Three candidates are on Tuesday’s general election ballot seeking to represent District 29 in the Pennsylvania state Senate.

Incumbent David Argall, a Republican, will be challenged by John Zugarek, a Democrat, and Timothy Henning, a Libertarian.

District 29 includes all of Schuylkill and Carbon counties, and parts of Luzerne County.

Rank-and-file legislators in Pennsylvania had an annual salary of $106,422.23 in 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

The Times News asked each candidate the same set of questions. Their answers are printed below. Answers were limited to 100 words per question.

David Argall

Party: Republican

Hometown: Rush Township

Background: Argall represents the 29th District, which now includes Carbon, Schuylkill and parts of southern Luzerne counties. He chairs the Senate Education Committee and the General Assembly’s bipartisan Blight Task Force, where he has led successful battles to pass several new anti-blight laws. He lives in Rush Township with his wife, Beth, where they raised their two children, AJ and Elise, and welcome frequent visits from their new granddaughter, Amelia Zhang Argall.

1. What is the biggest issue facing the district and how would you address it?

My highest priority is to continue to breathe new life into our towns, from the amazing beauty of Jim Thorpe, working with Summit Hill on a virtual switchback ride, Lansford to build on the No. 9 Mine and the new lodging at St. Michael’s, Nesquehoning with its new railroad station and sports center, Lehighton and Weissport’s trail connections, and beyond! We’re linking these with similar endeavors in Eckley, Palmerton, Weatherly, White Haven, and Tamaqua, where I worked with volunteers years ago to restore our 1874 train station.

My goal: To help all of our communities obtain a “piece of the action!”

2. Pennsylvania has been focusing on economic growth and attracting new industries. What specific steps will you take to support job creation and small businesses in your district?

Energy remains a critical part of our local economy — especially to our small businesses. That’s why I’ve led a bipartisan statewide effort to help our local electric plants to survive in a difficult economic and regulatory climate — because of the jobs they provide, the creation of much-needed electricity for our local employers, and their continued removal of mountains of waste coal, left over from the past century. We have removed about 50% of the old culm piles and cleaned up many of our streams and rivers. We need to continue this ongoing effort.

3. Pennsylvania’s public schools face significant disparities in funding. How do you propose addressing these inequities to ensure every student in the district has access to quality education?

We took a major step forward in funding our school districts in the bipartisan budget we passed in July. Panther Valley, for example, is now receiving an additional $3.7 million. As the Senate’s new Education chairman, I’ve stressed the need to educate more electricians, nurses, carpenters, teachers and police and correctional officers, and I’ve worked to stop “woke” educational experiments dreamed up by unelected bureaucrats. Our new local educational goal: To bring a new, much-needed branch of Temple University’s Dental school to the district, just as I helped to establish LCCC-Tamaqua here, 20 years ago.

4. Mental health crises, particularly among youth, have been rising across the state. How will you ensure that mental health services are adequately funded and accessible?

As a result of 10 public hearings which I conducted on improving safety and mental health in our schools, we now annually invest a record amount of funding to protect our students, teachers and staff, including a large increase, to a total of $100 million, and I will continue to support this funding. Unfortunately, this is not enough. When people commit a serious crime, as in the recent riots in Philadelphia, I successfully introduced a new bipartisan law to increase the penalties. Sometimes, the only way to show major criminals that crime does not pay is to lock them up.

5. Affordable housing is a pressing issue across Pennsylvania. How will you address housing affordability and support first-time homebuyers in your district?

I’ve worked to bring new housing options to this area, converting abandoned factories in my old East End neighborhood in Tamaqua to much-needed new apartments. Rep. Heffley and I recently secured the funding to turn Weatherly’s beautiful but very blighted abandoned old high school into new apartments, with similar efforts now underway across this Senate district. I’ve proven that we can make real progress in revitalizing our communities. I want to continue this fight, right here where Beth and I raised our family, as taught by our parents and grandparents and those who came here long before us.

John Zugarek

Party: Democrat

Hometown: White Haven

Background: I grew up in Luzerne County, and helping others is one of my core values. I give back to my community as a councilperson, co-chair of the Stop I-80 Tolling Task Force and past president of the White Haven Lions Club. I believe that everyone deserves to have their voice heard and the role of elected officials is to serve all their constituents. I value hard work and promise to work tirelessly for my constituents.

1. What is the biggest issue facing the district and how would you address it?

People are concerned about the economy. We are in difficult times for sure — I know; I work four jobs. It’s time we make sure our economy works for everyone. To start, raise the minimum wage and ensure that it increase automatically by the same percentage that lawmakers’ salaries increase. Let’s protect small businesses and give them incentives to grow and thrive. Let’s make sure that we take some tax pressure off residents and new business to increase competition in our market. Finally, by working together, we can find new revenue streams that will allow us to cut property taxes.

