????  Today’s #PoliticsPA Playbook. Garrity Still Has To Convince Top Republicans She’s Worth Investing In. PA Lawmakers Have Big 2026 Wish List Despite Tight State Finances. Philadelphia Sues Trump Administration Over Removal of Slavery Exhibit. Southwest Ends Open Seating Tomorrow

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????  What We’re Hearing. “Stacy is going to have to attract national investment the way Josh has,” Matt Brouillette said. “Our donors won’t be sufficient. Stacy is going to have to be competitive nationally to make this a race.”

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Top Story

1.   Stacy Garrity Still Has To Convince Top Republicans She’s Worth Investing In

“In the race for Pennsylvania governor, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity still has a lot of work to do.

With a little more than nine months until Election Day, the state Republican Party-endorsed candidate must convince top GOP donors that her campaign is worth investing in, making the case that she can motivate voters — and beat popular incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro.

And so far, she has significant ground to make up against the Democratic machine Shapiro now effectively controls, as he continues to build his name recognition nationwide.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Elsewhere

Support Strong For Stacy Garrity In Bradford County, But National Economic Concerns Loom. “As PA governor’s race heats up, residents of Garrity’s home county express frustration with economy, politics.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Josh Shapiro Addresses Nationwide ICE Deployments, Midterm Elections At Book Tour Launch. “While promoting the memoir, set to release on Jan. 27, Shapiro addressed Pennsylvania’s readiness to handle U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across the state. Outside the library, protesters called on Shapiro to refuse cooperation with ICE.” | Daily Pennsylvanian

Ex-Obama, Biden Officials Fume Over Shapiro’s Claim In New Book. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is facing a backlash from Democratic Party leaders over his recent claim that he faced additional scrutiny to become Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential nominee because he’s Jewish.” | Axios

A Conversation With Josh Shapiro On A Life Of Service And Faith. “In his new memoir, “Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service” (to be published Tuesday by HarperCollins), the 52-year-old governor details his childhood and his decades-long career.” | CBS News

State

2.   PA Lawmakers Have Big 2026 Wish List Despite Tight State Finances

“The 2026 wish list of state lawmakers — from transit and education funding to skill games regulation and a new family and medical leave program — will require bipartisanship and patience to become a reality.

When they do get going, a common thread in lawmakers’ strategizing will be a realization that money is tight — and maybe very tight.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elsewhere

Shapiro Is Popular With Voters, Not So Much With Fellow Dem Officials. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is wildly popular with voters in his critical battleground state. But among some top Democrats there who know him personally, feelings are lukewarm — sometimes even resentful.” | Axios

Reelection Announcement Roundup. “Here is a list of members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly who have announced their intention about running for reelection in 2026 as of January 22, 2026.” | PoliticsPA

Democratic Nominee Chosen For State House Special Election In HD-193. “The Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee announced it has nominated Todd Crawley, the former Director of Public and Environmental Health and Safety at Harrisburg Area Community College.” | abc27

Around The Commonwealth

3.   Philadelphia Sues Over Removal of Slavery Exhibit at Independence National Historical Park

“The city of Philadelphia has filed suit against the Trump administration after the National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historical Park.

The lawsuit, which named Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron, seeks a preliminary injunction to restore the exhibits at the President’s House site, where Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived during the years when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

PA GOP Lawmaker Says “Good Riddance” To Slavery Signage At Independence Mall. ““When did we become a people who talk more about our failures and weaknesses than celebrating our successes to overcome those weaknesses,” state Rep. Valerie Gaydos said on her personal Facebook account while responding to a Fox 43 video about the story.” | The Keystone

Here Are The Races To Watch This Year In Lancaster County. “In 2025, Lancaster County voters learned that nothing is so uncertain as a sure thing.” | LNP

The Rise Of Data Centers Is Becoming A Midterm Issue For Voters. “Data centers used to fuel artificial intelligence are popping up all over the country, and they’re becoming a midterm issue for voters that’s now drawing White House attention.” | NPR

How Jamie Gauthier Charted A New Path To Power In Philadelphia City Hall. “Gauthier has generally voted with progressives, but she has at times compromised on ideological battles to prioritize her district.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Another Senseless Killing In Trump’s Senseless War Against Americans | Philadelphia Inquirer
• Alex Pretti’s ICE Murder Is Beyond Politics. This Is About Good Vs. Evil | Will Bunch
• The Right and the Wrong Ways To Protest ICE | Bruce Ledewitz
• The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act | New York Times
• Time For ICE To Pause In Minneapolis | Wall Street Journal
• The Unjust Killing of Alex Pretti Marks a Turning Point in Trump’ Second Term | Washington Post
• America Must Acquire Greenland | Rep. Mike Kelly
• Josh Shapiro Went To Harrisburg And All We Got Was This Lousy Autobiography | Guy Ciarrocchi
• What I Discovered About Josh Shapiro at the Pennsylvania Farm Show | Salena Zito
• The Number of Americans Who Feel Politically Homeless Is Rising. Understandably So | Chicago Tribune
• Chester County Adapted Through Mistakes, Showing That The Election System Worked | Amy Widestrom and Marian Schneider
• Our Out-Of-Control Mistreatment Of Immigrants Must End | Rev. Sandra L. Strauss
• Momentum Builds Against Data Centers | Chris Kelly

1 Thing

5.   Southwest Ends Open Seating Tuesday — Subway Pays $20 For Middle Seat Selfies

“For one day only – coinciding with Southwest Airlines eliminating open seating which is a key part of what made it unique – anyone submitting a selfie in an airline middle seat gets a $20 Subway gift card.

There are… a total of 737 gift cards available on January 27 (Southwest flies only Boeing 737s), it’s first-come first-served, and it’s open to anyone 18 years old or older in the U.S. Just submit a photo of yourself in an airplane middle seat (any airline) taken that day, and as long as it reasonably shows you between two seats with both armrests and seats on either side, you should get the gift card (if there are any left). Your face doesn’t have to be visible.” | View From The Wing

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