Central Pennsylvania voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, to vote for candidates seeking local, state and national offices. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
In local races, the highest-profile contest is for the Pennsylvania State Senate District 33 seat, which represents Franklin and Adams Counties. Republican Doug Mastriano is the incumbent, elected to a full term in 2020 after winning an earlier special election for that seat. Mastriano faces challenger Cameron Schroy, who is seeking his first political office.
After retiring as a colonel from the U.S. Army in 2017, Mastriano entered politics, winning the 33rd Senate seat in 2019. He later secured the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor in 2020. Mastriano lost to current Gov. Josh Shapiro but retained his Senate seat that same election cycle.
Mastriano was born in New Jersey and served in several combat zones during his 21-year military career. He moved to Pennsylvania in 2012. Mastriano is the author of several books on military topics including a volume on WW1 hero Alvin York. The current state senator has four master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in history. Mastriano lives with his wife near Caledonia State Park.
Schroy grew up in Franklin County. From a young age, he engaged in local politics within the Democratic Party. Schroy graduated from college and started his education career at Waynesboro High School, teaching civics. A resident of Greencastle, Schroy served on the local water authority while rising steadily up the county’s progressive political ladder. He became the youngest Democratic county chair in Pennsylvania history and ran unsuccessfully for a Franklin County commissioner seat in 2023.
The Forward Party and its founder Andrew Yang endorsed Schroy’s candidacy. As an educator, civic advocate and volunteer leader, Schroy pushes for higher education standards by fully funding public schools, raising the minimum wage and pursuing clean energy solutions to fight climate change. Schroy and his wife recently welcomed the birth of their first child.
For the local Pennsylvania General Assembly seat from the 90th District (for the Waynesboro/Mont Alto/Quincy &Washington Townships area), one candidate runs unopposed to fill the office now held by Republican Paul Schemel, who is retiring. Conservative Chad Reichard won the Republican primary and will likely coast to an easy victory. Reichard says he is “pro-gun, pro-life and pro-Franklin County.”
In the Chambersburg area, the 89th Pennsylvania General Assembly contest features incumbent Rob Kauffman, a Republican, against Democrat Noah Kreischer. Kreischer is a 22-year-old Walmart associate and first-time candidate who supports term limits, green energy and the protection of gun rights.
Rob Kauffman has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2004 and promotes conservative ideals. Kauffman advocates for enhanced public safety by providing law enforcement with necessary tools to keep communities safe.
In northern Franklin County, which includes Shippensburg, voters will decide the winner for the 81st Pennsylvania General Assembly seat, which features Democrat Sean Steeg against incumbent Republican Rich Irvin.
Transitioning to the state level, the marquee matchup is the U.S. Senate race between Sen. Bob Casey, the Democrat now in office, and Dave McCormick the Republican challenger. The other U.S. Senate seat, held by Democrat John Fetterman, is not up for re-election in 2024.
Dave McCormick is a Pennsylvania native, West Point graduate, combat veteran and describes himself as a “PA job creator.” McCormick served in Iraq during the first Gulf War and earned a Bronze Star for his service before retiring as a captain. He went on to a successful career in business, becoming a CEO for a tech startup, and later McCormick led a large investment firm.
Bob Casey Jr. won his first trip to the U.S. Senate in 2006. Casey grew up in Scranton and still lives there. His namesake father was a former Pennsylvania governor. Casey Jr. started as an attorney and then rose through Pennsylvania state government as a state auditor and state treasurer. He is the first state Democrat to win three consecutive terms as a U.S. Senator.
While in office, Casey touts his bipartisan legislative accomplishments, saying he introduced and passed more bills into law than nearly every other senator during the last Congress. He believes, “All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.”
For the U.S. Congressional District 13 race, considered one of Pennsylvania’s most conservative districts, current Rep. John Joyce defends his seat against Democratic newcomer Beth Farnham.
Joyce was born and raised in Altoona and holds a medical degree from Temple University. He practiced dermatology for 25 years before running for Congress. Joyce won his first election in 2018 and seeks his fourth term in 2024. In Congress, Joyce served on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He advocates legislation that provides affordable and quality healthcare to rural communities and programs to lower energy prices.
Farnham lives in Adams County and seeks her first political office. A former Republican, Farnham switched to the Democratic Party in 2016 and campaigns for preserving democracy, protecting reproductive freedom, defending public education and promoting gun safety and universal healthcare. She earned a degree in biology, French and secondary education, and she has a diverse work background as a credit analyst, pharmacy technician and school board member.
For additional state offices, the attorney general, state treasurer and auditor general posts will be elected. Two of those offices are held currently by Republican incumbents, while the third post will see a new candidate elected.
Current Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry was appointed to fill Josh Shapiro’s chair after he was elected governor. Henry is a former Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in 2023. She is not seeking a full term as attorney general. Republican Dave Sunday will face off against Democrat Eugene DePasquale for a full term as the next Attorney General.
Rising Democratic star Malcolm Kenyatta ran a spirited statewide campaign for auditor general. The position monitors how state funds are spent in order to prevent waste, fraud and graft. A native of Philadelphia, Kenyatta vows to be a vigilant fiscal watchdog. Kenyatta was a featured speaker at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Republican Tim DeFoor is the current officeholder, who had a background as an internal auditor and controller before winning the auditor general position in 2020. He vows his second term will focus on transforming the department in a non-partisan way, and DeFoor will work to “ensure the job gets done.”
For state treasurer, Stacy Garrity is the incumbent and a former U.S. Army Reserve colonel and businesswoman. She seeks reelection on a platform of transparency and reducing wasteful state spending. Challenger Erin McClelland graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and spent more than 15 years in private business. McClelland says that evaluating financial issues has been a defining aspect of her career
The nation’s political eyes will focus intently on Pennsylvania during the U.S. presidential vote on Nov. 5. In a scenario familiar to Keystone voters, they will play a significant role in this battleground state to decide if Kamala Harris or Donald Trump is the next president.
Joe Biden won the state by a razor-thin margin over Trump in 2020, and polling suggests the contest will be close again in 2024. A handful of swing states will decide if Trump becomes only the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms, or if Harris is elected America’s first female chief executive. Among those seven battleground states, Pennsylvania awards the most electoral votes to its winner, so it is a must-win state for both presidential candidates.
For more election information (including mail-in voting, polling locations, voting requirements, poll location changes, and more) visit: franklincountypa.gov or call 717-261-3886. For additional research, Franklin Votes is a non-partisan organization committed to fair elections and offers links to candidate bios on its website, franklinvotes.org.