2. Pennsylvania has been focusing on economic growth and attracting new industries. What specific steps will you take to support job creation and small businesses in your district?

For years, our area has seen many good paying jobs leave our area. It’s time we create opportunities for higher paying jobs to come to our area. We can use incentives to attract high tech and green jobs that can offer a long-term family sustaining employment. We should invest in our workforce and make sure that we are ready when these companies come. In addition, we need to make sure that we support and allow small business to grow and innovate. By growing the economy and allowing more people to earn a living wage, our communities will thrive.

3. Pennsylvania’s public schools face significant disparities in funding. How do you propose addressing these inequities to ensure every student in the district has access to quality education?

Taxpayers have suffered under increasing property taxes caused by decreases in state funding and unfunded mandates. We have an opportunity to help everyone get out from under this burden and offer quality education. We must find creative solutions so the state can follow through with its obligation to fund education. Much of the funding provided to schools this year was not promised for the coming years. That does not solve the problem — it kicks the can down the road. By working together, we can find new revenue streams to fully fund public schools and offer relief to taxpayers.

4. Mental health crises, particularly among youth, have been rising across the state. How will you ensure that mental health services are adequately funded and accessible?

Many people do not seek help because of the stigma. The first step is to let people know that it is OK to not be OK. Next, we need to ensure that there is collaboration among community resources for mental health. We can make sure the lists of resources are accessible, such as at schools, churches, libraries and local police departments. Many times, police are called to situations that are more mental health related than criminal. We need to work on training officers to recognize the signs and make sure that expert help is available to assist them.

5. Affordable housing is a pressing issue across Pennsylvania. How will you address housing affordability and support first-time homebuyers in your district?

A home is more than a place to live; it’s an investment that creates generational wealth for families. The first step is to reduce the burden that property taxes put on homeowners. Nearly half of my mortgage payment goes to property taxes. We also need to make sure that new homes are affordable to those that want to own one. We need to ensure that absentee landlords and large corporations are not buying up homes and apartment buildings to create a shortage and drive-up rents and purchase prices.

Timothy Henning

Party: Libertarian

Hometown: Shenandoah

Background: Timothy M. Henning is a native of Carbon County and graduate of Lehighton Area High School. He embarked on a journey of service to his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2001. He retired honorably from the Army in 2019. Tim, alongside his wife, Justine, and their three Great Danes, currently calls Schuylkill County home. His campaign will focus on community security, infrastructure improvement and enhancing educational opportunities

1. What is the biggest issue facing the district and how would you address it?

The biggest issue facing the 29th District is the rapid decay of our safety and security. If we don’t have safety and security within our communities, everything is at risk of failure. Like many other veterans, I’ve seen the worst of humanity with my own eyes. This is something that cannot be allowed to happen here at home. Our children deserve to grow up in a safe and secure environment just like we did and all the generations that came before us did. The first step is to take a good look at our failed leadership.

2. Pennsylvania has been focusing on economic growth and attracting new industries. What specific steps will you take to support job creation and small businesses in your district?

We as a nation are currently heading into uncharted territory and we need to stop depending on other countries for things that we need to sustain our society. I believe that small businesses are vital to promote growth within all communities. Taxation and outdated policies need to be addressed. Instead of lifting businesses up, they are being pushed down. The risk of starting a business continues to increase. Inflation and rising crime will continue if no action is taken. This is our home, and we need strong communities now more than ever.

3. Pennsylvania’s public schools face significant disparities in funding. How do you propose addressing these inequities to ensure every student in the district has access to quality education?

Quality education should always be made available for children. We need to make sure that all teachers are given the tools that they need to succeed. There is no excuse for our educators to be lacking any resources to educate our future generations. I often ask myself, how are we setting future generations up for success to take on tomorrow’s challenges? My answer is “absolutely not.” Most young adults don’t know how to balance a checkbook, let alone survive in today’s world. Home schooling is on the rise because parents have lost faith in the education system.

4. Mental health crises, particularly among youth, have been rising across the state. How will you ensure that mental health services are adequately funded and accessible?

I believe that the abuse done during COVID-19 lockdowns have damaged our youth and it will follow them into adulthood. Accessibility is the real problem. It has become more and more difficult for families to find providers close to home. Most must travel long distances and wait long time periods just to receive treatment. Our veterans are facing the same situation. With mental health on the rise, we are not prepared to help those who need it most. The 29th District is lacking mental health providers and therapists.

5. Affordable housing is a pressing issue across Pennsylvania. How will you address housing affordability and support first-time homebuyers in your district?

The first problem all homebuyers face is coming at the federal level with ridiculously high interest rates. We cannot continue to ask the people who created all our problems to magically fix them. Career politicians have destroyed the “American Dream” of owning your own home and raising your family in peace. Career Politicians have failed to create growth and opportunity for the people they represent. It’s time for accountability and expose all failed leadership!