and essential oils promoting sustainable living.
If you love charming shopping villages, you’ll also want to explore Peddlers Village, another beloved Pennsylvania destination about 90 minutes from Milford.
Milford’s Vibrant Festivals
Milford hosts vibrant festivals celebrating music, film, and storytelling throughout the year. In June, the Milford Music Festival fills the streets with live performances and local energy. For literary lovers, the Milford Reader and Writers Festival offers readings, panels, and conversations with both local and nationally acclaimed authors. Past guests have included Pulitzer Prize winners and New York Times bestsellers. October brings the Black Bear Film Festival held at the historic 1920s Milford Theater, showcasing indie films in an intimate setting.
Getting to Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford sits right near the borders of New York and New Jersey in northeastern Pennsylvania, making it a quick tri-state gateway. Nestled along the Delaware River, it’s easily accessible from major cities.
From New York City (~75 miles / 1.5–2 hours): Take I-80 W or I-84 W to US-6 W
From Philadelphia (~120 miles / 2.5 hours): Take I-476 N to I-80 W, then US-209 N
From Allentown, PA (~70 miles / 1.5 hours): Take PA-33 N to US-209 N
From Washington, DC (~3 hours): Milford also makes a great day trip from Washington DC for those looking to escape the city for natural beauty and small-town charm.
Public Transit: From NYC, take the Metro-North Port Jervis Line to Port Jervis, NY, then a short taxi or rideshare to Milford.
Final Thoughts
Milford’s historic downtown transforms into a magical autumn scene after dark | Photo: Better Living
Milford is the perfect blend of natural beauty, centuries-old charm, and small-town warmth. Like stepping into a postcard from the past, it’s exactly what you want from small-town travel. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventure or an upscale hideaway, Milford PA is worth the drive.
On our fall getaway, we found Milford brings out the best: crisp air, colorful foliage, cozy streets, and postcard-worthy views. From sipping morning coffee at a Michelin-key hotel to standing beneath Pennsylvania’s tallest waterfall, from exploring the birthplace of American conservation to savoring authentic Yucatán tacos in a boutique inn, Milford offers experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
With a historic downtown where over 400 buildings grace the National Register of Historic Places within a half mile, quick access to over 70,000 acres of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and a dining scene that punches well above its weight, Milford deserves its reputation as the Gateway to the Poconos.
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Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends, as the Federal Aviation Administration rolls out deeper cuts to flights at 40 major U.S. airports, officials said Monday.
The fourth day of the flight restrictions saw airlines scrap over 2,300 flights Monday and more than 1,000 flights set for takeoff Tuesday. Unpaid for more than a month, some air traffic controllers have begun calling out of work, citing stress and the need to take on second jobs.
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to pressure controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!” He called for a $10,000 bonus for those who’ve stayed on the job and suggested docking pay for those who haven’t.
Rep. Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, ranking member of the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, condemned the president’s remarks, saying controllers deserve appreciation and support — not attacks.
The head of the controllers union says its members are being used as a “political pawn” in the shutdown fight.
Meanwhile, the Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, though the bill also needs to clear the House and final passage could be days away. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made clear last week that flight cuts will remain in place until the FAA sees staffing levels stabilize at its air traffic control facilities.
And because the flight disruptions are widespread and ongoing, many planes aren’t where they’re supposed to be, which could also slow the airlines’ return to normal operations even after the FAA lifts the order, said Mike Taylor, who leads research on airports and airlines at J.D. Power.
“If you think about it, there’s all these aircraft that didn’t fly where they were supposed to on a normal route,” Taylor said, noting airlines will need to track down all their planes, figure out where each needs to be, and find pilots and cabin crew for those flights.
Since Friday, airlines have canceled about 8,000 flights under orders to drop 4% of flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. That will rise to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by week’s end, the FAA says.
One in 10 flights nationwide were scratched Sunday — the fourth worst day for cancellations in almost two years, according aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Controller shortages also led to five-hour delays Monday evening at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where wintry weather added to the disruptions earlier in the day, and the FAA warned that staffing at over a dozen towers and control centers could cause delays in cities including Philadelphia, Nashville and Atlanta.
That leaves travelers growing angry.
“All of this has real negative consequences for millions of Americans, and it’s 100% unnecessary and avoidable,” said Todd Walker, who missed his mom’s 80th birthday when his flight was canceled over the weekend.
The FAA also expanded flight restrictions Monday, barring business jets and many private flights from using a dozen airports already under commercial flight limits.
Airports nationwide have seen intermittent delays since the shutdown began because the FAA slows air traffic when it’s short on controllers to ensure flights remain safe.
The shutdown has made controllers’ demanding jobs even more stressful, leading to fatigue and increased risks, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. He said the number who are retiring or quitting is “growing” by the day.
During the six weekends since the shutdown began, an average of 30 air traffic control facilities had staffing issues. That’s almost four times the number on weekends this year before the shutdown, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans sent through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system.
Tuesday will be the second missed payday for controllers. It’s unclear how quickly they might be paid once the shutdown ends — it took more than two months to receive full back pay after the 35-day shutdown that ended in 2019, Daniels said.
