In 137th, it's incumbent vs. newcomer in district evenly split between two parties
Republican Joe Emrick wants to add to 12-year run; Democrat Anna B. Thomas promises to bring common sense to Harrisburg
The 137th has long been a Republican safe haven thanks to the inclusion of the Bangor Area School District.
Under mandated redistricting, the school district has been jettisoned. Gone too are Forks Township and Stockertown.
The district now includes Bethlehem Township, Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth townships, most of Palmer Township, the fifth ward in Hanover Township as well as the boroughs of Nazareth and Tatamy.
The change means 137th is now pretty much split between the two parties.
That created a new dynamic for incumbent Republican Joe Emrick of Upper Nazareth, who is seeking to add another two years to his 12 years in office.
Challenging Emrick is Anna B. Thomas, a political newcomer from Bethlehem Township.
In the primary, Thomas drew 677 more Democratic voters than Emrick did Republicans.
Neither candidate responded to requests for interviews for this story. A review of publicly available information shows the two candidates are far apart on issues.
Emrick was rated conservative by ivoterguide.com, a group that profiles candidates and says it “stands up for conservative principles,” and is “Grounded in God” and “Rooted in Research.”
Thomas earned a conditional liberal rating, meaning ivoterguide did not have enough information to give her a 100% liberal designation.
Emrick started the election year with $179,895 in his campaign coffers– money leftover from prior elections. He had $204,031 as of June, according to state campaign finance data.
Thomas, who like Emrick was unopposed in the May primary, had $5,303 in cash on hand in June.
Joe Emrick
Background
Emrick, 52, grew up in Bangor, where he played football and graduated from Bangor High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in history and secondary education from Lycoming College and his master's degree in education from Kutztown University. He then taught in the Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley and Lower Moreland school districts. He lives in Upper Nazareth Township with his wife, Christine, and their two children. He is a board member of Cornerstone Counseling Ministries and a member of the Nazareth YMCA.
Foray into politics
Emrick served one year on the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners before moving to Upper Nazareth Township in 2003. The next year, he lost by about 1,000 votes in the General Election to incumbent Democrat Richard T. Grucela in the 137th House seat.
Emrick was appointed to the Upper Nazareth Board of Supervisors in 2006 and eventually became chairman. When Grucela announced his retirement, Emrick ran again in 2010, defeating Democrat Charles Dertinger, now director of administration in Northampton County, in the November election.
He has won reelection ever since, last defeating Democrat Katelind Brennan in 2020 with 63.3% of the vote. He was unopposed in the May 2022 primary.
In Harrisburg, Emick serves on the following committees: Consumer Affairs, Local Government, Professional Licensure, and Tourism and Recreational Development. He is the majority deputy whip, a position that charges him with keeping the majority whip informed about problems that members may have, or issues that might have an effect on the legislative agenda and on the caucus as a whole.
His website says he has been a staunch supporter of legislation that monitors the commonwealth’s use of sewage sludge by land application. He was the prime sponsor of a law that allows television broadcasts or video images to be displayed in a vehicle as long as the images are not visible to the operator of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.
Issues
Voting: Was a yes vote with the Republican majority on 2019’s Act 77, which legalized no-excuse mail-in voting. He voted yes on the GOP's 2021 election reform bill, which would require voter identification at the polls, changed the voter registration deadline from 15 to 30 days before an election and created earlier deadlines for mail-in voting. Gov. Wolf vetoed the measure.
Guns: Has a 92% approval rating by Gun Owners of America. Voted yes to a bill that would allow anyone who wanted to carry concealed firearms to do so without going through a background check or having to get a permit. The law was vetoed by Wolf. Voted yes to a bill that would restrict the ability of local municipalities from regulating firearms. The bill was vetoed by Wolf.
Abortion: Voted yes to a bill that would have prohibited abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, yes to a bill that would have barred the use of telemedicine to prescribe mifepristone, which is used to induce medical abortions. He voted yes to a bill that would have prohibited abortions beyond 20 weeks of gestational age. None of the measures became law.
Constitutional amendment package: Was a yes vote on an amendment package that would have clearly stated that women have no guaranteed rights to abortion or public funding for abortion. The amendment would limit the ability to challenge laws restricting or outlawing abortions in the state.
The other amendments in the package would require voter ID, mandate the auditor general to audit elections, allow gubernatorial nominees to pick their running mates, and allow the Legislature to reject regulations, such as environmental rules, without facing governor vetoes.
Property tax fines: Was prime sponsor of House Bill 430, which waives the 10% penalty during the first year of home ownership if the new owners did not receive their tax bill. Was motivated after a constituent was fined over $1,000 after they did not receive a property tax bill. The bill passed both chambers and was signed into law over the summer by Wolf.
Curriculum: Voted in favor of a measure vetoed by Wolf that would require school districts to post curriculum online.
Transgender sports: Voted yes to a bill vetoed by Wolf that would ban transgender women from playing public school and public college sports team.
State budget: Voted yes to the 2022-23 budget. “Tonight, we passed a fiscally responsible state budget that neither raises taxes or fees on hardworking families,” said Emrick on his website. “This budget adds $2.5 billion into our Rainy Day Fund, sets record investments in preK-12 education as well as increased contributions to our nursing homes, infrastructure and preparing for our Commonwealth’s future.”
Anna Thomas
Thomas grew up in Bethlehem Township. Her family members are immigrants from Malaysia and India. She has a chemistry degree from Wellesley College, where she was on the NCAA championship rowing team. She has a master’s in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania, according to her campaign website. For her thesis, she did research in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department. While at Penn, she also conducted research into ways American industry can expand energy production while reducing environmental impact.
Foray into politics
Thomas said her family’s Christian values led to a devotion “to serve on” the Bethlehem Area School Board. Her website post doesn't’ clarify that Thomas wasn’t elected but was a student representative, a post that typically involves attending school board meetings and giving reports. She said she is running for state representative because she wants government policy to be driven by common sense and fairness.
Issues
Education: Sees stronger education policy as the key to creating greater economic opportunity in our area. She’s focused on getting “our fair share” of state funding for Lehigh Valley public schools, expanding access to vocational training, and keeping tuition affordable at our community colleges and state universities.
Abortion: Says politicians should stay out of people’s personal lives. Says she will defend the right of Pennsylvanians to make their own family planning decisions without government interference. She said she will stand up to those in Harrisburg who want to make radical changes to our abortion laws, and politicians who want new restrictions on birth control and even fertility treatments for couples trying to have a baby.
Taxes/economy: Says seniors and low- and middle-income families carry too much of the tax burden in Pennsylvania. Says wealthy individuals and highly profitable corporations must pay their fair share to support all the public services that have enabled their success. Wants to close tax loopholes “that have been put in the tax code by politicians doing favors for their industry friends.” Says modernizing roads, bridges and rail across Pennsylvania will attract cutting-edge businesses that create good-paying jobs for families to achieve a secure place in the middle class.
Environment: Says all Pennsylvanians want clean air, safe drinking water, and safeguards against toxic pollution. She also says people want more clean energy production in the U.S. to help achieve energy independence and end reliance on foreign sources.