Winners & Losers

This week's biggest Winners & Losers

This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

By City & State

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Sir Mick Jagger himself visited the Keystone State this week, taking a relaxing stroll through the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh just one day after rocking Heinz Field with the rest of the Rolling Stones. We hope Jagger got the satisfaction he was looking for, because the rest of the state has been anything but mellow this week. State lawmakers sparred over transparencybills, Philly labor leader Johnny Doc’s federal bribery trial began and a rogue cow galavanted across North Broad Street in Philadelphia in an udderly ridiculous made-for-Twitter moment. At least this week was a-moo-sing! Okay maybe not for the cow, since it went back to the butcher after a high-steaks attempt at an escape. 

Okay, enough with the bull. Scroll down for more of this week’s winners and losers!

WINNERS:

Lou Barletta -

Former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta’s trademark smile has to be gleaming this week after a poll placed him at the top of the Republican primary field for governor. According to the poll from Susquehanna Polling and Research, Barletta holds a 21-point lead over the next-closest potential candidate, state Sen. Scott Martin. The downside? Sixty percent of GOP voters said they’re undecided, and with some high-profile figures rumored to join the race, like state Sens. Jake Corman and Doug Mastriano, truly anything could happen between now and next May.

John Fetterman -

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor is known for his larger-than-life stature, but he’s also pulling in some larger-than-life fundraising numbers in his bid for U.S. Senate. John Fetterman’s campaign reported $2.7 million in contributions in the third quarter of 2021, eclipsing the $2.5 million he raised in Q2. Fetterman finished Q3 with $4.2 million in cash on hand, a cushion that the Sheetz-loving lieutenant governor will surely welcome as the Democratic primary intensifies.

Andrew Lewis -

State Rep. Andrew Lewis has had two bills passed by the House in back-to-back weeks, one of which has already been signed into law. That one, which extends hundreds of regulatory waivers made early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, received unanimous support from both chambers of the General Assembly. The other, which requires that schools post curriculum materials online, faces a more uncertain path, but Lewis had a strong week nonetheless.

LOSERS:

Alison Beam -

Back in August, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced a new, voluntary COVID-19 testing program that schools across the state could take advantage of. The program was free and optional. The bad news? Schools haven’t really taken advantage of it. According to Spotlight PA, just 396 schools out of more than 5,000 have opted into the voluntary testing program. Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said at a recent news conference that the state needs to “continue educating” schools about the availability of the free testing. Sounds like this program could use a shot in the arm.

Kelcy L. Warren -

Kelcy Warren is the executive chairman of Energy Transfer Partners, the Texas-based pipeline company in charge of the Mariner East II natural gas pipeline project in Pennsylvania. If that sounds familiar, that’s because the company was just charged with 48 environmental crimes by Attorney General Josh Shapiro, 45 of which dealt with the illegal release of industrial waste. The grand jury findings unveiled by Shapiro detailed frequent drilling fluid spills into lakes, waterways and residential properties since 2017. In addition to the waste, Energy Transfer needs to clean up its act.

Sean Parnell -

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell has been dogged by controversy ever since a rival campaign released information about multiple protection-from-abuse orders sought by Parnell’s wife. Now, Parnell is seeking a gag order against both his wife and her attorney as his personal issues spill into an increasingly-contentious GOP primary, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Parnell says he is seeking the gag order to protect his children from public scrutiny, but his wife, Laurie, views it as a political shield. Not a good look, Sean.

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