The latest shutdown and money worries have become regular “dinnertime conversations” for Amy Lark and her husband, both Washington, D.C., area air traffic controllers.
“Yesterday, my kids asked me how long we could stay in our house,” Lark said. Still, she said controllers remain “100% committed.”
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Yamat reported from Las Vegas and Funk from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Ken Sweet, Wyatte Grantham-Philips and Michael R. Sisak in New York; Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking in Washington; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes.
But their luck is about to run out.
The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia is set to strike its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value.
President Donald Trump has ordered its demise as costs climb to nearly 4 cents per penny and the 1-cent valuation becomes somewhat obsolete.
The U.S. Mint has been making pennies in Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace, since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for financial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.
“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote in an online post in February, as costs continued to climb. “This is so wasteful!”
Still, many people have a nostalgia for them, seeing them as lucky or fun to collect. And some retailers have voiced concerns in recent weeks as supplies ran low and the last production neared. They said the phase-out was abrupt and came with no guidance from the federal government on how to handle customer transactions.
Some rounded prices down to avoid shortchanging people, others pleaded with customers to bring exact change and the more creative among them gave out prizes, such as a free drink, in exchange for a pile of pennies.
“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores said last month.
Some banks, meanwhile, began rationing supplies, a somewhat paradoxical result of the effort to address what many see as a glut of the coins. Over the last century, about half of the coins made at U.S. Mints in Philadelphia and Denver have been pennies.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach were expected to be in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon for the final production run. The Treasury Department expects to save $56 million per year on materials by ceasing to make them.
But they still have a better production-cost-to-value ratio than the nickel, which costs nearly 14 cents to make. The diminutive dime, by comparison, costs less than 6 cents to produce and the quarter nearly 15 cents.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A man was shot after police said his dog jumped onto a bed and accidentally caused a gun to fire inside a home in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
According to the Shillington Police Department, officers were called to a residence on the 300 block of State Street around 11:13 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after receiving reports of a shooting.
When officers got to the scene, police said, they found that a 53-year-old man had suffered a gunshot wound to his back. He was on the floor but conscious.
Officers rendered aid for the man until EMS arrived and took over, according to police. The man was taken to the hospital and immediately underwent surgery for his injuries.
During an investigation, police said officers learned that the man had been cleaning a firearm and placed it on his bed. He then proceeded to sit down on the bed, at which the same time, one of his dogs jumped up onto the bed, causing the shotgun to fire a round into his lower back.
Police said the man and his son were the only ones home, along with two dogs. His son was not in the same room when the incident happened.
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.
Electricity costs were a key issue in this week’s elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission.
Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.
Already, President Donald Trump is signaling that he’ll focus on affordability next year as he and Republicans try to maintain their slim congressional majorities, while Democrats are blaming Trump for rising household costs.
Front and center may be electricity bills, which in many places are increasing at a rate faster than U.S. inflation on average — although not everywhere.
“There’s a lot of pressure on politicians to talk about affordability, and electricity prices are right now the most clear example of problems of affordability,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of politics and government and pollster at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Rising electric costs aren’t expected to ease and many Americans could see an increase on their monthly bills in the middle of next year’s campaigns.
Higher electric bills on the horizon
Gas and electric utilities are seeking or already secured rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period last year.
With some 80 million Americans struggling to pay their utility bills, “it’s a life or death and ‘eat or heat’ type decision that people have to make,” said Charles Hua, PowerLines’ founder.
In Georgia, proposals to build data centers have roiled communities, while a victorious Democrat, Peter Hubbard, accused Republicans on the commission of “rubber-stamping” rate increases by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of power giant Southern Co.
Monthly Georgia Power bills have risen six times over the past two years, now averaging $175 a month for a typical residential customer.
Hubbard’s message seemed to resonate with voters. Rebecca Mekonnen, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain, said she voted for the Democratic challengers, and wants to see “more affordable pricing. That’s the main thing. It’s running my pocket right now.”
Now, Georgia Power is proposing to spend $15 billion to expand its power generating capacity, primarily to meet demand from data centers, and Hubbard is questioning whether data centers will pay their fair share — or share it with regular ratepayers.
Midterm battlegrounds in hotspots
Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.
Analysts attribute rising electric bills to a combination of forces.
That includes expensive projects to modernize the grid and harden poles, wires and substations against extreme weather and wildfires.
Also playing a role is explosive demand from data centers, bitcoin miners and a drive to revive domestic manufacturing, as well as rising natural gas prices, analysts say.
“The cost of utility service is the new ‘cost of eggs’ concern for a lot of consumers,” said Jennifer Bosco of the National Consumer Law Center.
In some places, data centers are driving a big increase in demand, since a typical AI data center uses as much electricity as 100,000 homes, according to the International Energy Agency. Some could require more electricity than cities the size of Pittsburgh, Cleveland or New Orleans.
Meanwhile, communities that don’t want to live next to one are pushing back.
