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Pennsylvania State Senator District 16

Description of office: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of government in Pennsylvania. It is composed of two houses: the Senate is the upper house, and the House of Representatives is the lower house. A majority vote in both houses is necessary to pass a law. The PA Senate consists of 50 members, representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Senators must be at least 25 years old, have been a citizen and a resident of the state four years and a resident of their respective districts one year before their election, and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service. The Senate develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the House of Representatives). In addition, the Senate tries officials impeached by the House and authorizes executive appointments. Senators serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation.Term: 4 years Salary: $113,591Vote for ONE.

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    Mark Pinsley
    (Dem)

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    Bradley Merkl-Gump
    (Dem)

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    Jarrett Coleman
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

What do you see as the most pressing issues facing residents of your district, and how would you address them?

What changes, if any, would you support to enable better access, ensure security, and support the processes of our elections?

What are your thoughts on the state budget process? What changes, if any, would you support so that the budget is enacted in a timely manner?

Should the state legislature enact laws concerning the impacts on water, energy, or land use from the development and operation of data centers? Would state regulation of data center development and operation interfere with the authority of municipalities to establish ordinances under the MPC (Municipal Planning Code)?

County Lehigh
Occupation Controller of Lehigh County
Education Northeastern University BSBA Kelley School of Business MBA
Qualifications I am the Controller of Lehigh County, where I serve as an independent watchdog over public spending and government operations. I have uncovered waste, challenged powerful interests, and delivered real savings for taxpayers, including exposing millions in overcharges. I am a veteran and public serva
Campaign Website http://votemarkpinsley.com
The biggest issue facing residents is the cost of living. Electric bills, healthcare, and property taxes keep rising, and many of those costs are shaped by decisions in Harrisburg. I would focus on accountability by making agencies and large institutions explain costs clearly before families feel them.

I would push for fairer taxes, more healthcare transparency, and stronger oversight of prescription pricing. I would also address the impact of AI and large data centers, which can raise energy demand, affect jobs, and increase costs if left unchecked. The government should work for people and make these decisions understandable.
Our elections should be easy to use, hard to tamper with, and easy to trust. I support more early voting, clear mail ballot rules, and enough polling places so no one is shut out by time or distance.

Every ballot should have a paper record, and every election should trigger routine audits. I would also create a public chain-of-custody log so people can see when ballots were printed, sent, received, and counted. Not who voted for whom, but whether the process was followed. Programs can be used to flag misinformation and unusual patterns for review, which will require humans to review the patterns. Access, security, and transparency have to work together.
The budgeting process has proven ineffective. Everyone is playing games, and no one is being held accountable. I would require a public draft at least 60 days before the deadline and prohibit any vote unless it has been public for two weeks. If the deadline is missed, consequences must be immediate and visible. Legislative pay stops, and discretionary funding pauses. At the same time, non-critical state operations begin to slow on a defined schedule, so the public feels the impact of the delay. The goal is to force action, not allow stalemates to continue without consequence. I would also move major spending into multi-year frameworks to avoid repeating the same conflicts each year.
Yes, the state should act because the scale of these projects now affects everyone. One data center can use as much electricity as 150,000 homes. That is the number of homes in Lehigh County. It is not just a local land use question. That is a regional cost and grid stability issue.

The state should set baseline rules on energy use, water, and cost responsibility so projects cannot shift grid upgrades and price increases onto residents. If a project increases demand, it should fund capacity or provide direct rate relief.

At the same time, municipalities must retain authority under the MPC over zoning, siting, and conditional use. The state defines the impact and the terms. Local communities decide if they accept the tradeoff.
County Bucks
Occupation Civics and History Teacher
Education High School: Pennridge, Bachelor's in the Science of Education: Shippensburg University, Masters of Education: Lehigh
Qualifications I have a proven track record of service as a teacher and school board director, a depth of expertise in the issues facing public education, and a lived experience of the issues facing working families in Pennsylvania
Campaign Website http://BMGforPA.com
The most pressing issue facing Lehigh and Bucks counties is the rising cost of living. Each day, working families like mine are asked to do more with less as costs rise and wages stay the same. I plan to address this through increasing the minimum wage, standing up to corporations that engage in price-gouging, and investing in affordable housing. I would also bring down property taxes by investing in public education and lower the cost of tuition at state and trade schools for careers essential to the future success of Pennsylvania. Our families need relief from rising costs and we need it now.
Suffrage is the most fundamental right by which Americans ensure government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Short of amendment to the constitution, the power to protect that right has always belonged to the states. I will oppose any attempt by the federal government to disenfranchise voters in the state of Pennsylvania. I will support using the full powers of the state to protect voters and ensure that our elections are accessible, fair, and secure.
As a teacher, I see the real world impacts of funding delays on Pennsylvania students and classrooms. As a school board director, I am a part of the yearly process to pass a budget on the state-mandated timeline. This process has become increasingly difficult due to senators like Jarrett Coleman, who play political games by refusing to pass a state budget, withholding much needed funding from our schools and communities. If we demand that districts and municipalities meet a set deadline to pass their budgets, I believe the state should hold itself to the same standard.
Regulating zoning is a power of local government, and data center construction must meet the specific needs of each community. At the state level, there are things we can do to ensure data centers mitigate any negative impacts. To offset environmental damage, I would require companies to invest in new energy production and use closed loop cooling systems to prevent endlessly drawing from our waterways. I would also require that data centers be built with skilled union labor, and that they pay into funds to lower the cost of energy for working families and create long-term jobs for our communities.
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