Red Wave or Red Mirage? Schuylkill County Heads to the Polls for Election Day

It’s Election Day here in Schuylkill County.

Voting for the 2022 midterm elections wraps up at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, and there are some major races to be decided.

Here’s a look at who’s on the ballot for Schuylkill County voters and the races we’ll be following closest tonight.

Election Day 2022 Races in Schuylkill County

There are races for US Senator and Pennsylvania. Those are the ones getting the most attention prior to today.

US Senate (Pennsylvania)

Incumbent Republican Pat Toomey is retiring and the race to replace him is, if you believe some political polling, a toss-up between Republican candidate Mehmet Oz and the Democrat John Fetterman.

Fetterman has been nearly incomprehensible since suffering a stroke earlier this year. But the Democrats absolutely want this seat more than life itself and insisted on running Fetterman, whose only role in life seems to have been to run for this seat.

Why else would one risk their life for a Senate seat?

Pennsylvania Governor

In the race for Pennsylvania Governor, those same polls have the Republican candidate Doug Mastriano FAR behind the Democrat Josh Shapiro.

It’s beyond our comprehension how so many people in Pennsylvania could have forgotten that Shapiro is very largely responsible for many of the draconian measures the state government employed during the coronavirus pandemic response in 2020 and 2021.

But here we are, with Shapiro allegedly holding a big voter advantage. Go figure. It wouldn’t surprise us as it was quite a shock to see so many people of voting age who apparently needed to be told what to do by the government.

Maybe those polls are way off?

This could be one of those “red mirage” races where it looks like Mastriano wins but the late vote counting in some areas with more mail-in ballots could tilt the race in the other direction.

Keep an eye on this race.

US House of Representatives – Pennsylvania 9th District

In the race to pick Schuylkill County’s representation in Congress, incumbent Republican Dan Meuser puts his seat on the line against Democrat Amanda Waldman.

This race would be like the Eagles playing Nativity. Meuser is expected to win by a wide margin and keep the 9th seat red in the House.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Voters in Schuylkill County are also voting for the first time under Pennsylvania’s new district map for the State House of Representatives.

This gives Schuylkill County a chance to send 4 people to the State House (up from the current 3 already there).

Here’s a look at who’s on the ballots in each of these districts and who from Schuylkill County is voting in them.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (107th)

The new 107th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will consist of parts of Northumberland and Schuylkill counties.

Here are the Schuylkill County municipalities in the 107th:

• Boroughs: Pine Grove, Tower City, Tremont
• Townships: Barry, Eldred, Foster, Frailey, Hegins, Hubley, Pine Grove, Porter, Reilly, Tremont, Upper Mahantongo, Washington

This race is between the following candidates:

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (116th)

The new 116th District in the state House will include parts of Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.

Check out who’s now in the 116th:

• Boroughs: Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Ringtown, Shenandoah
• Townships: East Union, Kline, Mahanoy, North Union, Union

The race is between these candidates:

Yesenia Rodriguez (D)
Dane Watro (R)

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (123rd)

The redrawn 123rd District in the Pennsylvania House is completely inside Schuylkill County.

Here’s who is in the 123rd:

• City: Pottsville
• Boroughs: Ashland, Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mechanicsville, Middleport, Minersville, Mount Carbon, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, Schuylkill Haven, Saint Clair
• Townships: Blythe, Branch, Butler, Cass, East Norwegian, New Castle: North Manheim, Norwegian, Wayne, West Mahanoy

And voters will have to choose between these candidates:

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (124th)

In the new 124th House District in Pennsylvania, parts of Berks and Schuylkill counties are included.

Here’s a look at the municipalities in the 124th:

• Boroughs: Auburn, Coaldale, Deer Lake, Landingville, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Port Clinton, Tamaqua
• Townships: Delano, East Brunswick, Rush, Ryan, Schuylkill, South Manheim, Walker, West Brunswick, West Penn

Voters can pick between these two candidates on the ballot:

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