It’s on voters’ minds
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from October found that electricity bills are a “major” source of stress for 36% of U.S. adults.
Still, the impact is still more uneven than other financial stressors like grocery costs, which just over half of U.S. adults said are a “major” source of stress.
And electric rates vary widely by state or utility.
For instance, federal data shows that for-profit utilities have been raising rates far faster than municipally owned utilities or cooperatives.
In the 13-state mid-Atlantic grid from Illinois to New Jersey, analysts say ratepayers are paying billions of dollars for the cost to power data centers — including data centers not even built yet.
Next June, electric bills across that region will absorb billions more dollars in higher wholesale electricity costs designed to lure new power plants to power data centers.
That’s spurred governors from the region — including Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Maryland’s Wes Moore, all Democrats who are running for reelection — to pressure the grid operator PJM Interconnection to contain increases.
High-rate states vs. lower-rate rates
Drew Maloney, the CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association of for-profit electric utilities, suggested that only some states are the drivers of higher average electric bills.
“If you set aside a few sates with higher rates, the rest of the country largely follows inflation on electricity rates,” Maloney said.
Examples of states with faster-rising rates are California, where wildfires are driving grid upgrades, and those in New England, where natural gas is expensive because of strained pipeline capacity.
Still, other states are feeling a pinch.
In Indiana, a growing data center hotspot, the consumer advocacy group, Citizens Action Coalition, reported this year that residential customers of the state’s for-profit electric utilities were absorbing the most severe rate increases in at least two decades.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun decried the hikes, saying “we can’t take it anymore.”
___
Associated Press reporter Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases in 10 states of infant botulism linked to baby formula that was being recalled, authorities said Saturday.
ByHeart Inc. agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
All 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming formula from two lots: 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2.
The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
No deaths were reported. The FDA said it was investigating how the contamination happened and whether it affected any other products.
A container of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula.
Business Wire via AP
“The safety and well-being of every infant who uses our formula is our absolute highest priority,” Mia Funt, ByHeart’s co-founder and president, said in a statement. “We take any potential safety concern extremely seriously, and act quickly to protect families. As parents ourselves, we understand the concern this news may raise. This voluntary recall is out of an abundance of caution and comes from our ongoing commitment to transparency and safety for babies and their parents.”
Available online and through major retailers, the product accounted for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People who bought the recalled formula should record the lot number if possible before throwing it out or returning it to where it was purchased, the CDC said in a statement.
They should use a dishwasher or hot, soapy water to clean items and surfaces that touched the formula. And they should seek medical care right away if an infant has consumed recalled formula and then had poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing or decreased facial expression.
Infant botulism is caused by a bacterium that produces toxins in the large intestine.
Symptoms can take weeks to develop, so parents should keep vigilant, the CDC said. According to the CDC, symptoms of infant botulism can include constipation, poor feeding, ptosis or drooping eyelid, sluggish pupils, a flattened facial expression, diminished suck and gag reflexes, a weak and altered cry, respiratory difficulty and possible respiratory arrest.
Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases in 10 states of infant botulism linked to baby formula that was being recalled, authorities said Saturday.
ByHeart Inc. agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
All 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming formula from two lots: 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2.
The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
No deaths were reported. The FDA said it was investigating how the contamination happened and whether it affected any other products.
Available online and through major retailers, the product accounted for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People who bought the recalled formula should record the lot number if possible before throwing it out or returning it to where it was purchased, the CDC said in a statement.
They should use a dishwasher or hot, soapy water to clean items and surfaces that touched the formula. And they should seek medical care right away if an infant has consumed recalled formula and then had poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing or decreased facial expression.
Infant botulism is caused by a bacterium that produces toxins in the large intestine.
Symptoms can take weeks to develop, so parents should keep vigilant, the CDC said.
A ByHeart spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
HAZLETON, Pa., November 7, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Eagle Rock Resort today affirmed its position as the leading four-season Resort Community in Pennsylvania, offering a self-contained, high-value lifestyle for property owners and guests. The 5,000-acre private, gated community, developed by Double Diamond Resorts, continues to draw national attention for its unparalleled collection of amenities, ranging from championship golf to comprehensive winter sports facilities.
The resort, located just two hours from both New York and Philadelphia, works as a perpetual vacation destination, providing a full calendar of activities and luxury services.
“At Eagle Rock, we deliver an experience that truly redefines resort living,” says Jim Sebia, General Manager at Eagle Rock Resort. “Our commitment is to year-round quality-whether you are teeing off on the Arnold Palmer course in the summer, skiing our slopes in the winter, or enjoying our indoor Aquatics Center anytime. We provide an enormous amount of value and unmatched convenience, all within the security of our private mountain setting.”
Unmatched Year-Round Amenities Highlight Quality of Life
Eagle Rock Resort is one of the few communities in the Mid-Atlantic region to offer such a diverse, high-quality array of amenities behind a single gate. The resort’s highlights, which directly contribute to the quality of life for its residents, include:
Championship Golf: The centerpiece is the 18-Hole Championship Golf Course, co-designed by the late golf legend Arnold Palmer. Known for its spectacular mountain views and challenging play, it is complemented by the 9-Hole Executive Course and a full practice facility, drawing serious golfers and enthusiasts alike.
