Pennsylvania State Representative District 102
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 House of Representatives consists of 203 members representing one district each, with an equal number of constituents. Representatives must be at least 21 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 House develops budget packages, makes taxation decisions, allocates spending, and passes laws (including redistricting in collaboration with the Senate). The House also has the exclusive authority to impeach public officials. Representatives also serve on various policy committees that may propose legislation. Term: 2 years Salary: $106,422 Vote for ONE.
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Russ Diamond
(Rep)
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?
What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?
What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court's ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?
What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?
County
Lebanon
Occupation
State Legislator/Business Owner
Education
Northern Lebanon High School, 1981; Lebanon County Vo-Tech (Electronics), 1981
Qualifications
I have served the people of the 102nd District since 2015. Prior to 2015, I was an award-winning citizen activist who successfully fought against the midnight pay raise of 2005. I am a life-long Lebanon Countian and have owned and operated a small audio/video production business here since 1992.
Overdevelopment of fertile farmland, election security, and regulation of skill games.
To combat overdevelopment of our fertile farmland, we need to make redevelopment of urban areas where infrastructure already exists a priority. We passed HB1300 to ensure election security during the 2021-22 legislative session, but Tom Wolf vetoed it. As the Republican Chair of the House Gaming Oversight Committee I would love to tackle skill games, but because Democrats currently hold the House majority, I am powerless to convene a hearing on the issue.
House Bill 1300 not only provided positive election security measures, but also would have brought early in-person voting to Pennsylvania in 2025. We also passed a new law offering direct grants to counties to help fund election operations. Our two biggest problems with elections are 1) non-uniformity of election administration from county to county, and 2) a major issue with maintaining our voter rolls within the SURE (Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors) database. As the House Republican appointee to the Joint State Government Commission’s Election Law Advisory Board, I participate in many non-partisan efforts to bring new ideas to the table to improve our election processes. I remain in contact with my local Director of Elections.
As long as we are funding institutions and not students, Pennsylvania’s education funding model will likely never come close to providing equality of educational opportunity for all students. Institutions are fixed in place, while people can move around and make choices.
We must move in the direction of allowing the dollars to follow the student so the students’ parents can make an informed choice among available educational institutions.
I’m proud of my 100% pro-life voting record in Harrisburg, and I will continue to stand for the lives of the unborn. That said, any political conversation about abortion in Pennsylvania needs to recognize 1) that Pennsylvania law on abortion has not changed one iota since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, 2) that three generations of women have grown up considering abortion to be a federally-protected fundamental right, and 3) that under divided government in Pennsylvania, the legal needle on abortion is unlikely to move in either direction. I adamantly oppose the current Democrat proposal to release abortion clinics from being regulated as surgical centers, which would risk another Kermit Gosnell-like atrocity.
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