State

State Senator, 12th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state senator votes on Pennsylvania laws and the state budget and confirms many of the Governor's appointments.

Central and northeastern Montgomery County, entirely within the county: Franconia, Hatfield, Horsham, Lower Gwynedd, Lower Moreland, Montgomery, Plymouth, Salford, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, Whitpain and Worcester townships, and Ambler, Bryn Athyn, Hatboro, Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton and Telford boroughs.

Candidates Compare by issue

Robert F Costello III

Republican

Special education teacher · Lower Moreland Township

The gist

Supports property tax relief programs so seniors are not taxed out of their homes.
Proposes guaranteeing nurses a paid half-hour break for each eight-hour shift.
Opposes large data centers in local neighborhoods; supports state oversight while keeping local zoning authority.
Supports public budget negotiations and forfeiting lawmakers' pay when the budget is late.
Wants easier voter registration updates and an online view of ballot counting.
Names repairing state roads among the district's most pressing issues.

More about Robert

View sources (1)

Supports property tax relief programs so seniors are not taxed out of their homes.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support property tax relief programs so that seniors are not taxed out of their homes.”
Proposes guaranteeing nurses a paid half-hour break for each eight-hour shift.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I want to pass legislation that guarantees nurses receive a paid half hour break per each eight hour shift.”
Opposes large data centers in local neighborhoods; supports state oversight while keeping local zoning authority.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will do everything possible to make sure that they do not come into our neighborhoods. … As a result, state oversight on this issue is necessary.”
Supports public budget negotiations and forfeiting lawmakers' pay when the budget is late.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I would support a bill to require budget negotiations to take place in public. … requires lawmakers to forfeit their pay for any days worked past the official budget deadline until the budget is successfully passed”
Wants easier voter registration updates and an online view of ballot counting.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We should make it easier for people to update their voter registration … I also want to give voters the ability to watch the ballot counting process online.”
Names repairing state roads among the district's most pressing issues.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12 (Robert F. Costello III responses)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The most pressing issues in our district are affordability, repairing our state roads, providing tax relief for our senior citizens, and public safety.”

Maria Collett

DemocraticIncumbent

State senator · Lower Gwynedd Township

The gist

Sponsors the Family Care Act to create paid family and medical leave.
Sponsors the Patient Safety Act setting unit-specific minimum nurse staffing levels in hospitals.
Sponsors SB 268 to ban insurer copay accumulators, and a bill to require co-pay-free birth control coverage.
Supports combined reporting to close the "Delaware loophole" in the corporate income tax.
Sponsors legislation limiting tax breaks for investors that buy dozens of homes in Pennsylvania.
Supports more ballot drop boxes, pre-canvassing mail ballots before Election Day and post-election audits.
Says the state should pass guardrails on data center development.

More about Maria

View sources (2)

Sponsors the Family Care Act to create paid family and medical leave.
Priorities | Re-Elect Maria Collett
Campaign website · Maria for PA · mariaforpasenate.com
“The Family Care Act would let workers take paid time off when they need it most.”
Sponsors the Patient Safety Act setting unit-specific minimum nurse staffing levels in hospitals.
Priorities | Re-Elect Maria Collett
Campaign website · Maria for PA · mariaforpasenate.com
“Maria's Patient Safety Act, legislation she has championed since her first day in office, sets safe, unit-specific staffing minimums in Pennsylvania hospitals.”
Sponsors SB 268 to ban insurer copay accumulators, and a bill to require co-pay-free birth control coverage.
Priorities | Re-Elect Maria Collett
Campaign website · Maria for PA · mariaforpasenate.com
“Maria's legislation (SB 268) stops this scam. … Maria's legislation requires insurance to cover birth control without co-pays”
Supports combined reporting to close the "Delaware loophole" in the corporate income tax.
Priorities | Re-Elect Maria Collett
Campaign website · Maria for PA · mariaforpasenate.com
“Maria's fighting for combined reporting legislation to close this loophole.”
Sponsors legislation limiting tax breaks for investors that buy dozens of homes in Pennsylvania.
Priorities | Re-Elect Maria Collett
Campaign website · Maria for PA · mariaforpasenate.com
“Maria's legislation limits tax breaks for Wall Street investors that purchase dozens of homes in Pennsylvania.”
Supports more ballot drop boxes, pre-canvassing mail ballots before Election Day and post-election audits.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“increase the number of secure ballot drop boxes in each county … allow counties to process and pre-canvass mail-in ballots before Election Day”
Says the state should pass guardrails on data center development.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Pennsylvania State Senator District 12
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Yes, the state has a responsibility to pass legislation that puts guardrails in place around data center development”

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; 7 issues covered in this race.