In 16th, two Democrats want chance to face Coleman in November
By Charles Malinchak
Democrats Mark Pinsley and Bradley Merkl-Gump will face off in the May 19 primary with the winner advancing to the November election to challenge Republican state Sen. Jarrett Coleman in the state’s 16th District.
Pinsley, 56, is the Lehigh County controller and has sought the position in the 16th twice before.
He had an unsuccessful bid in 2022, garnering 57,844 votes to Coleman’s 68,344 votes, and also fell short in 2018 against former incumbent Republican Pat Browne, who got 48,897 votes to Pinsley’s 46,200.
“I’m running because I don’t accept that rising costs and broken systems are just the way things are. I’ve shown as controller that you can step in, challenge those systems, and get results for people. I want to do that at the state level, where the rules are made,’’ Pinsley said.
Pinsley initially announced plans to run in the primary in the 7th Congressional District but left the race in February to run in the 16th. Two other candidates, Wayne Codner, mayor of Richlandtown Borough, and Juan Vargas, owner of Nowhere Coffee Co., had stated plans to seek the Democratic nomination in the 16th, but left the race in March.
Merkl-Gump, 39, is a history teacher in Montgomery County’s Perkiomen School District. He was elected to the Pennridge School Board in 2023 when five Democrats won all five seats. The wins followed the board’s decision to hire a consultant linked to a conservative Christian college to rewrite the district’s curriculum. Democrats have since grown their board majority to 8-1.
This is his first run for state office. “I hope to be their voice and fight for real change in Harrisburg,” he said. “I’ll bring a teacher’s perspective, a neighbor’s mindset, and a deep commitment to this community to the state Senate.”
State senators serve four year terms. The yearly base salary is about $113,591.
For decades, the 16th District, with about 265,055 residents, was solely in Lehigh County, but when it was redistricted in 2022, it expanded into northern Bucks County.
The district is about 46% Republican, 35% Democrat and 19% independent or third party.
Here is a look at the candidates and where they stand on issues. Information was obtained from interviews, social media sites and news media.
Background
Pinsley: Originally from Montgomery County, he lives in South Whitehall Township with his wife and two children. His experience includes being a former South Whitehall Township commissioner, an economics adjunct professor at Kutztown University and an Army reservist. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in business from Indiana University. He ran unsuccessfully for state auditor general in 2024.
His endorsements include Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel, who once worked for Pinsley in the controller’s office, Lehigh Commissioners Sarah Fevig, Jon Irons and April Riddick and Lehigh Coroner Dan Buglio. Other endorsements include the Democratic Socialists of America, Transport Workers of America Union Local 234, Make the Road Action and Lehigh Valley Stands Up.
Merkl-Gump: The married father of two sons lives in Perkasie, where he grew up. He has a bachelor’s degree in history education from Shippensburg University and a master’s degree in education from Lehigh University.
He has the backing of Democratic state leaders, including Sen. Jay Costa (43rd), Lehigh lawmakers including Sen. Nick Miller (14th) and Reps. Mike Schlossberg (132nd) and Peter Schweyer (133rd), and Bucks Reps. Tim Brennan (29th), Tina Davis (141st) Perry Warren (31st), Jim Prokopiak (140st) and Brian Munroe (144th). Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk joined Schlossberg and Schweyer in hosting a reception for Merkl-Gump on April 15. Former Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong also has endorsed him.
Why should someone vote for you over your opponent?
Merkl-Gump: When he was elected to the school board, he said staff were fleeing and students were being harmed by the previous board. That trend was reversed and changes were made without any political backlash by building a coalition and bridging differences with opposing viewpoints. “I will bring the same approach to the state Senate of Pennsylvania,’’ he said.
Pinsley: “People should vote for me because I’ve already shown I will stand up to the powerful and the systems that hurt families. When hospitals were tearing families apart over questionable diagnoses, I stepped in and pushed for answers. When we found millions in health care overcharges, I exposed them and lowered our costs by nearly $3 million a year. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or anything else. If something is wrong and hurting people, I’m going to take it on.’’
What skill set would you bring to the job?
Pinsley: “I know how to manage people, read the numbers, and get to the heart of a problem. My background in finance taught me how money moves, but life taught me that numbers only matter if you understand what they are doing to real people. I’d bring that to the state Senate. The ability to lead, to ask the right questions, and to make sure government works the way it is supposed to.’’
Merkl-Gump: “I am a bridge builder and a fighter that brings people together and finds paths forward through issues that would otherwise paralyze committees. In the PA Senate we need someone who can find ways to build coalitions that get things done. I bring that skill set.’’
What are your top issues and how do you propose to tackle them?
Merkl-Gump: Affordability, quality public education, health care and protecting citizens from federal government overreach. On affordability, he supports raising the minimum wage, reducing the cost of energy through more energy production and fair state funding for public schools.
