Little money moving in 135th District race as Samuelson leads Poplawski by $4K
Fundraising has not been a factor so far in the race for Pennsylvania’s 135th House District, where incumbent Democrat Steve Samuelson leads Republican challenger Joseph Poplawski in finances.
Samuelson’s campaign committee, Friends of Steve Samuelson, reported $5,102 available with $4,902 cash on hand after spending $200, according to the latest campaign finance reports for the period ending June 8. Meanwhile, Friends of Joseph Poplawski reported $839 available with $99 on hand after spending $740.
The 135th District includes the Northampton County side of Bethlehem and part of Hanover Township. Samuelson has represented the district since 1999 and is seeking his 15th consecutive term.
Poplawski, a Bethlehem resident who owns a home inspection company, is seeking state office after running an unsuccessful bid for Bethlehem City Council last year. The election is Nov. 3.
Samuelson’s campaign has reported no monetary or in-kind contributions this year, and minimal expenditures — just tickets for dinners with the Bethlehem NAACP and Lehigh Valley Labor Council totaling $400.
The Samuelson campaign was more active in 2025, when it reported $19,100 in contributions, mostly from political action committees, and spent $16,111. The biggest contributions last year were $2,000 each from Certified Public Accountants PAC and Law PAC, both in Harrisburg; and $1,000 from Operators for Skill PAC in Harrisburg. All other PAC contributions were $500 or less. The biggest individual contributions in 2025 were $2,500 from Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC and $1,000 from John D. Berkheimer of Bangor, the CEO of Berkheimer Associates.
The Samuelson campaign’s most significant expense last year was a $15,000 contribution to the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, the party’s campaign arm in Harrisburg. The committee ended 2025 with $5,302.
Poplawski’s campaign reported $949 in contributions this year — most of that as a $740 in-kind contribution from Poplawski himself for sign printing, which was also listed as the biggest expenditure so far. The other $209 contributions came from Friends of Heather L. Christein, the campaign committee for an unsuccessful 2025 Bethlehem Area School Board candidate.
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