State

State Representative, 196th 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.

Western York County: Heidelberg, Jackson, North Codorus, Paradise and West Manchester townships; most of Dover Township (precincts 1, 3 and 4); and Dover, New Salem, Seven Valleys and Spring Grove boroughs. The same two candidates met in a May 19, 2026 special election after Seth Grove resigned, which George Margetas won; this race is for the full two-year term starting in December 2026.

Candidates Compare by issue

Ron Ruman

Democratic

Retired; West Manchester Township supervisor · West Manchester Township

The gist

Proposes replacing the local earned income tax with a personal income tax that includes investment earnings.
Calls for reducing taxpayer funding of cyber charter schools and funding public schools adequately.
Supports making data centers pay for their electricity and repealing their equipment sales tax exemption.
Supports open primaries for independent voters and voter ID.
Supports a citizens commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts.
Proposes withholding officials' pay, without back pay, when the state budget is late.
Proposes reforming the Penn State Board of Trustees to better represent students, parents and taxpayers.
Raised concerns that a local police 287(g) agreement with ICE could undermine trust in police.

More about Ron

View sources (4)

Proposes replacing the local earned income tax with a personal income tax that includes investment earnings.
Issues | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Reduce Property Taxes · rumanforrep.com
“change the local earned income tax to a personal income tax that includes investment earnings”
Calls for reducing taxpayer funding of cyber charter schools and funding public schools adequately.
Issues | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Cyber Charter Schools · rumanforrep.com
“Ron will stop excessive taxpayer support of cyber charter schools, which drives up school property taxes”
Supports making data centers pay for their electricity and repealing their equipment sales tax exemption.
Issues | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Data Centers · rumanforrep.com
“support legislation requiring data centers to pay for the electricity they use”
Video & Media | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Ron Ruman's Statement on Data Centers · rumanforrep.com
“I support repealing the sales tax exemption for data centers to buy equipment.”
Supports open primaries for independent voters and voter ID.
Issues | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Independent Voters … Voter ID · rumanforrep.com
“Ron will allow independent voters to participate in primary elections … Ron will support voter ID to increase confidence in the integrity of our elections.”
Supports a citizens commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 196 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund · Elections · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I also support a citizens commission to re-draw legislative and Congressional districts, to end gerrymandering.”
Proposes withholding officials' pay, without back pay, when the state budget is late.
Pennsylvania State Representative District 196 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund · State budget process · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Set enforceable deadlines by withholding pay for legislators, the governor and lt. governor, which would not be made up after a budget passes”
Proposes reforming the Penn State Board of Trustees to better represent students, parents and taxpayers.
Issues | Ron Ruman for Pennsylvania State Rep
Campaign website · RumanforRep · Penn State Board of Trustees · rumanforrep.com
“Ron will reform the Penn State Board of Trustees so it fairly represents students, parents, faculty, taxpayers, and the communities the university serves.”
Raised concerns that a local police 287(g) agreement with ICE could undermine trust in police.
Two candidates vie for open 196th House seat in special election
News coverage · York Daily Record (via Yahoo News) · Apr 25, 2026 · yahoo.com
“Ruman said he's concerned that having such an agreement would undermine trust in local police”

George Margetas

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative; attorney · West Manchester Township

The gist

Supports a 'taxpayer protection act' to limit future state spending growth.
Supports raising sales taxes to fund property tax relief.
Supports school vouchers and having education funding follow students.
Says, when asked about data centers, that people "should be able to do what you want in your backyard."
Pledges to protect Second Amendment rights and support law enforcement and first responders.
Supports measures to 'preserve the sanctity of life.'
Supports legislative term limits and a ban on gifts to politicians.
Voted against the 2026-27 state budget, saying it spends too much.In office

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

More about George

View sources (3)

Supports a 'taxpayer protection act' to limit future state spending growth.
Vote George Margetas for State Representative – 196th Legislative District of Pennsylvania
Campaign website · Friends of George Margetas · Priorities in Harrisburg · votemargetas.com
“Finally enact the taxpayer protection act which will protect taxpayers from long term fiscally reckless spending practices by future Harrisburg governments.”
Supports raising sales taxes to fund property tax relief.
Two candidates vie for open 196th House seat in special election
News coverage · York Daily Record (via Yahoo News) · Apr 25, 2026 · yahoo.com
“he supports increasing sales taxes in order to fund property tax relief”
Supports school vouchers and having education funding follow students.
Two candidates vie for open 196th House seat in special election
News coverage · York Daily Record (via Yahoo News) · Apr 25, 2026 · yahoo.com
“He's also in favor of school vouchers that would allow more parents to transfer their children out of public schools”
Vote George Margetas for State Representative – 196th Legislative District of Pennsylvania
Campaign website · Friends of George Margetas · Priorities in Harrisburg · votemargetas.com
“Always ensure education dollars follows students”
Says, when asked about data centers, that people "should be able to do what you want in your backyard."
Two candidates vie for open 196th House seat in special election
News coverage · York Daily Record (via Yahoo News) · Apr 25, 2026 · yahoo.com
“"You should be able to do what you want in your backyard," said Margetas, an attorney, when asked about the proliferation of data centers.”
Pledges to protect Second Amendment rights and support law enforcement and first responders.
Vote George Margetas for State Representative – 196th Legislative District of Pennsylvania
Campaign website · Friends of George Margetas · Priorities in Harrisburg … Priorities in Harrisburg · votemargetas.com
“Protect our 2nd amendment rights now and for future generations to come. … Assist and protect our law enforcement and first responder communities.”
Supports measures to 'preserve the sanctity of life.'
Vote George Margetas for State Representative – 196th Legislative District of Pennsylvania
Campaign website · Friends of George Margetas · Priorities in Harrisburg · votemargetas.com
“Support measures to preserve the sanctity of life.”
Supports legislative term limits and a ban on gifts to politicians.
Vote George Margetas for State Representative – 196th Legislative District of Pennsylvania
Campaign website · Friends of George Margetas · Priorities in Harrisburg … Priorities in Harrisburg · votemargetas.com
“Support term limits on Harrisburg legislators. … Ban gifts to politicians and lobbyist-funded junkets that corrupt our officials.”
Voted against the 2026-27 state budget, saying it spends too much.
York County House Republicans: State Budget Overspends… Again
Public statement · York County House Republican Delegation · Jul 12, 2026 · repmargetas.com
“We voted "no" on this year's budget because rather than scale back irresponsible spending, we've burdened tomorrow's taxpayers with a steep bill.”

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; 6 issues covered in this race.