PA-08 House winner?

South Carolina's Office of the Inspector General has released a report alleging malfeasance, conflicts of interest, policy violations and neglect of duty by an unnamed Charleston County school board member referred to as "Trustee X." The 27-page report claims the trustee improperly disclosed confidential information to the media and a district vendor, used their board position for personal gain, and failed to report roughly $248,000 in taxable income tied to Next Level Educational Services, LLC, an education consulting firm. It also questioned whether the trustee actually resided in Charleston County when elected in November 2022.

District 8 trustee Darlene Roberson, previously identified as the company's CEO, pushed back, saying she saw no clear violation of law or board policy and questioning the relevance of matters beyond her board service. The report outlines grounds under which South Carolina's governor could remove a board member following a felony charge, though no charges have been filed. Governor Henry McMaster's office, which requested the investigation, says it is reviewing the findings to determine next steps.

Pennsylvania voters go to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, in a general election that will help decide control of Congress and the state's next governor. Voter registration closed Oct. 19, and mail-in ballot requests are due by Oct. 27; polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The marquee race pits Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, with Libertarian Ken Krawchuk also on the ballot. All Pennsylvania House seats and half the state Senate are up for election. Closely watched U.S. House contests include the 7th District, where Democrat Bob Brooks challenges Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie, and the 1st District, where Republican Brian Fitzpatrick faces Democrat Bob Harvie in perennially competitive Bucks County.

Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) released a campaign ad attacking Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, his Democratic opponent in Pennsylvania's competitive House race, calling her and her allies "full of baloney." Bresnahan touted his vote to ban congressional stock trading and noted he does not personally trade stocks, contrasting this with Cognetti's past work for Goldman Sachs on Wall Street.

The exchange follows Cognetti campaign ads accusing Bresnahan of making roughly 600 stock trades this year, including timing sales and purchases around tariffs, military contracts, and crypto-related votes. Democrats have also highlighted trades tied to a data center development. Bresnahan's campaign has called those characterizations false, saying he relies on a financial adviser and has taken steps toward a trading ban. Bresnahan also criticized Cognetti's record on taxes, teacher layoffs, and police funding while on the Scranton School Board and as mayor. Some Scranton officials and residents have separately criticized Cognetti for being less engaged locally while campaigning for Congress. Polls show a narrow Cognetti lead in the race.

Democrat Bob Harvie, who is challenging Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, is facing criticism over campaign ads that presented politically active Democrats as ordinary, unaffiliated voters. In one mail piece, Patti Kearins was shown as a concerned voter without disclosing her involvement with the Bensalem Democratic Organization and her past appearances in Pennsylvania Democratic Party ads attacking Fitzpatrick. A separate social media post featured Manuel Galarza as a "Trump voter" without noting his ties to Bucks County Indivisible, a group organized to oppose the GOP agenda, and his history of promoting Harvie's campaign.

The race in the swing district is considered competitive heading into the 2026 midterms, with control of Congress at stake. Critics argue the ads suggest Harvie's campaign is struggling to demonstrate organic, broad-based support, instead relying on figures connected to established Democratic political infrastructure while presenting them as independent voices.

Control of Pennsylvania's state Senate could hinge on three Philadelphia suburban districts, as Democrats aim to flip the chamber for the first time in 33 years. Republicans currently hold 27 of 50 seats; Democrats need to flip at least two and retain the governor's office to take the majority via the lieutenant governor's tie-breaking vote.

Democratic challengers Eileen Hartnett Albillar (6th District, Bucks County), Mark Pinsley (16th District, Bucks/Lehigh), and Chris Thomas (24th District, Montgomery/Berks) are challenging GOP incumbents Frank Farry, Jarrett Coleman, and Tracy Pennycuick, respectively. All three districts favor Republicans in voter registration, though Gov. Josh Shapiro has endorsed the Democratic candidates and his own reelection bid is on the same ballot.

Both parties are centering campaigns on affordability, with Democrats tying races to dissatisfaction with President Trump's handling of the economy and gas prices, while Republicans emphasize fiscal restraint and bipartisan legislative wins. A Democratic trifecta would open the door to priorities like a minimum wage increase and transportation funding previously blocked by the GOP-controlled Senate.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R) faced off on October 7 in their only scheduled debate of the campaign, the first gubernatorial debate in the state in eight years. Hosted by Nexstar Media Group at abc27's Harrisburg studio and broadcast across five Nexstar stations plus WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, the debate was moderated by abc27's Dennis Owens and WPXI's Lisa Sylvester.

Shapiro, the state's first-term governor and a frequently mentioned potential 2028 presidential contender, has campaigned on increased education funding, business investment, and the expedited rebuild of a collapsed I-95 section in Philadelphia. Garrity, twice elected treasurer and the record-holder for most votes by a statewide candidate in 2024, has focused on unclaimed property reform, returning military artifacts, and boosting Israeli bond investments. Both candidates fielded questions on data centers and AI growth, rising consumer costs, and the prospect of governing alongside a divided legislature.