State representatives up for reelection in Schuylkill County
Three of the four state representatives in Schuylkill County are facing opposition from Democratic challengers in their bid for reelection Tuesday.
The representatives from the 116th, 123rd and 124th legislative districts will each face a Democratic candidate — two of whom are first-time candidates — while state Rep. JoAnne Stehr is running unopposed.
All candidates ran unopposed in the primary.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday in Schuylkill County, in 125 precincts.
State representatives serve two-year terms and are paid an annual salary of $106,422.33.
The sole uncontested race in the county, the 107th District will see state Rep. JoAnne Stehr, a Republican from Hegins, elected to a second term, barring an unlikely write-in victory by another candidate.
Stehr, a licensed practical nurse, won with about 75% of the vote in the 2022 general election over Democrat Ryan Mock, of Coal Twp.
In the primary, she had defeated Ron Tanney, of Mount Carmel, garnering about 53% of the vote.
Stehr is the first woman to represent the 107th — or any district in Schuylkill County.
The 107th District includes part of Northumberland and Schuylkill counties, the latter including Barry, Eldred, Foster, Frailey, Hegins, Hubley, Pine Grove, Porter, Reilly, Tremont, Upper Mahantongo and Washington townships; and Pine Grove, Tower City and Tremont boroughs.
State Rep. Dane Watro, a Kline Twp. Republican, is also seeking a second term and will be challenged by Deborah Adoff, a Democrat from East Union Twp.
In 2022, Watro topped four other primary opponents, then beat Democrat Yesenia Rodriguez, of Hazleton, by a 2-to-1 margin in the general election to become the new state representative from the 116th District.
The election followed the former representative's resignation and a temporary representative before reapportionment of legislative districts.
An Army veteran and former mayor of McAdoo, Watro worked as an attendance-truancy officer for the Hazleton Area School District and was a member of the Hazleton Area Education Association.
Adoff, who is retired, worked as a court reporter for more than 40 years. She was primarily a freelancer, taking assignments across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The 116th District includes Hazleton, Hazle Twp. and West Hazleton in Luzerne County; and the boroughs of Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Ringtown and Shenandoah, and townships of East Union, Kline, Mahanoy, North Union and Union in Schuylkill.
Republican state Rep. Tim Twardzik, Butler Twp., is seeking a third term. He will be challenged by Michael Zvalaren, a Democrat from Wayne Twp.
Twardzik is the retired executive vice president and co-owner of Ateeco Inc., maker of Mrs. T's Pierogies.
Zvalaren designs kitchens for MRD Lumber in Bethel and is an adjunct history professor at The College of New Jersey. He is also the secretary of the Schuylkill County Democratic Committee and vice president of the Pine Grove Area Democrats.
The 123rd District includes the City of Pottsville; Blythe, Branch, Butler, Cass, East Norwegian, New Castle, North Manheim, Norwegian, Wayne and West Mahanoy townships; and Ashland (Schuylkill County portion), Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mechanicsville, Middleport, Minersville, Mount Carbon, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, Schuylkill Haven and Saint Clair boroughs.
This year's 124th race is a repeat of the previous one. State Rep. Jamie Barton, an East Brunswick Twp. Republican who was elected in 2022, seeks to hold his seat for a second term against Democratic challenger Tina Burns, of Tamaqua.
Barton defeated Burns in 2022 with 68.66% of the vote in the general election. He succeeded former state Rep. Jerry Knowles, a Republican.
In the 2022 primary, Barton had defeated Berks County residents Elle Rulavage, of Windsor Twp., and Jill Saunders, of Hamburg. In 2014, he had run for representative in the 124th, but dropped out of the race that March.
Barton is vice president of the Frackville-based energy company Jack Rich Inc.
Burns is a healthcare consultant and a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The 124th District includes parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties.
The Berks part consists of Albany, Greenwich, Maxatawny, Tilden, Upper Bern, Upper Tulpehocken and Windsor townships, and Hamburg, Kutztown and Lenhartsville boroughs. The Schuylkill part includes Delano, East Brunswick, Rush, Ryan, Schuylkill, South Manheim, Walker, West Brunswick and West Penn townships, and Auburn, Coaldale, Deer Lake, Landingville, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Port Clinton and Tamaqua boroughs.