Snow Sports: As a true four-season retreat, the resort boasts a full ski slope and snow tubing facility. With 100% snowmaking capacity, the slopes provide reliable, family-friendly winter fun regardless of natural snowfall.
Aquatics and Lake Activities: The Indoor Aquatics Center provides swimming and recreation year-round. In warmer months, Lake Susquehanna becomes the focal point for water sports, including kayaking, swimming, and fishing from the resort’s dedicated beach area.
Focus on Wellness and Family Recreation
Eagle Rock Resort provides essential lifestyle amenities that serve families and promote wellness:
The Spa: A full-service spa offers relaxation and rejuvenation with a host of treatments, massages, and a fitness center complete with state-of-the-art equipment and dry-heat saunas.
Equestrian Center: Offers trail rides, riding lessons, and boarding, providing a unique outdoor experience rarely found within a private community.
The Activities Center: A central hub for families, featuring an indoor basketball gym, arcade games, and various programmed events designed to entertain all ages.
The continuous operation and high standards of these amenities underscore the value of the Eagle Rock Resort Community for every property owner.
About Eagle Rock Resort
Eagle Rock Resort is a private, gated community by Double Diamond Resorts, located on over 5,000 acres. The community offers a variety of options, including new homes, condominiums, and residential homesites, coupled with an extensive, resort-style amenities package designed for year-round use by owners and their guests.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a day, at least, beleaguered Democrats are hopeful again. But just beneath the party’s relief at securing its first big electoral wins since last November’s drubbing lay unresolved questions about its direction heading into next year’s midterm elections.
The Election Day romp of Republicans stretched from deep-blue New York and California to swing states Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There were signs that key voting groups, including young people, Black voters and Hispanics who shifted toward President Donald Trump’s Republican Party just a year ago, may be shifting back. And Democratic leaders across the political spectrum coalesced behind a simple message focused on Trump’s failure to address rising costs and everyday kitchen table issues.
The dominant performance sparked a new round of debate among the party’s establishment-minded pragmatists and fiery progressives over which approach led to Tuesday’s victories, and which path to take into the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections and beyond. The lessons Democrats learn from the victories will help determine the party’s leading message and messengers next year — when elections will decide the balance of power in Congress for the second half of Trump’s term — and potentially in the 2028 presidential race, which has already entered its earliest stages.
“Of course, there’s a division within the Democratic Party. There’s no secret,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference about the election results.
Sanders and his chief political strategist pointed to the success of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as a model for Democrats across the country. But Rep. Suzan Del Bene, who leads the House Democrats’ midterm campaign strategy, avoided saying Mamdani’s name when asked about his success.
Del Bene instead cheered the moderate approach adopted by Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in successful races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey as a more viable track for candidates outside of a Democratic stronghold like New York City.
“New York is bright blue … and the path to the majority in the House is going to be through purple districts,” she told The Associated Press. “The people of Arizona, Iowa and Nebraska aren’t focused on the mayor of New York.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a likely Democratic presidential prospect who campaigned alongside Democrats in several states leading up to Tuesday’s elections, noted the candidates hit on a common issue that resonated with voters, regardless of location.
“All of these candidates who won in these different states were focused on peoples’ everyday needs,” Shapiro said. “And you saw voters in every one of those states and cities showing up to send a clear message to Donald Trump that they’re rejecting his chaos.”
Amid Democrats’ celebratory phone calls and news conferences, members of the party’s different wings had some sharp critiques for each other.
While Shapiro cheered the party’s success during a Wednesday interview, he also acknowledged concerns about Mamdani in New York.
Shapiro, one of the nation’s most prominent Jewish elected leaders, said he’s not comfortable with some of Mamdani’s comments on Israel. The New York mayor-elect, a Muslim, has described Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks as “genocide” against the Palestinian people and has been slow to condemn rhetoric linked to anti-Semitism.
“I’ve expressed that to him personally. We’ve had good private communications,” Shapiro said of his concerns. “And I hope, as he did last night in his victory speech, that he’ll be a mayor that protects all New Yorkers and tries to bring people together.”
Meanwhile, Sanders’ political strategist, Faiz Shakir, warned Democrats against embracing “cookie cutter campaigns that say nothing and do nothing” — a reference to centrist Democrats Spanberger and Sherrill.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who defeated democratic socialist Omar Fateh to win a third term, said at a news conference Wednesday that “we have to love our city more than our ideology.”
“We need to be doing everything possible to push back on authoritarianism and what Donald Trump is doing,” Frey said. “And at the same time, the opposite of Donald Trump extremism is not the opposite extreme.”
Despite potential cracks in the Democratic coalition, it’s hard to understate the extent of the party’s electoral success.
