State

State Representative, 89th 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.

Franklin County only: Chambersburg Borough and Greene, Guilford and Hamilton townships.

Candidates Compare by issue

Shannon Michael Jackson

Democratic

Software developer, WellSpan Health · Chambersburg

The gist

Supports raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $14.50 an hour.
Opposes privatizing public education; calls for more public school funding to recruit and retain teachers.
Proposes funding public schools through state income tax rather than local property taxes.
Calls healthcare a right; proposes expanding Pennie to offset lost ACA premium credits.
Opposes hyperscale AI data centers and farmland loss to warehouses in Franklin County.
Supports more affordable housing, including incentives for starter homes costing under $100,000.
Supports banning corporate contributions to state and local political campaigns.
Calls for treating broadband as critical infrastructure and funding two Orchard Avenue rail bridges.

More about Shannon

View sources (4)

Supports raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $14.50 an hour.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Working Families & Liveable Wages · jacksonforpa.com
“support raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $14.50 per hour”
Opposes privatizing public education; calls for more public school funding to recruit and retain teachers.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Quality Public Education · jacksonforpa.com
“increase funding for local public education, with a focus on recruiting and retaining teachers”
Thoughts on Public Education | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · jacksonforpa.com
“i opposed the privatization of public education”
Proposes funding public schools through state income tax rather than local property taxes.
Providing Economic Opportunity for the Franklin County Middle Class | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · jacksonforpa.com
“reorder state financial support of public education to be fully based on income taxation rather than local property taxation”
Calls healthcare a right; proposes expanding Pennie to offset lost ACA premium credits.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · My Core Principles: Healthcare … Healthcare Access · jacksonforpa.com
“healthcare should be a right, not a privilege … expand the pennie program to offset lost aca premium credits and improve access for low-wage earners”
Opposes hyperscale AI data centers and farmland loss to warehouses in Franklin County.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Agriculture & Land Conservation · jacksonforpa.com
“preventing farmland loss to warehouses … blocking attempts to build ai data centers”
Battle Against Hyperscale AI Data Centers in Franklin County | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · jacksonforpa.com
“make a law or amend the commonwealth constitution to strictly limit the footprint of hyperscale data centers”
Supports more affordable housing, including incentives for starter homes costing under $100,000.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Affordable Housing · jacksonforpa.com
“support the expansion of affordable housing for low-income and working residents”
Providing Economic Opportunity for the Franklin County Middle Class | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · jacksonforpa.com
“incentivize construction of small starter homes that cost less than $100,000”
Supports banning corporate contributions to state and local political campaigns.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Campaign Finance Reform · jacksonforpa.com
“i support changing pennsylvania corporate law to ban corporate contributions to state and local political campaigns”
Calls for treating broadband as critical infrastructure and funding two Orchard Avenue rail bridges.
Priorities | Jackson for PA
Campaign website · Friends of Shannon Jackson · Infrastructure & Broadband … Infrastructure & Broadband · jacksonforpa.com
“treat public broadband as critical infrastructure for franklin county … secure infrastructure funding to build two road bridges over the rail lines on orchard avenue in chambersburg”

Rob Kauffman

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative · Scotland (Greene Township), Franklin County

The gist

Opposed an amended felony-murder sentencing bill that dropped mandatory minimums and expanded medical parole.In office
Sponsored HB 1615, treating a DUI after ARD diversion as a second offense while allowing record expungement.In office
Sponsored HB 277 letting human trafficking victims sue where they live or where the crimes occurred.In office
Proposes bills barring employers from banning locked guns in cars and aligning state law with NFA rulings.In office
Opposes state spending growth beyond revenue, warning it would require future tax increases.In office
Opposed Penn State's plan to close its Mont Alto campus and urged trustees to keep it open.In office
Opposed the state's decision not to renew the South Mountain golf course lease.In office

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

More about Rob

View sources (10)

Opposed an amended felony-murder sentencing bill that dropped mandatory minimums and expanded medical parole.
Democrats Put Public Safety at Risk, Says Kauffman
Public statement · Office of Rep. Rob Kauffman · Jul 23, 2026 · HB 1042 statement · repkauffman.com
“victims and survivors deserve better than dramatically reduced sentences, expansive medical parole and no minimum mandatory sentencing for these grievous crimes”
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Modernizing PA's Felony Murder Statute Following Commonwealth v. Lee
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Apr 13, 2026 · Memo body · palegis.us
“many of the felony murder convictions in this commonwealth involved extraordinarily heinous acts of violence that clearly justified the imposition of life without parole sentences”
Sponsored HB 1615, treating a DUI after ARD diversion as a second offense while allowing record expungement.
General Assembly Approves Kauffman Bill Creating 'DUI Following Diversion' Offense
Public statement · Office of Rep. Rob Kauffman · Dec 17, 2025 · Kauffman quote · repkauffman.com
“hold repeat DUI offenders accountable, while also providing the opportunity for record expungement for those who improve their actions”
Kauffman Bill Would Create Driving Under the Influence Treatment Program to Aid Prosecutors, Rehabilitate Offenders
Public statement · Office of Rep. Rob Kauffman · Jun 25, 2025 · Kauffman quote · repkauffman.com
“first-time offenders, who are looking for an opportunity to better themselves and not have a DUI conviction follow them for the rest of their lives”
Sponsored HB 277 letting human trafficking victims sue where they live or where the crimes occurred.
House Judiciary Committee Advances Kauffman Bill Supporting Human Trafficking Victims
Public statement · Office of Rep. Rob Kauffman · Jan 30, 2025 · Kauffman quote · repkauffman.com
“my legislation would revamp our laws by providing greater flexibility as to where victims can file legal action in order to hold their perpetrators accountable”
Proposes bills barring employers from banning locked guns in cars and aligning state law with NFA rulings.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: National Firearms Act
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Aug 20, 2026 · Memo body · palegis.us
“law-abiding residents should not face potential criminal liability under pennsylvania law because of uncertainty surrounding federal requirements”
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Prohibiting Employers from Banning Firearms in Vehicles
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Jun 22, 2026 · Memo body · palegis.us
“from possessing a legally possessed firearm locked inside a private motor vehicle in a parking area”
Opposes state spending growth beyond revenue, warning it would require future tax increases.
Kauffman Issues Statement on Governor's Budget Address
Public statement · Office of Rep. Rob Kauffman · Feb 4, 2025 · Statement on 2025-26 budget address … Statement on 2025-26 budget address · repkauffman.com
“we simply cannot continue down this path of spending more than we have … that means, in the years ahead, we will need to raise taxes to cover our costs”
Opposed Penn State's plan to close its Mont Alto campus and urged trustees to keep it open.
Decision to Close Mont Alto Rushed, Ill-Conceived, Reichard, Kauffman Say
Public statement · Offices of Reps. Chad Reichard and Rob Kauffman · May 14, 2025 · Joint statement with Rep. Reichard · repkauffman.com
“we will continue to fight against this rushed decision and will advocate to keep mont alto open”
Opposed the state's decision not to renew the South Mountain golf course lease.
Reichard, Kauffman, Topper and Mastriano Disappointed with Forced Closing of South Mountain Golf Course
Public statement · Offices of Reps. Chad Reichard and Rob Kauffman and Sen. Doug Mastriano · Dec 1, 2025 · Joint statement with Rep. Reichard and Sen. Mastriano · repkauffman.com
“gov. josh shapiro killed a business when he didn't direct dcnr to renew the state's lease with south mountain golf course”

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; 10 issues covered in this race.