Coleman Seeks Reelection as Data Center and Tax Issues Drive Senate Race

State Senator Jarrett Coleman, a professional pilot and Republican, is running for a second term representing parts of Allentown and Upper Bucks County. He faces Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, a Democrat, in a Tuesday election. The race pits Coleman’s free-market approach against Pinsley’s push for expanded public sector roles in health care and wages.

Coleman secured a legislative win in October when Governor Josh Shapiro signed a bill Coleman coauthored. The measure closes a loophole requiring localities to give 24 hours’ notice before enacting consequential policy. Coleman cited his background fighting the Parkland School Board for transparency as the origin of this focus. A 2023 Supreme Court ruling had previously limited his earlier court victory on the same issue, leading to the new bipartisan legislation.

The candidates disagree sharply on economic policy. Coleman supports an electricity tax cut and a bill to speed regulatory approval for homebuilding to expand housing supply. Pinsley proposes raising the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $22 per hour. The controller also backs caps on insulin costs for Medicaid patients and stricter air quality benchmarks. Pinsley noted that he saved the county approximately $3 million by ending overcharges by pharmacy benefit managers.

Data center development has become a primary point of contention. Pinsley attributes a 55 percent regional price spike in electricity over the last four years to grid hardening for these facilities. He proposes a statewide pause on new construction and mandates that technology companies cover their full electricity costs. Coleman favors a repeal of a state tax break for data centers and a bill allowing municipalities to adopt moratoria. Coleman argued that local communities should decide on proposals, noting that while some projects like the one in South Whitehall Township face opposition, others in Allen Township have gained support.

Pinsley characterized Coleman’s transparency bills as focused on donors, referencing Jeff Yass, a major donor to the senator. Coleman countered that Pinsley is a perennial candidate who has run for various offices in the last decade. "The most transparent thing about my opponent is that he’s never satisfied with the office he’s in," Coleman said.

Endorsements reflect the divide between the two. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers called Pinsley a vote for public education funding. Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna also support the Democrat. Americans for Prosperity-Pennsylvania named Coleman a policy champion, with director Emily Brey stating he should remain in Harrisburg to hold the line against government overreach.

Coleman said his primary professional motivator is devolving state decisions to localities, particularly in education. "My first priority is bringing down the cost of living," he said. Pinsley said he runs to change the rules that benefit powerful interests over working people, citing his experience in the Army Reserves repairing aircraft as a model for non-partisan cooperation.