In Georgia, two Democrats cruised to wins over Republican incumbents in elections to the state Public Service Commission, delivering the largest statewide margins of victory by Democrats in more than 20 years.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept not only three state Supreme Court races, but every county seat in presidential swing counties like Bucks and Erie Counties, including sheriffs. Bucks County elected its first Democratic district attorney as Democrats there also won key school board races and county judgeships.
Maine voters defeated a Republican-backed measure that would have mandated showing an ID at the polls. Colorado approved raising taxes on people earning more than $300,000 annually to fund school meal programs and food assistance for low-income state residents. And California voters overwhelmingly backed a charge led by Gov. Gavin Newsom to redraw its congressional map to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections.
Key groups coming back to Democrats
Trump made inroads with Black and Hispanic voters in 2024. But this week, Democrats scored strong performances with non-white voters in New Jersey and Virginia that offered promise.
About 7 in 10 voters in New Jersey were white, according to the AP Voter Poll. And Sherrill won about half that group. But she made up for her relative weakness with whites with a strong showing among Black, Hispanic and Asian voters.
The vast majority — about 9 in 10 — of Black voters supported Sherrill, as did about 8 in 10 Asian voters.
Hispanic voters in New Jersey were more divided, but about two-thirds supported Sherrill; only about 3 in 10 voted for the Republican nominee, Jack Ciattarelli.
The pattern was similar in Virginia, where Spanberger performed well among Black voters, Hispanic voters and Asian voters, even though she didn’t win a majority of white voters.
Democrats will soon face a choice
The debate over the party’s future is already starting to play out in key midterm elections where Democrats have just begun intra-party primary contests.
The choice is stark in Maine’s high-stakes Senate race, where Democrats will pick from a field that features establishment favorite, Gov. Jan Mills, and Sanders-endorsed populist Graham Platner. A similar dynamic could play out in key contests across Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Michigan.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is aligned with the progressive wing of the party, said the people he speaks to are demanding bold action to address their economic concerns.
“Folks are so frustrated by how hard its become to afford a dignified life here in Michigan and across the country,” he said.
“I’m sure the corporate donors don’t want us to push too hard,” El-Sayed continued. “My worry is the very same people who told us we were just fine in 2024 will miss the mandate.”
Associated Press reporter Mike Catalini in Newark and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday proved to be a successful election day for Democrats competing in closely watched races around the country, including several locally.
The main event for this region was between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor of New Jersey. Sherrill won by a margin that proved not to be as close as several polls had predicted. Other races that wrapped up with little drama were the retention elections for Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the contest for Philadelphia District Attorney.
Below is a recap of those and other elections relevant to the region.
Additional judicial election results for Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court and Philadelphia Municipal Court are available on the city’s election website, along with results of the retention elections in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. And results of judicial elections and retention elections in Pennsylvania Superior Court and Commonwealth Court are posted on the state’s election website.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in Tuesday’s election. Sherrill will succeed New Jersey’s current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, who was term limited after eight years in office. Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and currently the congresswoman representing New Jersey’s 11th District, will be the second woman to serve as New Jersey’s governor. The first was Republican Christie Todd Whitman who was elected to two terms between 1994 and 2001.
The retention elections for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht set a record for campaign spending on a nonpartisan judicial race with a total expenditure of more than $15 million. Despite all the attention, the races proved not to be close with all three justices cruising to retention victories.
Their return to the bench on state’s highest court means the liberal justices will maintain their 5-2 advantage over the conservative justices. By winning election, Donohue, Dougherty and Wecht are each elected to new 10-year terms. Donohue, who is 73, will only serve two more years before reaching the mandatory judicial retirement age of 75.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner easily won election to a third term on Tuesday, defeating Pat Dugan, a former Philadelphia Municipal Court judge. This is the second time Krasner defeated Dugan this election cycle: Dugan also lost to the progressive prosecutor in May’s Democratic primary election.
Philadelphia City Controller results
The Philadelphia City Controller is the chief auditor of the city and the School District of Philadelphia. The auditor’s office works independently of city government, and its analyses are intended to provide objective information to city leaders and the public about Philadelphia’s finances and how its money is being spent. Incumbent Christy Brady easily defeated Republican Ari Patrinos in Tuesday’s election.
New Jersey Assembly District 1 results
District 1 represent parts of Atlantic and Cumberland counties and all of Cape May County. Incumbent Republicans Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen are running against Democrats Carolyn Rush and Carol Sabo.
New Jersey Assembly District 2 results
District 2 represents parts of Atlantic County including several shore towns. Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift are the Republican incumbents. They face challenges from Democrats Joanne Famularo and Maureen Rowan in Tuesday’s general election.
New Jersey Assembly District 3 results
District 3 covers Salem County and parts of Gloucester and Cumberland Counties. Democrats Dave Bailey Jr. and Heather Simmons are the incumbents, and they are running against Republicans Chris Konawell and Lawrence Moore.
New Jersey Assembly District 4 results
District 4 represents parts of Camden, Atlantic and Gloucester counties. Democrats Dan Hutchinson and Cody Miller are the incumbent members of the state assembly representing this district. They are challenged for their seats on Tuesday by Republicans Amanda Esposito and Gerard McManus.
