What this office does: A state senator votes on Pennsylvania laws and the state budget and confirms many of the Governor's appointments.
Lackawanna County part: the City of Scranton (all 48 precincts); Dickson City, Dunmore, Throop, Taylor, Old Forge, Moosic, Clarks Summit, Clarks Green and Dalton boroughs; and Benton, Glenburn, Greenfield, La Plume, Newton, North Abington, Ransom, Scott, South Abington, Waverly and West Abington townships. Luzerne County part (per the Census district maps): the cities of Pittston and Wilkes-Barre; Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Laflin, Laurel Run, West Pittston, Wyoming and Yatesville boroughs; and Jenkins, Pittston, Plains and Wilkes-Barre townships.
Candidate social media · Sharon Soltis Sparano · May 4, 2026 · facebook.com
“Nothing but BIG TROUBLE heading our way…. and WHY? … ALL this heavy Industrial Data Centers and Gas Plants and upwards of 600 xtra large Diesel Generators.”
Marty Flynn
DemocraticIncumbent
State senator · Dunmore
The gist
Opposes data center projects moving forward without transparency, municipal involvement and regulatory safeguards.
Introduced legislation requiring data centers to pay grid and transmission costs instead of ratepayers.
Says he could support a data center moratorium of 180 days or a year, but not three years.
Supports legalizing, regulating and taxing recreational marijuana.
Supports a natural gas severance tax and closing the "Delaware loophole" in corporate taxes.
Calls for taxing nonprofits that he says "aren't nonprofits."
Calls for a state tax credit for investors who build public, low-income or middle-income housing.
Supports campaign contribution limits and a ban on gifts to legislators; opposes legislative term limits.
News coverage · Times Leader · May 16, 2026 · Energy demands · timesleader.com
“Large-scale data centers must be responsible for the costs they place on the electric grid, transmission systems, water resources, and supporting infrastructure.”
Says he could support a data center moratorium of 180 days or a year, but not three years.
News coverage · WVIA News · May 7, 2026 · Campaign contributions and terms limits … Campaign contributions and terms limits · wvia.org
“Flynn supports limits on contributions and a ban on gifts, but not term limits. … I don't believe in term limits, because all it does is empower the staff and the people that work in the building”
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.