State

State Representative, 28th 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.

Allegheny County only: Bradford Woods, Marshall, Pine, Richland and West Deer, and part of Hampton (districts 1, 2 and 6-11).

Candidates Compare by issue

Jeremy Ferderber

Democratic

Vice president, Frankferd Farms Foods · Richland Township

The gist

Supports protecting abortion rights and reproductive freedom in state law.
Supports gun measures such as mandatory background checks and a ban on ghost guns.
Supports moving toward a Medicare for All health care system.
Proposes taxing legalized marijuana and developing renewable energy to help fund health care and schools.
Supports developing solar, wind and geothermal energy in Pennsylvania.
Calls for targeted investment and safety improvements along the Route 8 corridor.
Supports expanding voting access and opposes the federal SAVE Act.
Supports a gift ban, campaign contribution limits and a ban on corporate dark money in state politics.
Supports more state school funding and more financial and ethics transparency rules for charter and cyber schools.
Supports streamlined permitting and redevelopment of already-built areas to add affordable housing.

More about Jeremy

View sources (4)

Supports protecting abortion rights and reproductive freedom in state law.
Platform | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Women's Rights & Human Rights · ferd4pa.com
“It's their body. It's their choice. Period.”
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Women's Rights & Human Rights · ferd4pa.com
“we must act at the state level to ensure we not only protect these fundamental human rights, but to continue fighting to expand upon them”
Supports gun measures such as mandatory background checks and a ban on ghost guns.
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Sensible Gun Legislation · ferd4pa.com
“Whether it's implementing mandatory background checks or banning ghost guns, we can institute policies that respect human life and the Second Amendment.”
Supports moving toward a Medicare for All health care system.
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Affordability · ferd4pa.com
“I will fully support a push towards a Medicare for All system”
Proposes taxing legalized marijuana and developing renewable energy to help fund health care and schools.
Jeremy Ferderber - Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · May 13, 2026 · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“By accessing untapped revenue streams such as taxation of legalized marijuana, and by fostering development of the abundant renewable energy sources in our state”
Supports developing solar, wind and geothermal energy in Pennsylvania.
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Affordability · ferd4pa.com
“We have abundant natural resources in PA with endless potential for renewable energy - from solar to wind to geothermal”
Calls for targeted investment and safety improvements along the Route 8 corridor.
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Improved Infrastructure … Improved Infrastructure · ferd4pa.com
“Others, such as the Route 8 corridor, have fallen victim to neglect and a lack of future planning. … With targeted investments, improved safety measures, and a re-envisioned future of this corridor”
Supports expanding voting access and opposes the federal SAVE Act.
Platform | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Voting Rights · ferd4pa.com
“I will fight against efforts like the SAVE Act, which are designed to alienate, discriminate, and disenfranchise voters.”
Supports a gift ban, campaign contribution limits and a ban on corporate dark money in state politics.
Platform - expanded | Ferderber For PA
Campaign website · Ferderber For PA · Getting Money Out of Politics … Getting Money Out of Politics · ferd4pa.com
“It is unacceptable that 38 gift ban bills have been introduced and not passed in the last 25 years; this needs to change. … we need to reject Citizens United and ban the spending of corporate dark money in our political process.”
Supports more state school funding and more financial and ethics transparency rules for charter and cyber schools.
State House 28th District Democratic primary: Robert Bertha v. Jeremy Ferderber (WESA candidate survey)
Candidate questionnaire · 90.5 WESA · Apr 20, 2026 · WESA candidate survey: education · wesanews.org
“Updating state funding based on current data, increasing state contributions closer to the national average, and reassessing charter (including cyber) regulations”
Supports streamlined permitting and redevelopment of already-built areas to add affordable housing.
State House 28th District Democratic primary: Robert Bertha v. Jeremy Ferderber (WESA candidate survey)
Candidate questionnaire · 90.5 WESA · Apr 20, 2026 · WESA candidate survey: housing · wesanews.org
“We can protect our environment while streamlining permitting and encouraging redevelopment.”

Jeremy Shaffer

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative · Pine Township

The gist

Pledges not to raise taxes and to root out spending he calls wasteful.
Sponsors a bill suspending automatic pay raises for legislators and the governor in any year the budget is late.In office
Supports reducing the size of the Legislature and making it part-time.In office
Supports letting unaffiliated voters choose one party's primary to vote in.In office
Supports eliminating Pennsylvania's inheritance tax.In office
Says Turnpike tolls should pay only for the Turnpike and calls for streamlining it alongside PennDOT.In office
Proposes requiring school districts to bus nonpublic school students even where they do not bus their own students.In office
Sponsors bills barring sexually violent predators from living near schools and daycares and relocating nearby bus stops.In office

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

More about Jeremy

View sources (10)

Pledges not to raise taxes and to root out spending he calls wasteful.
About - Jeremy Shaffer For State House
Campaign website · Friends of Jeremy Shaffer · voteshaffer.com
“Jeremy will be a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility, which means not raising your taxes and rooting out wasteful spending.”
Sponsors a bill suspending automatic pay raises for legislators and the governor in any year the budget is late.
Shaffer Calls for Accountability After Fifth Straight Late State Budget
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Jul 1, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“House Bill 1906 is a form of accountability that reminds lawmakers we must meet the deadlines we expect others to follow.”
Co-Sponsorship Memo: No Budget - No Pay Raise (HB 1906)
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Sep 25, 2025 · palegis.us
“suspending the automatic pay raises/cost of living adjustments for legislators, the Governor, and Lt. Governor”
Supports reducing the size of the Legislature and making it part-time.
Shaffer Calls for Accountability After Fifth Straight Late State Budget
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Jul 1, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“moments like this are a reminder of why I support downsizing the Legislature and making it part-time.”
Shaffer Highlights Need for Structural Reform in State Government After Five Straight Years of Late Budgets
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Jul 12, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“legislation that would reduce the size of the General Assembly”
Supports letting unaffiliated voters choose one party's primary to vote in.
Strengthening Democracy by Updating Our Primary System
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Apr 15, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“I'm working in a bipartisan manner on legislation that would allow independents to be able to vote in the primary of their choice.”
Supports eliminating Pennsylvania's inheritance tax.
Let's Lay the Death Tax to Rest
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Mar 19, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“I'm co-sponsor of ... which would eliminate the inheritance tax in Pennsylvania.”
Says Turnpike tolls should pay only for the Turnpike and calls for streamlining it alongside PennDOT.
The Turnpike Wasn't Meant to Cost This Much
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jeremy Shaffer · Jul 17, 2026 · repshafferpa.com
“Turnpike tolls should only be used for maintaining and improving the Turnpike itself.”
Proposes requiring school districts to bus nonpublic school students even where they do not bus their own students.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Guaranteeing School Transportation for Nonpublic School Students
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Aug 19, 2026 · palegis.us
“public schools should be required to provide transportation for students who attend nonpublic schools even if they do not provide it to their own students”
Sponsors bills barring sexually violent predators from living near schools and daycares and relocating nearby bus stops.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Keeping School Bus Stops Away from Sex Offenders (HB 1889)
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Sep 23, 2025 · palegis.us
“School boards would be required to notify families if their child's bus stop is located near residences belonging to individuals required to register”
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Protecting Schools from Predators (HB 752)
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Jan 23, 2025 · palegis.us
“prohibiting these dangerous offenders from residing within a certain distance of any school or daycare center in the Commonwealth”

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.