State

State Senator, 36th 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.

Lancaster County only: the boroughs of Akron, Columbia, East Petersburg, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Lititz, Manheim, Marietta, Mount Joy, Mountville and New Holland, and Conoy, Earl, East Donegal, East Hempfield, Elizabeth, Ephrata, Manheim, Mount Joy, Penn, Rapho, Warwick, West Donegal, West Earl and West Hempfield townships.

Candidates Compare by issue

Tom Jones

Republican

State representative, business owner · East Donegal Township

The gist

Sponsored the Responsible Budgeting Act to cap state spending growth and require on-time budgets.
Calls for cutting state spending and eliminating several taxes, including the corporate net income tax.
Opposes the countywide library tax on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Supports parental choice in education and has backed publicly funded private school vouchers.
Backed requiring proof of citizenship to vote and urging the state to give voter data to the U.S. Justice Department.
Supports compact nuclear power for rising electricity demand; says he fought data center growth on farmland.
Supports the Save Women's Sports Act limiting athletes to teams matching their sex at birth.
Sponsored a bill requiring police to give owners written notice of their rights when property is seized.In office

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

More about Tom

View sources (8)

Sponsored the Responsible Budgeting Act to cap state spending growth and require on-time budgets.
Republicans Tom Jones, Jere Swarr stake their claims on 36th Senate District
Candidate questionnaire · LNP | LancasterOnline · Apr 29, 2026 · Legislative priorities · lancasteronline.com
“Advancing the Responsible Budgeting Act, which would mandate the state budget be done on time every year”
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Responsible Budgeting Act
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Jun 3, 2025 · palegis.us
“The Act includes a spending limit that reflects trend economic growth with a deficit brake, limits on raising revenue, a reserve fund”
Calls for cutting state spending and eliminating several taxes, including the corporate net income tax.
Republicans Tom Jones, Jere Swarr break down their plans to better the 36th Senate District
News coverage · LNP | LancasterOnline · Apr 29, 2026 · Taxes and spending … Taxes and spending · lancasteronline.com
“Jones wants Pennsylvania to cut back on spending and also eliminate several taxes, including the state’s corporate net income tax. … It’s a net gain when we cut taxes, because it stimulates the economy, which increases the revenue”
Opposes the countywide library tax on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Malone, Jones say Lancaster County library tax would hurt the 36th District
News coverage · LNP | LancasterOnline · Sep 14, 2026 · lancasteronline.com
“The last thing local families need is to pay higher taxes”
Supports parental choice in education and has backed publicly funded private school vouchers.
Republicans Tom Jones, Jere Swarr stake their claims on 36th Senate District
Candidate questionnaire · LNP | LancasterOnline · Apr 29, 2026 · Legislative priorities · lancasteronline.com
“Strengthening our families and supporting parental choice in their children’s education.”
Tough odds for Democratic incumbent in key 36th PA Senate District
News coverage · Spotlight PA · Sep 21, 2026 · spotlightpa.org
“publicly fund private school vouchers”
Backed requiring proof of citizenship to vote and urging the state to give voter data to the U.S. Justice Department.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Voter Data to DOJ
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Oct 9, 2025 · palegis.us
“urging the Pennsylvania Department of State to cooperate with the Federal Government’s recent requests for voter registration data”
Tough odds for Democratic incumbent in key 36th PA Senate District
News coverage · Spotlight PA · Sep 21, 2026 · spotlightpa.org
“Jones has backed legislation to require proof of citizenship to vote”
Supports compact nuclear power for rising electricity demand; says he fought data center growth on farmland.
Tom Jones for PA – The campaign site for Tom Jones for PA Senate
Campaign website · Friends of Tom Jones · Tom's Taxpayer-First Record · tomjonesforpa.com
“Fought to preserve our open space and farmland against runaway data center growth.”
Republicans Tom Jones, Jere Swarr stake their claims on 36th Senate District
Candidate questionnaire · LNP | LancasterOnline · Apr 29, 2026 · Legislative priorities · lancasteronline.com
“working to advance new technology like compact clean nuclear to meet the growing electricity needs of our commonwealth”
Supports the Save Women's Sports Act limiting athletes to teams matching their sex at birth.
Republicans Tom Jones, Jere Swarr break down their plans to better the 36th Senate District
News coverage · LNP | LancasterOnline · Apr 29, 2026 · 'Political boogeyman' · lancasteronline.com
“We have to keep biological males from competing against our girls.”
Sponsored a bill requiring police to give owners written notice of their rights when property is seized.
Co-Sponsorship Memo: Civil Asset Forfeiture
Government record · Pennsylvania House of Representatives · Apr 22, 2025 · palegis.us
“require law enforcement agencies to provide an individual with clear, written notice of their rights under our law when property is seized”