New Jersey Assembly District 5 results
District 5 represents portions of Gloucester and Camden Counties. Assemblymen William Moen Jr. and William Spearman, both Democrats, are the incumbents and are running for reelection against Republicans Constance Ditzel and Nilsa Gonzalez, along with Green Party candidate Robin Brownfield.
New Jersey Assembly District 6 results
District 6 represents parts Camden and Burlington counties. Democrats Louis Greenwald and Melinda Kane hold the assembly seats in this district. They are running against Republicans John Brangan and Peter Sykes.
New Jersey Assembly District 7 results
District 7 represents municipalities in the portion of Burlington County along the Delaware River. Carol Murphy and Balvir Singh, two Democrats, are the current assembly people representing this district. Republicans Douglas Dillon and Dione Johnson are running against them.
New Jersey Assembly District 8 results
District 8 represents parts of Atlantic and Burlington counties. Headed into Tuesday’s election, its assembly seats are split between Republican Michael Torrissi Jr. and Democrat Andrea Katz. The other candidates in this election are Republican Brandon E. Umba. and Democrat Anthony Angelozzi.
Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices – all Democrats – are up for judicial retention in Tuesday’s general election. The outcome could have ramifications for the composition of the seven-member court, which currently has a 5-2 Democratic majority.
Polls close at 8 p.m. All results in the chart below are unofficial until confirmed by election officials.
Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue and David Wecht are all up for retention as they near the end of their 10-year terms on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The three Democrats soundly outperformed their GOP opponents in 2015, capturing a majority on the court after Republicans had held the advantage for more than a decade.
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On Tuesday’s ballot, Pennsylvania voters will see “yes” or “no” options next to the names of the three justices, who do not face other candidates when up for retention. Those who are retained serve another 10-year term or remain on the court until they reach the state’s age limit of 75. When a justice is not retained, the court has a vacancy that can be filled with an appointment by the governor – which requires Senate approval – before an open race in the next election cycle.
Dougherty spent 14 years on the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, specializing in family law cases, before his election to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Donohue was a trial lawyer in Allegheny County for decades and served as state Superior Court judge before reaching the Supreme Court. Wecht similarly served as a Superior Court judge, also with a background in family law, before he was elected to the Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania’s top appellate court rules on a wide range of significant issues that include political redistricting, reproductive rights, education law and civil rights.
This year’s election marks a rare instance when three seats are up for retention at the same time, although it is historically uncommon for Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices not to be retained. The last time a justice in Pennsylvania lost a retention bid was in 2005, when Philadelphia-based Justice Russell Nigro, a Democrat, was voted off the court by a 51%-49% margin. Justice Sandra Schultz Newman, a Republican from Philadelphia, narrowly retained her seat that year with 54% of the vote.
If all three justices are voted down, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court likely would be left shorthanded until 2027. Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate would hold the power to thwart Interim appointments from Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in hopes of holding out for the GOP to earn seats on the court in open contests next year. The loss of just one justice also could result in a deadlocked court for the foreseeable future.
Spending on this year’s retention elections is expected to surpass $15 million, setting a record for nonpartisan judicial races that are usually quieter when fewer justices are on the ballot. The national Democratic and Republican parties both have poured millions of dollars into this year’s retention elections in a battle over the makeup of the court in one of the nation’s perennial battleground states.
Nearly ten months into President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, voters in contests from coast-to-coast head to the polls on Tuesday in statewide and local elections.
And the key showdowns, including gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, are viewed, in part, as the first major ballot box test of Trump’s unprecedented and explosive second-term agenda.
“FAILING TO VOTE TOMORROW IS THE SAME AS VOTING FOR A DEMOCRAT,” the president charged in a social media post on Election Eve as he urged Republicans to head to the polls.
Grabbing top billing are New Jersey and Virginia, the only two states to hold contests for governor in the year after a presidential election. Their gubernatorial races typically receive outsized national attention and are seen as a key barometer ahead of next year’s midterms when the GOP will be defending its slim House and Senate majorities.
President Donald Trump, seen speaking at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey on May 11, 2024, during the last presidential campaign, headlined tele-rallies in the Garden State and in Virginia on the eve of those states’ gubernatorial elections.(Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Also in the political spotlight on Election Day 2025 is New York City’s high-profile mayoral showdown, where 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is on the verge of making history, the blockbuster ballot box proposition over congressional redistricting in California, the nation’s most populous state and three state Supreme Court contests in battleground Pennsylvania.
Here’s what’s at stake.
New Jersey
Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who’s making his third straight run for Garden State governor and who nearly upset Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago, is optimistic he can pull off a victory in blue-leaning New Jersey.
In a state where registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans despite a GOP surge in registration this decade, Ciattarelli appeared to be closing the gap in recent weeks with Democratic rival Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past 10 elections.
And Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only six percentage points, a major improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli speaks to supporters at a tavern in Totowa, New Jersey, on Election Day eve, on Nov. 3, 2025(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
The president, whose poll numbers are underwater among New Jersey voters, headlined two tele-rallies for Ciattarelli in the final stretch of the campaign in hopes of energizing MAGA supporters, many of whom are low propensity voters who often skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.
