The race for the 147th House district pits one-term Republican incumbent Donna Scheuren of Lower Salford against Democrat Al Leach of Upper Pottsgrove.
The 147th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is comprised of the townships of Upper Pottsgrove, Douglass (Mont.) New Hanover, Upper Frederick, Lower Frederick, Upper Salford, Lower Salford and Franconia.
Mail-in and drop-off voting has already begun. In-person voting will take place on Election Day, Nov. 5.
MediaNews Group provided the same set of questions to both candidates. What follows are their slightly edited responses.
What inspired you to run for office?
Al Leach: “I have always believed in the importance of volunteering in the community and finding ways to give back. Pottsgrove has been incredibly supportive of my family as we raised our children. After witnessing the rise of divisive politics from both sides, culminating with the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade, this made me realize the need for collaboration if we wanted to create a better Pennsylvania. I felt compelled to run for a state office as I continued to witness extreme politics taking hold and more and more states stripping away women’s healthcare rights and protections.”
Donna Scheuren: “During my time on the school board, I had the privilege of leading an initiative to adopt Performance-Based Budgeting, which has since become a model for districts across the commonwealth and our state government. Through this experience and in working closely with state legislators, it became clear to me that Harrisburg needs more leaders with strong business and financial acumen. Our communities are feeling the weight of high inflation, and the path to relief lies in fostering economic growth. I believe it’s crucial to have representatives who understand firsthand the challenges small businesses face in turning a profit and making payroll every week.”
What prior experience do you have in elected office?
Donna Scheuren: “I was elected to the PA State House of Representatives in 2022 for the 147th District. In addition, I served three, 4-year terms on the Souderton Area School Board as vice president and finance chairman.”
Al Leach: In 2014, I volunteered to be the Pottsgrove Athletic Booster Club president; the following year, I ran for school board director. Serving six years on the Booster Club and eight years as a school director gave me a profound understanding of the significance of local government and how the elected individuals could bring about changes that affect all our families. During my time on the school board, I held various positions, including two years as vice president, curriculum chairperson, finance and operations chairperson, and five years as president.
Name a single problem facing the district you are running to represent and how you would address that issue if elected.
Al Leach: “I believe we are living in a critical time of division on women’s healthcare and their right to make medical decisions. With the Supreme Court revisiting the issue of women’s choice, IVF, and other critical healthcare decisions for women, we must stand up and protect their healthcare and the choices they want to make. I will always vote to defend a woman’s right to make healthcare decisions with her family and doctor without government interference.”
Donna Scheuren: “One of the biggest concerns in our district is overdevelopment and the potential loss of the rural character that makes our community so special. That’s why I’ve been deeply committed to working with local and county governments to preserve our open spaces. I’m proud of our efforts, which resulted in the preservation of 616 acres of farmland and open space through a $7.9 million investment from state, county, and local funds. As your representative, I’ll continue to champion initiatives that protect our rural landscapes and maintain the character of our district.”
What role do you see the legislature playing in addressing the increasing number of homeless people in your district?
Donna Scheuren: “My colleagues and I have been proactive in tackling the root causes of homelessness by significantly increasing funding for critical programs. This year, we doubled the PHARE funding to $100 million, specifically dedicated to building more affordable housing. We also expanded the Homeless Assistance Program and established the Local Government Emergency Housing Support program to provide more immediate relief. In addition, we secured a $67.5 million increase for mental health services, along with enhanced funding for medical assistance, behavioral health services, and drug and alcohol programs. These comprehensive measures aim to address homelessness from every angle—housing, mental health, and addiction services.”
Al Leach: “During my time as president of the school board, I received reports about the increasing numbers of homeless children and families in our school district. It’s disheartening to see this trend, which is driven by various issues such as rising mental health problems, drug usage, a decrease in the availability of shelters, and the increasing costs of renting and homeownership. I believe it’s important for our legislators to address these homeless issues by investing more in education and preventative programs to support mental health and tackle drug abuse. Our state must also invest in our communities to help alleviate the burden of increasing property taxes. By doing so, we can reduce the pressure on school districts and local communities and ultimately make rental prices and homeownership more affordable. Property taxes are a regressive burden contributing to higher housing costs, forcing many individuals out of their homes.”
What specific actions should the state legislature take to make life more affordable for the people living in your district?
