State

State Representative, 123rd District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Pennsylvania laws and the state budget in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Schuylkill County only: the City of Pottsville; Ashland, Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mechanicsville, Middleport, Minersville, Mount Carbon, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, St. Clair and Schuylkill Haven boroughs; and Blythe, Branch, Butler, Cass, East Norwegian, New Castle, North Manheim, Norwegian, Wayne and West Mahanoy townships.

Candidates Compare by issue

John Deatrich

Democratic

Career and technical education teacher (Berks Career and Technology Center) · Palo Alto, Schuylkill County

The gist

Calls for a proactive approach to data centers, weighing their pros and cons for the area.
Supports road-repair funding that reflects added commercial truck traffic from new warehouses.
Proposes child care aid for working parents above the poverty line, tied to hours worked.
Backed opponents of continued truck hauling of leachate from the BRADS landfill near St. Clair.
Cites work as Palo Alto mayor on blight, landlord ordinances and quality-of-life rules.
Cites negotiating intermunicipal police agreements that gave Palo Alto 24/7 police coverage.

More about John

View sources (4)

Calls for a proactive approach to data centers, weighing their pros and cons for the area.
Issues | John Deatrich
Campaign website · Committee to Elect John Deatrich · Data Centers · deatrichforstaterep.com
“If elected, John's priorities will include being proactive not reactive to data centers.”
John Deatrich Announces Candidacy for 123rd District State House Seat
News coverage · Skook News · Feb 4, 2026 · Policy Priorities · skooknews.com
“his priorities would include addressing the impact of data centers”
Supports road-repair funding that reflects added commercial truck traffic from new warehouses.
Issues | John Deatrich
Campaign website · Committee to Elect John Deatrich · Infrastructure Repair · deatrichforstaterep.com
“Allocated funding for road repair does not reflect additional commercial traffic since the construction of warehouses in this district.”
Proposes child care aid for working parents above the poverty line, tied to hours worked.
Issues | John Deatrich
Campaign website · Committee to Elect John Deatrich · Child Care Reform · deatrichforstaterep.com
“day care assistance for working parents earning a wage above the poverty line. More hours worked earns more childcare credit and assistance.”
Backed opponents of continued truck hauling of leachate from the BRADS landfill near St. Clair.
Trucking leachate from BRADS landfill too much to bear, St. Clair resident charges
News coverage · Republican & Herald (via Yahoo News) · Sep 16, 2026 · yahoo.com
“Palo Alto Mayor John Deatrich lent his support to opponents of the BRADS petition.”
Cites work as Palo Alto mayor on blight, landlord ordinances and quality-of-life rules.
John Deatrich Announces Candidacy for 123rd District State House Seat
News coverage · Skook News · Feb 4, 2026 · Service in Local Government · skooknews.com
“borough efforts aimed at addressing blight, strengthening housing and quality-of-life ordinances”
2026 Candidates | Schuylkill County Democrats
Other · Schuylkill County Democratic Committee · schuylkilldems.com
“They have created tough, strict, second to none ordinances against unsavory landlords with undesirable renting practices”
Cites negotiating intermunicipal police agreements that gave Palo Alto 24/7 police coverage.
John Deatrich Announces Candidacy for 123rd District State House Seat
News coverage · Skook News · Feb 4, 2026 · Service in Local Government · skooknews.com
“negotiating intermunicipal police agreements that expanded police coverage to 24 hours a day”

Tim Twardzik

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative · Schuylkill County

The gist

Co-sponsored HB 2120 to regulate shared equity home agreements with disclosures and foreclosure protections.In office
Sponsored Act 16 of 2025, letting lenders offer discount points to lower mortgage interest rates.In office
Introduced a Vacant Property Registration Act letting communities register vacant properties to fight blight.In office
Calls for passing HB 962 so volunteer fire companies can raise funds online and by credit card.In office
Proposes a legislative study of DEP's roughly 800 permits to find overlapping or outdated ones.In office
Proposes repealing a 1921 anthracite coal tax law that has not been applied since 1931.In office
Voted against HB 2198, which would repeal the state sales tax exemption for data center equipment.In office
Voted against HB 2650's data center tax-break standards; voted for HB 2496's local zoning pause.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Tim

View sources (8)

Co-sponsored HB 2120 to regulate shared equity home agreements with disclosures and foreclosure protections.
Twardzik, Venkat, Powell: PA House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Protect Homeowners
Public statement · Office of Rep. Tim Twardzik · Jun 4, 2026 · reptimtwardzik.com
“This bill strengthens transparency and establishes important safeguards to protect homeowners while still allowing responsible innovation in the housing finance market.”
Sponsored Act 16 of 2025, letting lenders offer discount points to lower mortgage interest rates.
About Rep. Tim Twardzik
Government record · Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus · reptimtwardzik.com
“became law to give borrowers greater flexibility in the mortgage process, enabling consumers to reduce their interest rates”
Twardzik Applauds Signing of Bipartisan Mortgage Relief Law
Public statement · Office of Rep. Tim Twardzik · Jul 2, 2025 · reptimtwardzik.com
“The new law gives borrowers greater flexibility in the mortgage process by allowing lenders to offer discount points.”
Introduced a Vacant Property Registration Act letting communities register vacant properties to fight blight.
About Rep. Tim Twardzik
Government record · Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus · reptimtwardzik.com
“Twardzik introduced legislation to establish the Vacant Property Registration Act.”
Calls for passing HB 962 so volunteer fire companies can raise funds online and by credit card.
Volunteer Firefighters Deserve Support, Not Red Tape, Says Twardzik
Public statement · Office of Rep. Tim Twardzik · Aug 17, 2026 · reptimtwardzik.com
“they should not be penalized for using modern tools to raise money to keep their firehouses operating.”
Proposes a legislative study of DEP's roughly 800 permits to find overlapping or outdated ones.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Study to Review DEP Permitting Processes and Create Opportunities to Streamline and Improve
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Jun 26, 2025 · palegis.us
“direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the permits issued and authorized by the DEP.”
Proposes repealing a 1921 anthracite coal tax law that has not been applied since 1931.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Repeal of the obsolete Anthracite Coal Tax Statute Act 225 of 1921
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Aug 20, 2025 · palegis.us
“Repealing obsolete tax laws simplifies our statutes and reduces taxpayers’ confusion about the business climate in this Commonwealth.”
Voted against HB 2198, which would repeal the state sales tax exemption for data center equipment.
PA House Nearly Unanimously Passes Bill To Repeal State Data Center Computer Equipment Sales Tax Exemption
News coverage · PA Environment Digest · Jun 25, 2026 · List of members voting against the bill · paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com
“The House members voting against the bill include: … Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-Schuylkill).”
Voted against HB 2650's data center tax-break standards; voted for HB 2496's local zoning pause.
This week in politics: How Schuylkill County's legislators voted
News coverage · Republican & Herald (via Yahoo News) · Jun 27, 2026 · HB 2650 … HB 2496 · yahoo.com
“Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-123): Nay … Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-123): Yea”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 8 issues covered in this race.