We continue our series on the candidates for the Pennsylvania State House with a look at the northeastern corner of the Keystone State.

Races to Watch

HD 118: Jim Haddock (D) vs. James May (R)

Haddock, former mayor of Avoca, defeated Allison Lucarelli by 10 points in the primary. He vows to properly fund public education, fight to reduce property taxes for homeowners, fight to stop the constant turnpike toll increases, create jobs that pay a living wage and secure affordable quality healthcare.

May, a former Army chaplain, easily defeated John Lombardo in the primary. He wants to protect 2nd Amendment rights and is proudly pro-life and is against taxpayer-funded abortions. May also supports banning critical race theory and other social activism in school.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+5.6

HD 119: Vito Malacari (D) vs. Alec Ryncavage (R)

Malacari, a high school history teacher, will fight for equitable funding for all schools and believes that each person is entitled to access high-quality, affordable healthcare. He also wants to raise the minimum wage.

Ryncavage, a Plymouth councilman, defeated Thomas Williams by 11 points in the primary. He supports constitutional carry and is endorsed by the Gun Owners of America. He wants to ban no-excuse mail-in voting and stop the woke DEP and policies like RGGI.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: R+5.1

HD 120: Aaron Kaufer* (R) vs. Fern Leard (D)

Kaufer is looking for his fifth term in Harrisburg. He believes in a smaller state government, eliminating school property tax burdens, and making PA more job friendly.

Leard received nearly 600 write-in votes to earn the Democratic nomination. She says she is a pro-union, pro-choice, pro-public school and pro-environment Democrat. Leard wants to work for quality healthcare and fight for the educational and environmental setting children deserve.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: R+3.7

Contested Races

HD 112: Kyle Mullins* (D) vs. William Torbeck (R)

Mullins is in search of his third term in Harrisburg. He supports a reduction in the size of the legislature, ending political gerrymandering of districts, and stopping per diems paid to Harrisburg politicians.

Torbeck, a contractor, says he is pro-life, pro-family and pro-2nd Amendment. He wants to provide access to school choice and improved charter schools and will work to safeguard 10th Amendment rights enshrined in the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution to protect Pennsylvanians from Federal Government overreach.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+17.2

HD 113: Kyle Donahue (D) vs. Aaron Sepkowski (R)

Donahue, president of Scranton City Council, defeated Patrick Flynn in the primary. He believes that fair funding is vital to all school districts and that every Pennsylvanian deserves quality health care and prescriptions they can afford.

Sepkowski, a Madison Township supervisor, says that children don’t need an introduction to complex gender and sex issues and theories that stray from facts. He believes that regulation— state and federal — is killing entrepreneurship and small businesses.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+20.1

HD 114: Bridget Kosierowski* (D) vs. David Burgerhoff (R)

Kosierowski has served in the state House since March 2019. Her legislative priorities include preserving and enhancing health care services for all.

Burgerhoff, a business owner, is a replacement for Colin Healey who withdrew from the race. He previously ran as the 2016 GOP candidate in the 113rd District.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+16.3

HD 115: Maureen Madden* (D) vs. Krista Paolucci (R)

Madden is in search of her fourth term in the state House. Her priorities include increasing higher education funding by eliminating corporate tax breaks, reforming property taxes, and securing additional state funding for education so public schools are fairly funded.

Paolucci, a project manager, wants to promote school choice, strengthen family values and protect the unborn.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+16.1

HD 121: Eddie Day Pashinski* (D) vs. Eryn Harvey (R)

Pashinski has served in the PA House since 2007. He believes in the healthcare right to preserve coverage for pre-existing conditions, fair funding for public schools and tax fairness for all.

Harvey, a former aide to John Yudichak, believes in more parental involvement, curricula transparency and ending radical political and social activism in our schools. She also supports reducing, and ultimately eliminating, school property taxes.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+10.8

HD 122: Doyle Heffley* (R) vs. Richard Kost (D)

Heffley looks for his seventh term in Harrisburg. His priorities include creating a business-friendly environment, reducing taxes, achieving greater fiscal responsibility and government transparency and restoring government trust.

Kost, an independent contractor, is considered about a number of issues, including high property taxes, the state of our bridges and roads, and the unequal funding of schools.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: R+25.3

HD 139: Meg Rosenfeld (D) vs. Joe Adams (R)

Rosenfeld, a paralegal, defeated Marian Keegan, 53.4 to 46.6, in the primary. She says bringing local hospital access to the district is a top priority, and ensuring and maintaining high quality education insulated from socio political interference is of the upmost importance.

Adams, a Wayne County commissioner, defeated two opponents with 43 percent of the vote in the primary. He wants to protect the sanctity of human life and our 2nd Amendment rights. Adams also wants to harness our abundant natural resources to make America and Pennsylvania to more energy independent and to lower fuel prices

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: R+26.7

HD 176: Jack Rader* (R) vs. Hope Christman (D) vs. Autumn Pangia (L)

Rader has served in the state House since 2015. His focus is on eliminating the property tax and reducing government involvement in everyday life. Rader is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment.

Christman, a social worker, wants to work for sensible property tax reform, proper funding for schools, and quality mental health services for all.

Pangia, a licensed customs broker, supports bodily autonomy and resistance to government interference with individual decisions relating to health. She stands in defense of 2nd Amendment rights and believes that taxation, in its current form, is theft.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: R+9.8

HD 189: Tarah Probst (D) vs. Steve Ertle (R)

Probst, mayor of Stroudsburg, will fight for comprehensive tax reform that immediately reduces school property taxes and fair and equitable funding for our schools. Probst is also pro-2nd Amendment and a gun owner.

Ertle, a businessman, easily defeated John Petrizzo in the primary. His top priorities will be addressing affordable housing challenges, increasing tourism revenue, continuing economic development, broadband, and technological infrastructure.

Dave’s Redistricting Partisan Lean: D+16.0

Unopposed

• HD 111: Jonathan Fritz* (R-Wayne/Susquehanna)
• HD 117: Michael Cabell (R-Luzerne/Lackawanna/Wyoming)