State Representative, 157th District · 2026 General Election

Justin J. Pak

Republican

Small business owner · Willistown Township

The gist

Calls for fiscal discipline focused on education, public safety and jobs, and lower property taxes.
Proposes more competition and customization among health insurers.
Supports removing individual screens from early childhood classrooms.
Supports a minimum wage increase and aligning tax and regulatory rules with competing states.
Supports continuing Growing Greener, protecting air and water quality and controlling development.
Says he would build coalitions around ideas rather than political parties.

More about Justin

View sources (1)

Calls for fiscal discipline focused on education, public safety and jobs, and lower property taxes.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · Making Life More Affordable … Making Life More Affordable · pakforpa.com
“He'll bring common-sense fiscal discipline to the budget to make it focus on our priorities, especially education, public safety, and job creation … fight for smart policies that help reduce energy costs for consumers, combat rising housing and rent costs, and ease the burden of property taxes”
Proposes more competition and customization among health insurers.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · Improving the Healthcare System · pakforpa.com
“stands up to big insurance companies by increasing competition and customization”
Supports removing individual screens from early childhood classrooms.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · Strengthening Education · pakforpa.com
“removing individual screens from early childhood education”
Supports a minimum wage increase and aligning tax and regulatory rules with competing states.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · Attracting Good Jobs … Attracting Good Jobs · pakforpa.com
“He will also support a long-needed minimum wage increase to more accurately reflect today's cost-of-living … bringing our tax and regulatory systems in-line with the other states we're competing with to attract jobs”
Supports continuing Growing Greener, protecting air and water quality and controlling development.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · Preserving Our Natural Heritage · pakforpa.com
“continue successful programs like Growing Greener, improve our ability to protect air and water quality, and ensure development is smartly controlled”
Says he would build coalitions around ideas rather than political parties.
Justin Pak for State Representative
Campaign website · Paks PAC · pakforpa.com
“he will work to build coalitions around ideas, not political parties”

Melissa Shusterman

DemocraticIncumbent

State representative · Schuylkill Township

The gist

Says she secured state money for expansion projects at Paoli Hospital.
Supports open primaries, an Election Day holiday and laws against voter intimidation.
Proposes keeping the House and Senate in session until a state budget passes.
Supports HB 1834, requiring data centers to pay for their own grid upgrades rather than consumers.
Proposes state rules to ensure frontier AI models do not cause catastrophic harm.In office
Sponsors HB 2006, barring AI chatbots from encouraging suicide or violence.In office
Sponsors HB 630 to strengthen the equal pay law, barring lower pay based on gender, race or ethnicity.In office
Sponsored a House-passed resolution for a state study of childcare costs.In office
Sponsored Act 38 of 2026, requiring trauma-informed training for county veteran affairs directors.In office

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

More about Melissa

View sources (6)

Says she secured state money for expansion projects at Paoli Hospital.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 157 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Most pressing issues · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Successfully secured millions of state dollars to fund vital expansion projects at Paoli Hospital”
Supports open primaries, an Election Day holiday and laws against voter intimidation.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 157 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Elections · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support measures such as making Election Day a Federal Holiday, open primaries, and passing laws to prevent voter intimidation and protect poll workers”
Proposes keeping the House and Senate in session until a state budget passes.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 157 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · State budget process · onyourballot.vote411.org
“legislating that the House&Senate must remain in session until a budget has passed”
Supports HB 1834, requiring data centers to pay for their own grid upgrades rather than consumers.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 157 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Data centers · onyourballot.vote411.org
“ensuring expanding data center facilities pay for their own regional grid infrastructure & network upgrades without passing those costs onto everyday consumers”
Proposes state rules to ensure frontier AI models do not cause catastrophic harm.
Shusterman's and Scott's bill will guard against catastrophic risks of AI
Public statement · Office of Rep. Melissa Shusterman · Sep 14, 2026 · pahouse.com
“government must ensure frontier models are not causing catastrophic harm to society”
Sponsors HB 2006, barring AI chatbots from encouraging suicide or violence.
Shusterman's AI chatbot safety bill reported out of committee
Public statement · Office of Rep. Melissa Shusterman · Jun 25, 2026 · pahouse.com
“Prohibiting chatbots from assisting -- or encouraging -- suicide attempts and acts of violence”
Sponsors HB 630 to strengthen the equal pay law, barring lower pay based on gender, race or ethnicity.
Shusterman calls on state Senate to pass equal pay
Public statement · Office of Rep. Melissa Shusterman · Mar 24, 2026 · pahouse.com
“The legislation would prohibit employers from paying workers less because of their gender, race, or ethnicity”
Sponsored a House-passed resolution for a state study of childcare costs.
Shusterman's childcare study resolution passes House
Public statement · Office of Rep. Melissa Shusterman · Jun 24, 2026 · pahouse.com
“For working families, childcare is too expensive and all too often parents struggle to find care”
Sponsored Act 38 of 2026, requiring trauma-informed training for county veteran affairs directors.
Shusterman's military sexual trauma bill signed into law
Public statement · Office of Rep. Melissa Shusterman · Jul 21, 2026 · pahouse.com
“require additional trainings and certifications for County Veteran Assistance Directors regarding trauma-informed care”