The 2022 election is only two days away.

There are thousands of races nationwide: 435 house races, 34 senate races and thousands of state and local races that will define the country’s political landscape for the next two to six years.

In Pennsylvania, there are a number of key races. There is an open seat in the U.S. Senate that Pennsylvania voters will have the opportunity to fill, as Pat Toomey retires after serving two terms in the Senate. Gov. Tom Wolf has reached the end of his two terms allotted to him by the Pennsylvania constitution, setting up a race between the state’s attorney general and a state senator to replace him as governor of the Commonwealth. 

Locally, there is a race to replace the retiring State Representative Pam Snyder, who chose to not run for a sixth term in office.

Polls open at 7 a.m. on November 8 and close at 8 p.m. According to Pennsylvania’s election law, voters still in line at 8 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballot.

According to Judy Snyder, director of Greene County elections, voters should bring a legal form of identification with them to the polls.

“Although not all voters are required to show ID, the Polling Board of Elections is permitted to ask for identification. First-time voters can be expected to show identification,” she said.

Snyder expects approximately 50 to 60% of registered voters in Greene County to cast their ballots at one of the county’s 42 precincts. She expects all of the ballots to be counted by midnight on election night.

“The count at the polls and by mail is estimated to be completed by midnight on election day,” she said. “The unofficial results of the election will be as soon as we can complete the canvass procedure and then scan the ballots for reporting results.”

Local

One way or another, this midterm election will mark the end of a political era for Greene County. In February 2021, Pam Snyder, Greene County’s representative in the state house announced her retirement after a decade in the seat. In a press release at the time of her retirement, Snyder stated that her time serving had reached a natural conclusion.

“While I love being the voice of our community in Harrisburg, this past year has reminded me how short and precious our time is, and I look forward to having more time to spend with my husband and family, Snyder said in the statement at the time of the announcement.

The Democrat replacing her on the ballot is Doug Mason- a music teacher and band director in the Central Greene School district. According to his campaign website, he is running on bringing back energy jobs, properly funding public schools and getting rid of the property tax system.

In an interview, Mason declined to say how he would vote if an abortion ban were brought in front of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He said he would respect the wishes of his constituents, while saying that he believes that there are rights that should not be infringed upon.

“I believe strongly that there are freedoms in this country that should not be infringed upon and need to be protected. I don’t think that the government should be in a lot of things, and one of those things is healthcare and personal wishes about his health.”

As a teacher, Mason said schools need to be funded in a way that is more adequate. He believes that the current system creates disparities in the quality of education provided to rural students, compared to those in suburban areas.

“The student who comes from Greene County or another rural area is not getting the same educational opportunities as someone from a suburban area,” he said. “There’s really one main reason that this is the case. It’s how schools are funded, and I would like to work with anyone that is interested in the house to come up with ways and ideas to get more fair and adequate funding systems for education.”

Mason’s Republican opponent is no stranger to the local political scene. Bud Cook is the current representative of Pennsylvania’s 49th district, where he has served for 5 years, according to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives website. He enters the race as an incumbent: following the 2020 census, his district was drawn into Snyder’s district, Pennsylvania’s 50th legislative district.

The new 50th legislative district encompasses all of Greene County and a portion of southern Washington County, according to the final reapportionment plan agreed upon by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Cook has not accepted an offer for an interview by the time of publication. 

Cook has significantly out-fundraised and outspent Mason. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, Cook has raised $30,000 and spent $15,000. Mason has raised $3,655 and spent $1,366 of it.

The race for Pennsylvania’s 50th legislative district is the only contested race that is local to Greene County: Greene County’s state senator is running for reelection unopposed. Camera Barlotta, senator for Pennsylvania’s 46th senatorial district, was first elected in 2018, after losing her initial run in 2014.

The only federal race local to Greene County is also uncontested. Guy Reschenthaler [R], Greene County’s representative in Congress, is also running unopposed for re-election. Reschenthaler was first elected to Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional district in 2018, according to Pennsylvania’s election results website.

Likewise, 

Statewide

A statewide race that carries national implications is the race to replace the retiring Pat Toomey [R] in the United States Senate. The Democratic candidate on the ballot, John Fetterman, served as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania for 13 years, and has been lieutenant governor since 2019. He is running a campaign centered on holding Washington, D.C. accountable, according to his campaign website, and he highlights legalizing cannabis and guaranteeing healthcare as key issues.

Fetterman’s Republican opponent has taken a different path to this race. Dr. Mehmet Oz won the Republican nomination after a close primary: he won by a margin of roughly 900 votes, out of over 1.2 million votes cast, according to official election returns released by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Before beginning a career in politics, Oz worked in television. According to his campaign website, he was the host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and practices medicine at the NY- Presbyterian- Columbia medical center. His website highlights energy independence and stopping illegal immigration as key issues.

The race is still close. The most recent poll, conducted by InsiderAdvantage and released on Oct. 19, found that Fetterman and Oz are tied at 46% of the vote. Of the 550 people surveyed, 2% remained undecided.

The race for governor is no less contentious. The Democratic candidate is Josh Shapiro, a former Montgomery County commissioner and current state attorney general. The Republican candidate, Doug Mastriano, was elected as state senator for Pennsylvania’s 33rd district in May 2019.

A poll conducted by Monmouth University and released on Oct. 6 found that Shapiro holds the lead. The poll surveyed 610 people, and 43% of voters surveyed said they were “definitely” voting for Shapiro, and 14% said they were “probably” voting for him. On the other hand, 25% of voters surveyed said they were “definitely” voting for Mastriano, and 14% said they were “probably”  voting for him. Four percent were undecided.

According to the press release accompanying the poll, voters are largely divided on personality issues.

“The Monmouth University Poll finds that support in their respective partisan bases is stronger for Shapiro than it is for Mastriano. Personality seems to matter more than issues in the race for governor, although Shapiro has the advantage on most areas of voter concern,” the release said.

Shapiro’s campaign website points to his career as a public servant, portraying him as a reformer that “takes on the status quo.” Key issues include abortion rights, job creation and reconciling environmental concerns with energy production.

Mastriano’s campaign has cited his military service as an indicator of his dedication to public service. According to his campaign website, Mastiano spent 30 years on active duty “fighting for freedom, defending our families, and serving the people of this exceptional nation.” Key issues include election integrity, preserving the second amendment and illegal immigration.