“We appreciate what the president is doing to get the base excited, and remind them that they got to vote, as do all New Jerseyans. The future of our state hangs in the balance. Get out and vote,” Ciattarelli told Fox News Digital on Monday after a campaign stop in this northern New Jersey borough.
But in a state where Trump’s poll numbers are underwater, Sherrill has regularly linked Ciattarelli to the president, charging that her GOP rival “has really gone in lockstep with the president, giving him an A.”
The race in New Jersey was rocked earlier this autumn by a report that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally.
Former President Barack Obama during a campaign event for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee for New Jersey, in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.(Adam Gray/Getty Images)
But Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal.
Sherrill, who was never accused of cheating in the scandal, went on to serve nearly a decade in the Navy.
The showdown was jolted again during last month’s final debate after Sherrill’s allegations that Ciattarelli was “complicit” with pharmaceutical companies in the opioid deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans, as she pointed to the medical publishing company he owned that pushed content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain.
Virginia
Explosive revelations in Virginia’s attorney general race that the GOP aimed to leverage up and down the ballot recently shook up the state’s race for governor, forcing Democratic Party nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, back on defense in a campaign where she was seen as the frontrunner against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
The two major party gubernatorial nominees in Virginia: Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, left, and Democrat former Rep. Abigail Spanberger.(Getty Images)
Virginia attorney general Democratic nominee Jay Jones was in crisis mode after controversial texts were first reported earlier this fall by the National Review.
Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, when he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he was given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head.
But he faced a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race.
Earle-Sears didn’t waste an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones. And during last month’s chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid.
“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones.
The winner will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
New York City
The mayoral election in the nation’s most populous city always grabs outsized attention, especially this year as New York City may elect its first Muslim and first millennial mayor.
Mamdani’s victory in June’s Democratic Party mayoral primary in the deep blue city sent political shock waves across the country. And he’s come under attack from Republicans and from his rivals on the ballot over his far-left proposals.
From left, independent mayoral candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis/Pool-AP Photo)
Mamdani is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who came in a distant second in the primary and is now running as an independent candidate. Cuomo is aiming for a political comeback after resigning as governor four years ago amid multiple scandals.
Also running is two-time Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, a co-founder of the Guardian Angels, the non-profit, volunteer-based community safety group.
Embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race last month. He recently backed Cuomo, but his name remains on the ballot.
California
Voters in heavily blue California will vote in November on whether to set aside their popular nonpartisan redistricting commission for the rest of the decade and allow the Democrat-dominated legislature to determine congressional redistricting for the next three election cycles.
The vote will be the culmination of an effort by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats to create up to five left-leaning congressional seats in the Golden State to counter the new maps that conservative Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a couple of months ago, which will create up to five more right-leaning U.S. House districts in the red state of Texas.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California speaks during a congressional redistricting event, on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The redistricting in Texas, which came after Trump’s urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.
Trump is aiming to avoid a repeat of the 2018 midterms, during his first term in office, when Republicans lost control of the House.
But three Democrat-leaning justices on the state Supreme Court, following the completion of their 10-year terms, are running this year to keep their seats in “Yes” or “No” retention elections.
The election could upend the court’s composition for the next decade, heavily influence whether Democrats or Republicans have an advantage in the state’s congressional delegation and legislature, and impact crucial cases including voting rights and reproductive rights.
While state Supreme Court elections typically don’t grab much national attention, contests where the balance of a court in a key battleground state is up for grabs have attracted tons of outside money.
The state Supreme Court showdown this spring in Wisconsin, where the 4-3 liberal majority was maintained, drew nearly $100 million in outside money as both parties poured resources into the election.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”
With three days until Election Day, and the latest polls pointing to a potential photo finish in the battle for New Jersey governor, the two major party nominees are urging their supporters to get out and vote.
“When we vote, we win,” Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill told supporters.
And her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, told his supporters that “championship teams finish strong… let’s win this race.”
New Jersey is just one of two states, along with Virginia, that hold statewide elections for governor this November. And the contests, which traditionally grab outsized national attention, are viewed as crucial early tests of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented and explosive second-term agenda, as well as key barometers ahead of next year’s midterm showdowns for the U.S. House and Senate.
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill, right, and Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, on the stage moments at the start of their second and final debate, on Oct. 8, 2025, in New Brunswick, N.J.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News Digital)
Also in the political spotlight this November is New York City’s high-profile mayoral election, the ballot box proposition over congressional redistricting in California and three state Supreme Court contests in battleground Pennsylvania.
Democrats, who are aiming to exit the political wilderness following last year’s election setbacks when they lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority, are highlighting their success so far this year in special elections.
“There’s wind at our back,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin recently touted. “We have overperformed in every single election that’s been on the ballot since Donald Trump was inaugurated.”
But Republicans point to the multitude of problems facing the Democratic Party.
