State

State Representative, 77th 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.

Covers western Centre County: Philipsburg and Port Matilda boroughs; Ferguson, Halfmoon, Huston, Patton, Rush, Taylor and Worth townships; and part of State College borough (the Northwest, South 1, East Central 2, West 1, West 2 and West Central 2 precincts).

Candidates Compare by issue

Michelle Schellberg

Republican

Chair, Centre County Republican Committee (volunteer) · Halfmoon Township (Stormstown)

The gist

Calls for more energy production, from fossil fuels and renewables, to bring prices down.
Proposes reducing pesticide and land-use regulations on farmers to lower food costs.
Suggested, per the Centre Daily Times, that teachers post curriculum online so parents can opt children out.
Calls for schools to publish detailed spending data and for state audits of struggling districts.
Supports federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
Lists protecting Second Amendment rights and supporting police and first responders as priorities.
Says local communities should have a strong say on data centers, with possible state guidelines.

More about Michelle

View sources (3)

Calls for more energy production, from fossil fuels and renewables, to bring prices down.
League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide, Spring 2026 (PDF)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Centre County · House District 77, most pressing issues question · lwvcentrecounty.org
“Costs are up, energy bills are high”
Centre County's Takac, Conklin pick up Republican challengers in 2026 election
News coverage · Centre Daily Times (via Yahoo News) · Mar 12, 2026 · Interview, March 2026 · yahoo.com
“making more energy available - fossil fuels and renewables - would help bring prices down”
Proposes reducing pesticide and land-use regulations on farmers to lower food costs.
Centre County's Takac, Conklin pick up Republican challengers in 2026 election
News coverage · Centre Daily Times (via Yahoo News) · Mar 12, 2026 · Interview, March 2026 · yahoo.com
“decreasing pesticide and land use regulations for farmers to lower food costs”
Suggested, per the Centre Daily Times, that teachers post curriculum online so parents can opt children out.
After Uncontested Primaries, Here's Who Will Be on the November Ballot in Centre County for U.S. and State House
News coverage · StateCollege.com · May 20, 2026 · statecollege.com
“fiscal responsibility, school choice, protecting Second Amendment rights”
Centre County's Takac, Conklin pick up Republican challengers in 2026 election
News coverage · Centre Daily Times (via Yahoo News) · Mar 12, 2026 · Interview, March 2026 · yahoo.com
“One type of accountability is to know what is actually being taught to our students”
Calls for schools to publish detailed spending data and for state audits of struggling districts.
League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide, Spring 2026 (PDF)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Centre County · House District 77, budget process question · lwvcentrecounty.org
“People expect the state to live within its means and get the budget done on time.”
Centre County's Takac, Conklin pick up Republican challengers in 2026 election
News coverage · Centre Daily Times (via Yahoo News) · Mar 12, 2026 · Interview, March 2026 · yahoo.com
“schools should publish more granular data on how taxpayer money is spent”
Supports federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
Centre County's Takac, Conklin pick up Republican challengers in 2026 election
News coverage · Centre Daily Times (via Yahoo News) · Mar 12, 2026 · Interview, March 2026 · yahoo.com
“She said she supports federal legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote … it's time that we have a reset”
Lists protecting Second Amendment rights and supporting police and first responders as priorities.
After Uncontested Primaries, Here's Who Will Be on the November Ballot in Centre County for U.S. and State House
News coverage · StateCollege.com · May 20, 2026 · Summary of her campaign website · statecollege.com
“protecting Second Amendment rights, supporting law enforcement and first responders”
Says local communities should have a strong say on data centers, with possible state guidelines.
League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide, Spring 2026 (PDF)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Centre County · House District 77, data center question · lwvcentrecounty.org
“I believe local communities should have a strong voice in those decisions … there may be a role for the state to provide clear guidelines”

