Pennsylvania

Governor Josh Shapiro has filed 22 lawsuits against the Trump administration and recovered over $2 billion in frozen federal funds. He leads the legal fight himself because Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday declined to sue.

Democrats hold the state House by one seat. Republicans control the Senate 27-23. The school funding system was ruled unconstitutional in 2023 and still has a $6.2 billion gap.

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Federal lawsuits

Shapiro filed 22 lawsuits against the Trump administration in his first year. Courts have ruled in Pennsylvania’s favor in the majority of resolved cases. The governor’s office says the suits have protected over $2 billion in federal funding for healthcare, education, and public services.

This is unusual. In most states, the attorney general leads lawsuits against the federal government. In Pennsylvania, AG Dave Sunday declined to challenge the Trump administration. Shapiro took the cases himself using the governor’s legal authority.

Lawsuit	What was at stake	Outcome
Frozen federal grants	$2B across agencies	TRO granted, funds released
Education funding	$185M for Title I and special ed	Preliminary injunction, funds restored
Public health grants	$500M for community health centers	Pending
SNAP benefit changes	144,000 PA households	Pending

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Voting access

Pennsylvania’s Act 77 created no-excuse mail voting in 2019 with bipartisan support. Since then, the requirement that voters handwrite a date on the return envelope has generated at least nine court decisions.

820,803 mail ballot applications reported before the May 2026 primary

The Third Circuit ruled the date requirement unconstitutional in 2025, finding it violates the Civil Rights Act’s materiality provision. The case is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. Election law attorney Adam Bonin told the Inquirer the litigation is “approaching the endgame.”

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Public schools

In February 2023, Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutionally inequitable. The gap between the highest and lowest funded districts is $4,800 per student.

$6.2 billion estimated gap between what Pennsylvania spends on schools and what the court says is needed

Shapiro invested $3 billion in new school funding over two budgets. But $3.3 billion remains. At the current pace, full compliance would take nine more years.

The 2026 budget proposal draws $4.6 billion from state savings and includes a $100 million federal response fund to offset federal cuts. The Republican Senate has not agreed to either.

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Healthcare and benefits

The federal reconciliation bill signed July 4, 2025 cut $911 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. In Pennsylvania, the governor’s office estimates 310,000 people will lose Medicaid coverage and 144,000 households will lose SNAP benefits.

310,000 Pennsylvanians projected to lose Medicaid under the reconciliation bill

Up to 25 rural hospitals are at risk of closure as Medicaid reimbursement rates drop. Work requirements starting January 2027 will force enrollees to prove 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or education. People who miss a reporting deadline lose coverage even if they qualify.

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2026 elections

Race	Candidates	Polling	Source
Governor	Shapiro (D) vs Garrity (R)	Shapiro +18-20	Quinnipiac, Oct 2025
State House	All 203 seats	Dems hold by 1 seat	Current
State Senate	Half the chamber	GOP leads 27-23	Current

Shapiro holds 58% job approval and 60% favorability (Quinnipiac, October 2025). Trump’s Pennsylvania approval is 40% with 55% disapproval in the same poll.

The bigger fight is the legislature. Democrats are investing heavily to flip the state Senate for the first time since 2010. If they succeed, Pennsylvania would have unified Democratic control and could move school funding and voting access without Republican vetoes.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your registration and party status. Pennsylvania primaries are closed. Confirm at vote.pa.gov.

2. Track your mail ballot. Use the state ballot tracker and contact your county election office immediately if something looks wrong.

3. Call your state senator about school funding. Ask whether they support closing the $3.3 billion gap the court identified. Find your senator at pasen.gov.

4. Verify your Medicaid and SNAP status. If you receive benefits, keep your contact information current with the Department of Human Services at 1-866-550-4355.

5. Ask every candidate about mail ballots. Do they support the date requirement? Do they support Act 77? Get a straight answer before November.