Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell’s (R) wife sought protective orders against him in 2017 and 2018, which primary rival Jeff Bartos (R) says make him “unelectable,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Word of the protective orders has been quietly simmering in political and media circles for months, but Bartos made them public for the first time in an interview Tuesday. He planned to release a memo Wednesday on the matter and why it should steer Republicans away from Parnell.”

“The highly personal line of attack from Bartos came days after Parnell secured a coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary.”

Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) is expected to launch a campaign for U.S. Senate campaign next month, Roll Call reports.

Carla Sands (R), the former U.S. ambassador to Denmark, launched a campaign for US Senate in Pennsylvania, with an opening video emphasizing her “Christian values” and ties to former President Donald Trump, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Roll Call: “Since he won a March 2018 special election that foreshadowed the blue wave that helped Democrats win House control that November, part of Lamb’s appeal in his Western Pennsylvania district has been his willingness to buck his party and work across the aisle.”

“But data tracked by CQ Roll Call shows that Lamb has become more likely to vote with a majority of his fellow Democrats on votes that split the parties, although he still occasionally breaks ranks.”

“Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) has begun telling some donors and supporters in recent days that he is likely to enter the Pennsylvania Senate race,” Politico reports.

“Lamb has urged some donors to contribute quickly as he ramps up his fundraising operation ahead of a formal launch.”

Politico: “The likely GOP candidates in Pennsylvania’s open Senate race come in three familiar flavors: anti-Trump, Trumpy and Trumpiest.”

“Though President Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania in 2020 and will have been out of office for nearly two years by the time voters cast their ballots in the Senate election, the Republican primary here is already revolving around him — creating a potential dilemma for the GOP in one of the nation’s most important races next year.”

“Sean Parnell, a decorated combat veteran and favorite of former President Donald Trump, is all but certain to run for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“If he joins the race, Parnell — who was part of an effort to throw out more than 2.5 million lawful mail votes and overturn the result of Pennsylvania’s presidential election — may have at least some support from Trump’s inner circle, if not from the former president himself.”

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) announced on Friday that he will forgo a bid for an open and highly contested Pennsylvania Senate seat, The Hill reports.

Edward-Isaac Dovere: “I asked Fetterman which politician he models himself after. He doesn’t have a model, he told me. And although American politics has a history of funky facial hair that dates back to at least Martin Van Buren, there hasn’t ever been a statewide politician like Fetterman. It’s more than Fetterman’s appearance that makes him stand out in these days of sanded-down political personalities—his policy choices and his laid-back, full-of-curses way of speaking stand out too.”

Said Fetterman: “If Hobby Lobby is paying $15 an hour, how the fuck is that progressive to believe that people should be being paid $15 an hour? If South Dakota voted to legalize weed, how is that progressive to say, ‘Why are we ruining people’s criminal records for using a plant and saying no to billions in free revenue?’”

Philadelphia Inquirer: “Malcolm Kenyatta (D), a state representative and progressive activist from Philadelphia, officially launched a campaign for U.S. Senate on Thursday, casting himself as a champion of working people who would make history as Pennsylvania’s first Black and first openly gay senator.”

“He’s also entering the race with some significant backers. The American Federation of Teachers, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and the Working Families Party all issued endorsements to coincide with his announcement.”

“Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) isn’t running for reelection in 2022. But his vote to convict former President Donald Trump is already rocking the race to succeed him,” Politico reports.

“County parties have censured Toomey, prompting backlash from centrists and even some Trump supporters who think the efforts will hurt the GOP in upcoming elections. Former Rep. Ryan Costello, a moderate Republican eyeing a bid for the Senate, has publicly come to Toomey’s defense in the wake of his vote. Ex-Trump aides, in turn, are making plans to torpedo Costello before he announces a campaign.”

Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) told MSNBC that he will look at running for Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R) open seat but hasn’t made a decision and wants to talk to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the possibility.

Kenneth Braithwaite, a former Navy secretary in the Trump administration, is weighing a Senate run in Pennsylvania in 2022, Politico reports.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he is taking “a serious look” at another run for the U.S. Senate in 2022, an ambition he plans to share with supporters on Friday.

Said Fetterman: “The 2022 cycle in Pennsylvania is going to be one of the most, if not the most, important races.”

A new Franklin & Marshall poll in Pennsylvania finds Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) leading challenger Lou Barletta (R) by a stunning 17 points, 44% to 27%, with 28% still undecided.

In the gubernatorial race, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) leads challenger Scott Wagner, 48% to 29%.

“What the hell is there not to like?”

— Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Lou Barletta (R-PA), quoted by National Journal, on the Trump administration.