James Andrew Malone

DemocraticIncumbent

State senator · East Petersburg

The gist

Supports local control over data center development, including letting municipalities pause new projects.
Supports a statewide requirement for ballot drop boxes and ballot curing, and open primaries.
Sponsored a requirement that school staff report AI deepfakes of children, later adopted into the fiscal code.
Opposes the countywide library tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, saying he cannot support a tax increase.
Supports more Senate session days and staying in session until the budget passes on time.
Supports Sunday hunting and conservation of forests, farmland, waterways and rural communities.
Pledges to always vote to fund law enforcement.
Introduced a bill banning cash gifts, and gifts over $50 a year from one source, to officials and candidates.In office

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

More about James

View sources (6)

Supports local control over data center development, including letting municipalities pause new projects.
Pennsylvania State Senator District 36 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Data centers · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Sen. Malone will always support local control over data center development, and will continue working to protect ratepayers from price increases tied to data centers.”
Senator Malone Applauds Governor Shapiro's Executive Action on Data Centers, Demands Senate Leadership Follow Suit
Public statement · Office of Sen. James Andrew Malone · Aug 18, 2026 · senatormalone.com
“legislation that gives local municipalities the power to pause all data center development while they update their local zoning laws”
Supports a statewide requirement for ballot drop boxes and ballot curing, and open primaries.
Pennsylvania State Senator District 36 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Elections … Elections · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Sen. Malone strongly supports a statewide requirement for drop boxes and ballot cure … opening primaries so that all voters have a say in who ends up on the ballot”
Sponsored a requirement that school staff report AI deepfakes of children, later adopted into the fiscal code.
Priorities - Malone for Senate
Campaign website · Friends of James Malone · Investing in Strong Public Schools · friendsofjamesmalone.org
“helped pass new protections to keep students safe, including legislation requiring schools to report incidents of digital harassment and exploitation”
Senator Malone Applauds Passage of the 2026-2027 Pennsylvania Budget
Public statement · Office of Sen. James Andrew Malone · Jul 12, 2026 · senatormalone.com
“language from my bill to close a reporting gap to protect kids from sexually explicit AI deepfakes was adopted into the fiscal code”
Opposes the countywide library tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, saying he cannot support a tax increase.
Malone, Jones say Lancaster County library tax would hurt the 36th District
News coverage · LNP | LancasterOnline · Sep 14, 2026 · lancasteronline.com
“I cannot support an increase in taxes.”
Supports more Senate session days and staying in session until the budget passes on time.
Pennsylvania State Senator District 36 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · State budget process · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Sen. Malone supports increasing session days and keeping the Senate in session until the budget passes on time”
Supports Sunday hunting and conservation of forests, farmland, waterways and rural communities.
Priorities - Malone for Senate
Campaign website · Friends of James Malone · Protecting Our Land, Water, and Traditions · friendsofjamesmalone.org
“He’s working to preserve those traditions through responsible conservation, support for Sunday hunting, and policies that protect livestock, natural resources, and rural communities”
Pledges to always vote to fund law enforcement.
Pennsylvania State Senator District 36 — VOTE411 Voter Guide
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters Education Fund (VOTE411) · Most pressing issues · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Sen. Malone will always vote to fund law enforcement to keep communities safe.”
Introduced a bill banning cash gifts, and gifts over $50 a year from one source, to officials and candidates.
Senator Malone Introduces Gift Ban Legislation
Public statement · Office of Sen. James Andrew Malone · Oct 29, 2025 · senatormalone.com
“would prohibit any elected officials, public employees, and candidates for public office from accepting cash gifts or gifts exceeding $50 in total”

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.