Moves on the Board: January 5 - 9, 2026
Denotes a Bellevue Strategies client.
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Mayor Parker launched the new year with a series of civic engagements, attending inauguration ceremonies for city officials, announcing an expansion of waste collection services, and preparing for the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.
To begin the new year, Mayor Parker attended the inauguration honoring the newly elected and re-elected district attorney, city controller, and municipal and common pleas court judges. The Parker administration also announced Phase 2 of the Twice-Weekly Trash Collection Program, which aims to improve waste management and cleanliness.
On Wednesday, Mayor Parker joined Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington Sr. at the 2026 State of Public Education event, where they recapped the school district's progress and outlined its future direction.
Mayor Parker hosted a news conference to discuss the city's plans for the 31st annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 19. During the conference, 8th graders unveiled a student-designed mural, and Mayor Parker presented the Harris Wofford Active Citizenship Award.
On Friday, the mayor, the Office of Clean and Green, Mural Arts, and the Horticultural Society announced the “Gateways to Philadelphia” Anti-Graffiti & Highway Beautification Project. This initiative aims to address graffiti removal and enhance the appearance of highways in preparation for the 250th anniversary celebration.
Philadelphia City Council
City Council has officially adjourned for the year and is now out of session. Council will reconvene when members return to City Hall on January 22, 2026, marking the start of the new legislative session in the new year.
Next Week’s Moves
City Council is recessed until January 22, 2026.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime Delinquency (PCCD) announced the launch of a new website, which offers training, information, and resources to end human trafficking in Pennsylvania. The announcement comes during Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the department held a roundtable at The Greater Philadelphia Salvation Army, with elected officials, survivors, advocates, and community-based organizations discussing collaborative efforts to address the issue.
Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich announced that the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) will develop Multidisciplinary Teams to help address the concerns over older adult protective service cases. These community-based groups will work to improve collaboration and outcomes from protective service cases by bringing together professionals from various disciplines.
Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania Senate was in Harrisburg for a voting session on Tuesday, January 6, and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was in a non-voting session on the same day.
Leadership:
State Senator Kim Ward was re-elected unanimously this week as the President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate.
Next Week’s Moves
The General Assembly will be on recess next week, as the Pennsylvania Farm Show will take place from January 10 to January 17. The House and Senate will return to Harrisburg for a voting session from Monday, January 26, to Wednesday, January 28.
♟️ON THE TRAIL
State Races
Pennsylvania Governor
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has announced his re-election bid for 2026, in a video posted online. Shapiro held two campaign events on Thursday, January 8 to kick off his campaign, starting in Pittsburgh in the morning and then going to Philadelphia with Bellevue Strategies’ client, Philadelphia Youth Basketball. It was previously reported that his campaign entered the new year with over $30 million from fundraising.
State Senator Doug Mastriano announced that he would not seek the Republican nomination for Governor this year and endorsed State Treasurer Stacy Garrity. Mastriano previously ran for Governor in 2022 and lost to Shapiro.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Special Elections
Four members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have resigned in 2026, as they have taken new roles in their local municipalities. Speaker Joanna McClinton has announced a special election to fill the vacant seat previously held by Rep. Torren Ecker, R-Adams-Cumberland. The additional two vacant seats previously held by Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny County, and Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh County, will take place on February 24, 2026. The Speaker has not yet announced a special election to fill the vacant seat, which was held by Rep. Lou Schmitt, R-Blair County.
Pennsylvania House District 9
Democrat Brock Beck has announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania's 9th House District, which is currently held by Republican State Representative Marla Brown. Beck currently works in intelligence and homeland security at General Dynamics Information Technology, and has previously run unsuccessfully for Slippery Rock Township supervisor in 2023.
Pennsylvania House District 45
Allegheny City Council President Patrick Catena has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s 45th House District. The seat is currently held by State Representative Anita Kulik, who announced her retirement at the end of this year. Catenda is joining a packed field for the seat along with Democrat Fred Coleman and Republicans James Julius and Rocco Cozza.
Federal Races
PA Congressional District 7
Aidan Gonzalez has become the sixth Democrat to announce his candidacy for the party’s nomination to Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, which comprises Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Monroe Counties. The seat is currently held by first-term Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie. Other notable candidates for the Democratic nomination include union boss Bob Brooks, federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, energy engineer Carol Obando-Derstine, and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.