On health care, he sees it as a human right and made affordable by enhancing insurance subsidies to lower premiums. “I will also push to require insurance plans to offer standardized options for primary care in order to simplify choices, improve transparency, and remove financial barriers that prevent people from getting the care they need,’’ he said.
Pinsley: The cost of living, health care and artificial intelligence. On the cost of living, he cited the Uniformity Clause in the state Constitution which places a higher tax burden on working people and less on the wealthy. He said it ensures there is no ability to implement a progressive tax, and he would fight to remove the clause.
On health care, he sees the system arranged so money flows away from sick people to institutions that never treat a patient. “In Harrisburg, I will make these institutions show their books in public, push for fines with real teeth for hospitals that hide what they charge, and make sure Medicaid is protected for the families that depend on it,” he said.
On artificial intelligence, he said decisions about jobs, credit, health care and housing are being made by machines. He said he would push for laws requiring disclosure if AI is used for life decisions.
What, if anything, can Pennsylvania do about federal plans to convert warehouses into detention centers for persons deemed to be in the U.S. illegally?
Pinsley: “My position is that Pennsylvania should use every lawful tool it has. That means environmental enforcement, health and safety enforcement, labor standards, aggressive litigation where the facts support it, and clear rules limiting state and local cooperation beyond what the law strictly requires.” Supports creating a statewide licensing and inspection framework for any detention facility holding people to close a gap in state oversight.
Merkl-Gump: Municipalities should be encouraged to adopt zoning regulations to keep decisions local, hold public hearings before a decision is made and at the state level, prohibit ICE from building new detention centers. Existing centers need to be open for inspections to comply with basic health and safety needs and maintain the fundamental rights of those being held.
What do you think of proposed legislation to ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks, prohibit enforcement near schools and churches and disallow enforcement assistance from local police?
Merkl-Gump: “Any law enforcement agency must be expected to adhere to ethical standards, uphold the Constitution, and respect the rights and dignity of every person under the jurisdiction of the United States. ICE must be unmasked, no one should have to worry about being grabbed from school or their place of worship, and every person should know that their due process rights will be protected as the Founding Fathers intended when they wrote the Bill of Rights.”
Pinsley: “ICE agents are not above the law, and neither is anybody else.” As controller, he discovered ICE was occupying county office space without paying the rent they owed under their lease. “I called for their eviction.” Said it is bad public policy to have local police help ICE agents and that churches and schools should be places people can go without fear. “That is not a radical idea. That is just decency.”
Where do you stand on a proposed bill to require schools to develop bell-to-bell cell phone bans in schools?
Pinsley: “I am a Gen-Xer. We did not have phones in our classrooms. Overall, I support the plan, but I do want to make sure it is flexible and allows schools and teachers to adapt to what works best for their students.”
Merkl-Gump: “I support it, especially if we also include funded provisions for further media literacy to combat cellphone addiction and train students to use their smartphones as tools rather than devices for entertainment.”
Where do you stand on proposed legislation to end school property taxes, replacing them with higher personal income and sales taxes?
Merkl-Gump: Said he has witness the impact of property taxes on seniors, but said, “This would not be a tax elimination — it is a tax shift, and those taxes hit the poorest residents hardest. These needs must be balanced to fund our schools without undue burden on any of our vulnerable residents.”
Pinsley: “I would be more open to a proposal like this if it allowed Pennsylvania to move away from a flat tax and toward a progressive system, where people pay based on their ability to pay. Simply replacing property taxes with higher sales and income taxes, without addressing the underlying issue, risks shifting the burden onto working families rather than relieving it.”
Minimum wage: Both support legislation proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029.
Voting: Both support mail-in ballots and oppose requiring IDs to vote and federal control of elections.
Reproductive rights: Both support a proposed amendment to the state Constitution to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care.
Inheritance taxes: Both support exempting the first $100,000 of inheritance from the state inheritance tax.
Gun restrictions: Both support measures to prohibit 3D-printed weapons, require universal background checks and allow the temporary seizure of weapons from persons deemed a danger to themselves or others.
The 16th District
Lehigh County: Allentown (Wards 13 and 18 only); townships of Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lower Milford, Lowhill, Lynn, North Whitehall, South Whitehall (Districts 03, 06 and 08 only), Upper Macungie, Upper Milford, Upper Saucon, Washington and Weisenberg; boroughs of Alburtis, Coopersburg, Macungie and Slatington.
Bucks County: Townships of Bedminster, Bridgeton, Durham, East Rockhill, Haycock, Hilltown, Milford, Nockamixon, Richland, Springfield, Tinicum and West Rockhill; boroughs of Dublin, Perkasie, Quakertown, Richlandtown, Riegelsville, Sellersville, Silverdale, Telford (Bucks County portion only) and Trumbauersville.