State

State Senator, 50th 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.

Covers all of Crawford County and all of Mercer County, plus part of Lawrence County.

Candidates Compare by issue

Sue Mulvey

Democratic

Registered nurse; school nurse

The gist

Supports reducing the tax burden on seniors and closing corporate tax loopholes to raise revenue.
Supports legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana and regulating and taxing skill games as new revenue.
Supports raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage.
Pledges to protect rural hospitals, expand access to primary and mental health care, and strengthen EMS.
Supports recruiting, retaining and educating nurses, physicians and other health care workers.
Supports fully funding public schools and expanding career and technical education.
Says she will work with lawmakers of any party and views compromise as necessary if core values are kept.

More about Sue

View sources (2)

Supports reducing the tax burden on seniors and closing corporate tax loopholes to raise revenue.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“I support reducing the tax burden on seniors, raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage, and pursuing responsible new sources of revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes”
Supports legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana and regulating and taxing skill games as new revenue.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“legalizing and taxing adult-use recreational marijuana, and ensuring skill games are properly regulated and taxed”
Supports raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage”
Pledges to protect rural hospitals, expand access to primary and mental health care, and strengthen EMS.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“I will fight to protect our rural hospitals, expand access to primary and mental health care, strengthen our emergency medical services”
Mulvey secures Dem nomination for state Senate race
News coverage · New Castle News · Jun 18, 2026 · ncnewsonline.com
“lower taxes, protecting rural healthcare, supporting public education, strengthening local businesses”
Supports recruiting, retaining and educating nurses, physicians and other health care workers.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“recruit and retain the nurses, physicians, and health care professionals our communities need … I will fully support professional education for the service professionals”
Supports fully funding public schools and expanding career and technical education.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“I will advocate for fully funding public education, supporting our teachers and school employees, expanding career and technical education”
Says she will work with lawmakers of any party and views compromise as necessary if core values are kept.
Sue Mulvey - Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · ballotpedia.org
“I believe compromise is both necessary and desirable in policymaking—as long as it doesn't require you to compromise your core values. … I'm willing to work with anyone—Democrat, Republican, or Independent—who wants to make progress on those issues.”

Michele Brooks

RepublicanIncumbent

State senator · Jamestown, Mercer County

The gist

Sponsored SB 100 to exempt the first $100,000 of family inheritances from tax; seeks to end the inheritance tax.In office
Sponsored SB 444 requiring agencies to review regulations costing over $1 million a year after three years in effect.In office
Supported the 2026-27 budget's $775 million "Rapid Deployment" program to speed repairs to local state roads.In office
Sponsored SB 866 to classify medetomidine, an emerging street-drug additive, as a Schedule III controlled substance.In office
Amended HB 2344 to require advance state notice of hospital mergers and acquisitions over $10 million.In office
Sponsored bills to ease volunteer firefighter certification and create a high school firefighter training pilot.In office
Sponsored SB 96 to make false emergency threats against schools a third-degree felony.In office
Sponsored SB 463 to allow the sale of Pennsylvania-produced whole milk in Pennsylvania schools.In office
Supports SB 9, which would limit female school and college athletic teams to athletes born female.In office

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

More about Michele

View sources (11)

Sponsored SB 100 to exempt the first $100,000 of family inheritances from tax; seeks to end the inheritance tax.
Brooks' Bill to Cut Inheritance Tax Clears Key Senate Committee
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Mar 23, 2026 · senatorbrooks.com
“Senate Bill 100 would exempt the first $100,000 of inherited assets from the inheritance tax for family members … I won’t stop until the death tax no longer exists”
Sponsored SB 444 requiring agencies to review regulations costing over $1 million a year after three years in effect.
Brooks Landmark Legislation to Improve Oversight of Economically Significant Regulations Passes Senate
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Jun 11, 2025 · senatorbrooks.com
“Senate Bill 444 gives Pennsylvanians and their elected representatives an essential tool to ensure that costly regulations receive the scrutiny needed”
Supported the 2026-27 budget's $775 million "Rapid Deployment" program to speed repairs to local state roads.
Brooks: "Rapid Deployment" Funding Championed by Senate Republicans Now Being Released to Repair Local Roads
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Sep 25, 2026 · senatorbrooks.com
“I strongly supported the ‘Rapid Deployment’ program because our local roads need repairs now, not years from now.”
Brooks: Budget Secures Release of More Than $34.7 Million for Road Improvements Across the 50th District
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Jul 13, 2026 · senatorbrooks.com
“we required PennDOT to get these transportation dollars out the door, instead of waiting years to allocate the funding”
Sponsored SB 866 to classify medetomidine, an emerging street-drug additive, as a Schedule III controlled substance.
Brooks Bill Targeting Dangerous Emerging Drug Passes Senate
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Jun 9, 2026 · senatorbrooks.com
“Senate Bill 866 provides an opportunity to combat this emerging threat and ensure medetomidine is now treated with the same seriousness as xylazine.”
Amended HB 2344 to require advance state notice of hospital mergers and acquisitions over $10 million.
Brooks, Committee Advance Bill Addressing Oversight of Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Oct 11, 2024 · senatorbrooks.com
“I have seen firsthand in my district the need for additional oversight when hospitals are acquired or consolidated,”
Sponsored bills to ease volunteer firefighter certification and create a high school firefighter training pilot.
Brooks' Bill to Support Firefighters and Restore Rescinded EMS Grants Almost Law
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Jun 26, 2025 · senatorbrooks.com
“This bill creates a more realistic and accessible path to certification while still ensuring high standards,”
Brooks Leads Effort to Strengthen Firefighter Support and Recruitment in Pennsylvania
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Mar 27, 2025 · senatorbrooks.com
“If we want to ensure the future of our local fire departments, we need to start engaging the next generation now,”
Sponsored SB 96 to make false emergency threats against schools a third-degree felony.
Brooks' Bill to Protect Schools from Emergency Threat Hoaxes Passes Senate
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Apr 1, 2025 · senatorbrooks.com
“making a false report of an emergency threat to a school would be classified as a third-degree felony … making false emergency threats is not a prank – it is a serious crime with real consequences”
Sponsored SB 463 to allow the sale of Pennsylvania-produced whole milk in Pennsylvania schools.
Brooks Applauds Federal Action Supporting Whole Milk in Schools
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · Jan 15, 2026 · senatorbrooks.com
“which would authorize the sale of Pennsylvania-produced whole milk in Pennsylvania schools … For too long, federal regulations have limited access to nutritious, locally produced whole milk in our schools.”
Supports SB 9, which would limit female school and college athletic teams to athletes born female.
Brooks Applauds Final Passage of the Save Women's Sports Act
Public statement · Office of Sen. Michele Brooks · May 6, 2025 · senatorbrooks.com
“mandates that school athletic teams designated for females may not be open to biological males … Today is a victory for fairness and common sense,”

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.