H Scott Conklin

DemocraticIncumbent

State representative · Rush Township

The gist

Sponsored H.B. 37 to let counties pre-canvass mail-in ballots up to a week before Election Day; it passed the House.
Backed the 2025-26 budget's school funding without tax hikes; says lawmakers should go unpaid until budgets pass.
Backs House-passed data center rules that bar shifting costs to households and require cleaner energy.
Sponsored bills to curb house flipping and to set aside former state prison land for county affordable housing.In office
Introduced a resolution (H.R. 457) calling for a state study of a property tax exemption for seniors.In office
Sponsored H.B. 41 to let the PIAA hold separate playoffs for boundary and non-boundary schools; it passed the House.In office
Supports raising the state minimum wage.In office
Proposes updating the Human Relations Act to set standards for employer investigations of harassment claims.In office

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

More about H

View sources (10)

Sponsored H.B. 37 to let counties pre-canvass mail-in ballots up to a week before Election Day; it passed the House.
After Uncontested Primaries, Here's Who Will Be on the November Ballot in Centre County for U.S. and State House
News coverage · StateCollege.com · May 20, 2026 · statecollege.com
“will continue fighting for increased education funding, safer infrastructure, voter accessibility and environmental sustainability”
Conklin bill to provide quicker election returns advances through House
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Jun 9, 2026 · June 9, 2026 release · pahouse.com
“would allow counties to pre-canvass mail-in and absentee ballots up to a full week before Election Day”
Backed the 2025-26 budget's school funding without tax hikes; says lawmakers should go unpaid until budgets pass.
League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide, Spring 2026 (PDF)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Centre County · House District 77, budget process question · lwvcentrecounty.org
“I have always maintained that legislators should not be paid until we pass a budget each year”
Conklin votes for 2025-26 state budget plan
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Nov 12, 2025 · Nov. 12, 2025 release · pahouse.com
“will get critical dollars flowing to our schools, counties and municipalities - all without raising taxes”
Backs House-passed data center rules that bar shifting costs to households and require cleaner energy.
League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide, Spring 2026 (PDF)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Centre County · House District 77, data center question · lwvcentrecounty.org
“requiring data centers to pay their fair share for costs, requiring data centers to use cleaner energy”
Sponsored bills to curb house flipping and to set aside former state prison land for county affordable housing.
Conklin bill to improve housing affordability advances through state House
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Jun 8, 2026 · H.B. 2391, June 8, 2026 · pahouse.com
“We've seen this practice drive up home prices and reduce availability for too long”
Conklin bill would lay foundation for new affordable housing when state sells former prison land
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Jan 30, 2026 · H.B. 2180, Jan. 30, 2026 · pahouse.com
“whenever the state sells former prison land, a portion is set aside and offered to the county for affordable housing use”
Introduced a resolution (H.R. 457) calling for a state study of a property tax exemption for seniors.
Conklin resolution calls on state to study feasibility of senior property tax exemption
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Mar 23, 2026 · March 23, 2026 release · pahouse.com
“calling on the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to research the feasibility of providing such an exemption”
Sponsored H.B. 41 to let the PIAA hold separate playoffs for boundary and non-boundary schools; it passed the House.
Pennsylvania House passes Conklin bill to protect student athletes from unfair, risk-laden competitions
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Apr 29, 2026 · April 29, 2026 release · pahouse.com
“allowing the PIAA to establish separate playoffs and championships for boundary and non-boundary schools”
Supports raising the state minimum wage.
Conklin: Proposed budget spends responsibly to help students and working families
Public statement · Office of Rep. Scott Conklin · Feb 3, 2026 · Feb. 3, 2026 statement on the governor's budget · pahouse.com
“It's time to pay PA workers what they're worth.”
Proposes updating the Human Relations Act to set standards for employer investigations of harassment claims.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Providing Updates to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Aug 18, 2026 · Aug. 18, 2026 memo · palegis.us
“creates clear, uniform standards for internal investigations by requiring written policies, signed statements from all parties involved”

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.