A Leach: I want to reiterate my earlier comment about property tax. Property tax is a regressive tax, meaning that people in less affluent areas pay a larger share of the tax than those in more prosperous areas. This is one of the factors contributing to the dramatic increase in home ownership and rental prices over the years. From multiple perspectives, we must examine how our state funds school districts and local communities. While more funding is needed on the state level, I would like to initiate a discussion on how to reallocate our tax base to create a more favorable structure for everyone. Areas like Pottsgrove and, to some extent, Boyertown do not have as much commercial investment as areas like Spring-Ford in Montgomery County. What if we engage in out-of-the-box discussions about moving our tax structure to a county level rather than keeping it at a purely local level? Doing so could significantly improve the tax structure in places like Montgomery County and distribute it fairly to benefit everyone. I believe that our state must invest more in our education system. However, we also need to explore other options. It’s time to elect people willing to break the mold and find solutions that will work for everyone, not just for a particular party or group.
Donna Scheuren: “I’ve supported practical measures to lower the cost of living in Pennsylvania, such as expanding the property tax and rent rebate programs to provide relief for seniors on fixed incomes and opposing legislation that would increase home energy costs for consumers. Additionally, I’ve worked to protect small businesses from burdensome regulations that threaten jobs. The key to reducing inflation lies in sustained economic growth, which is why we must create a business-friendly environment that promotes job creation and attracts new companies to Pennsylvania. It’s also critical that we ensure strong employment opportunities for our young people, so they choose to stay and build their futures here after completing their education.”
How will you gather feedback from the community regarding their needs and concerns?
Donna Scheuren: “My district office is a valuable resource for staying connected with the community, and my team and I have been working tirelessly to serve our constituents. In the past two years alone, we’ve resolved 179 unemployment claims, hosted 10 legislative events, responded to 2,433 inquiries about legislation, assisted 2,864 individuals with state agencies, and held 440 meetings with residents, businesses, and non-profits. Additionally, we’ve welcomed 40 groups of students, families, seniors, and veterans for Capitol visits and tours. I will continue to actively engage with the community, listen to their concerns, and ensure that their voices are heard in Harrisburg.”
Al Leach: When asking for your vote, your elected representatives should be visible in the community beyond just during election time. They cannot truly understand the needs of their entire district by only attending photo ops, birthdays, grand openings, and sending weekly emails. Have a quarterly town hall and prioritize attending school board and local supervisor/commissioner meetings to engage with local officials and residents to understand what is truly needed in their communities. State representatives need to focus not only on the state level but also on their community. They should provide regular updates and be available to answer questions. They should support their local community during tough times, not just when it benefits their personal election.”
Do you support the court decision regarding fair funding to schools? If yes, would you continue to support increased funding to meet the goal over the next seven years? If no, why not?
Al Leach: “School funding will be one of my top priorities if elected as state representative. Investing more in our public education system is crucial to ensure a fair distribution of funds. We must find ways to lower property taxes while ensuring that every school receives adequate funding. The challenge lies in increasing funding fairly and sufficiently without disadvantaging other communities and school districts. One potential solution is transitioning to a county tax structure to make local fund collection more equitable. Additionally, we could explore the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana in PA at the state level. The revenue generated could significantly benefit various areas, including providing fairer funding for our public school system without compromising other communities.”
Donna Scheuren: “I voted for the state budget, which included a monumental $1.3 billion investment in education, and I will always advocate for returning as much funding as possible to our local school districts in Montgomery County. However, to sustain this level of investment, we must address inflation and focus on growing our economy. It’s also critical to prioritize the essential needs of state finances and eliminate the $4 billion in fraud, as highlighted by the Governor earlier this year. Only through these efforts can we continue to make historic investments in education while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”
Do you support the idea of taking re-districting out of the hands of the legislature and instead creating a citizen’s commission to do the work every 10 years? Why?
Donna Scheuren: “I am open to exploring new ideas for improving our redistricting process and reducing the influence of partisan politics. However, any commission or alternative process must be accountable to voters and include proper oversight to ensure transparency and fairness. Ensuring public trust in the process is essential to maintaining the integrity of our democracy.”
Al Leach: “I do not believe in gerrymandering for either party at any level. What we have seen, not only in PA but nationwide, is the ability of whoever is in power during a census year to create new districts that greatly affect our voting rights and power. It shouldn’t be that one lives in a district that is so predominantly registered to one party that the election outcome is predetermined. Take District 147, where I am running. In 2020, our area was redistricted to ensure that elected parties were “protected;” in both this area and our neighboring regions. In my opinion, this is not what our founding fathers intended when they wanted to ensure fair and free elections for all. We should create districts representing the area and allow all votes to count, regardless of party affiliation.”