“Sadly for the DNC, the truth is that Democrats’ approval rating is at a 30-year low as the party has hemorrhaged more than 2 million voters over the past four years,” Republican National Committee communications director Zach Parkinson told Fox News Digital recently.
Here’s a closer look at 2025’s top elections.
New Jersey
Ciattarelli, who’s making his third straight run for Garden State governor and who nearly upset Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago, has good reason to be optimistic he can pull off victory in blue-leaning New Jersey.
In a state where registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans despite a GOP surge in registration this decade, a recent public opinion poll suggested Ciattarelli narrowing the gap with Sherrill in the race to succeed the term-limited Murphy.
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, speaks to a raucous crowd of supporters at a diner in Saddle Brook, N.J., on Oct. 15, 2025.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in blue-leaning New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past 10 elections.
And Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only six percentage points, a major improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier.
Trump headlined a tele-rally with Ciattarelli a week ago, on the eve of early voting. Trump’s teaming up with Ciattarelli may help energize MAGA supporters, many of whom are low propensity voters who often skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.
The race in New Jersey was rocked a couple of weeks ago by a report that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally.
Rep. Mikell Sherrill of New Jersey, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, speaks at a news conference on Oct. 13, 2025, in Clifton, N.J.(Mikie Sherrill campaign)
But Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal.
Sherrill, who was never accused of cheating in the scandal, went on to serve nearly a decade in the Navy flying helicopters.
The showdown was jolted again at last month’s final debate after Sherrill’s allegations that Ciattarelli was “complicit” with pharmaceutical companies in the opioid deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans, as she pointed to the medical publishing company he owned that pushed content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain.
And Trump recently set off a political hand grenade in the race, as he “terminated” billions of federal dollars for the Gateway Project, which is funding a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York.
Sherrill, holding a news conference at a major commuter rail station just a few miles from the site of the tunnels in one of the busiest train corridors in the nation, called the project “critical” as she took aim at Trump and Ciattarelli.
Virginia
Explosive revelations in Virginia’s attorney general race that the GOP is aiming to leverage up and down the ballot recently shook up the race for governor, forcing Democratic Party nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, back on defense in a race where most polls indicated her enjoying a sizable lead over Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
The two major party gubernatorial nominees in Virginia: Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, left, and Democrat former Rep. Abigail Spanberger.(Getty Images)
Virginia attorney general Democratic nominee Jay Jones was in crisis mode after controversial texts were first reported a couple of weeks ago by the National Review.
Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, when he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he was given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head.
But he faced a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race.
Earle-Sears hasn’t wasted an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones.
And during last month’s chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid.
“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones.
Earle-Sears has kept up the pressure.
“Abigail Spanberger should have been the first to call for Jay Jones to step down. Instead, she doubled down — because deep down, she’s OK with what he said,” Earle-Sears argued recently in a social media post.
New York City
The mayoral election in the nation’s most populous city always grabs outsized attention, especially this year as New York City may elect its first Muslim and first millennial mayor.
Democratic socialist 34-year-old state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani’s victory in June’s Democratic Party mayoral primary sent political shock waves across the country. And he’s come under attack from Republicans and from his rivals on the ballot over his far-left proposals.
From left, independent mayoral candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis/Pool-AP Photo)
Mamdani is the clear polling and fundraising frontrunner in the heavily blue city as he faces off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who came in a distant second in the primary and is now running as an independent candidate. Cuomo is aiming for a political comeback after resigning as governor four years ago amid multiple scandals.
Also running is two-time Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, a co-founder of the Guardian Angels, the non-profit, volunteer-based community safety group.
Embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race last month. He recently backed Cuomo, but his name remains on the ballot.
California
Voters in heavily blue California will vote in November on whether to set aside their popular nonpartisan redistricting commission for the rest of the decade and allow the Democrat-dominated legislature to determine congressional redistricting for the next three election cycles.
The vote will be the culmination of an effort by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats to create up to five left-leaning congressional seats in the Golden State to counter the new maps that conservative Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a couple of months ago, which will create up to five more right-leaning U.S. House districts in the red state of Texas.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California speaks during a congressional redistricting event, on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The redistricting in Texas, which came after Trump’s urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.
Polls suggest majority support for passage of what’s known as Proposition 50.
But three Democrat-leaning justices on the state Supreme Court, following the completion of their 10-year terms, are running this year to keep their seats in “Yes” or “No” retention elections.
The election could upend the court’s composition for the next decade, heavily influence whether Democrats or Republicans have an advantage in the state’s congressional delegation and legislature, and impact crucial cases including voting rights and reproductive rights.
While state Supreme Court elections typically don’t grab much national attention, contests where the balance of a court in a key battleground state is up for grabs have attracted tons of outside money.
The state Supreme Court showdown this spring in Wisconsin, where the 4-3 liberal majority was maintained, drew nearly $100 million in outside money as both parties poured resources into the election.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”
Hotel Fauchere’s serene garden courtyard features a flowing fountain and complimentary beach cruisers for exploring Milford | Photo: Better Living
