Tuesday is Primary Election Day!

That means most of you get to pick your candidates to represent your party in November’s General Election. For a few of you, the Primary is particularly uneventful.

To those of you who are registered as independents, or even as anything other than Democrat or Republican (and there are THOUSANDS of you in this legislative district), you don’t have a role in next week's election. Pennsylvania has a “Closed Primary” where only registered party members are able to vote in their party’s primary.

There are several states that employ different primary election systems. California has what we call a “Jungle Primary” where all candidates, regardless of party, campaign and the top two vote getters advance to November’s General Election.

This is really the equivalent of having two General Elections. It’s expensive, but it does give all voters the chance to vote… twice!

Other states use a “Semi-Closed Primary” where Independents are able to choose one of the two dominant parties that they want to vote in for the Primary. Their choice is publicly disclosed, but they are not tied to that party in future Primaries and do not have to change their official registration.

This is done in North Carolina and New Hampshire, and there is legislation in the PA House that would move Pennsylvania to this format.

There is the ever-trendy “Ranked Choice” system, best demonstrated in Alaska. There, all candidates, regardless of party, campaign in a Primary and voters select one candidate to vote for.

The top four candidates then advance to the General Election, where voters rank the four candidates from favorite to least favorite. If one candidate is the favorite of over 50% of the voters, they win. If nobody meets that threshold, the lowest vote getter is eliminated, and the voters who preferred the eliminated candidate the most now have their second favorite candidate tallied… Repeat until a candidate receives a majority.

There are other methods of choosing a candidate and engaging voters. If you have an idea or preference, let me know. This is the time to think about our Primary system.

The moral of the story is: Elections are important, and your vote has power.

USE IT! ???

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking with business leaders and fellow legislators at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce State Representative Luncheon.

I shared my legislative priorities, including AI development, women’s health, raising the minimum wage, and securing state investments for our local communities.

We also discussed ways to continue strengthening partnerships with local businesses. Following the discussion, I answered questions about state programs and resources.

SFMNP provides eligible low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits and vegetables in Pennsylvania. Eligible participants will receive five $5 vouchers (totaling $25) to use at authorized farmers’ markets and produce stands across the state.  

The Montco office will be distributing vouchers both by mail and at select pop-up events across the county. Once the distribution event schedule is finalized, it will be posted on the Montco Share page.

Completed applications can be submitted by mail or email to infomhs@sharefoodprogram.org. We have applications in the office, should you need paper forms. 

• June 1, 2026: First day seniors may redeem SFMNP checks for fresh produce purchased from approved farmers
• September 15, 2026: Last day to mail SFMNP applications
• September 30, 2026: Last day to issue SFMNP checks (in person and by mail)
• November 30, 2026: Last day for participants to use their 2026 SFMNP check

Please contact the Montco Share team with any questions 215-223-2220 ext. 138.

Save the Date! Montgomery County is partnering with Cheltenham Township, the city of Philadelphia, and Springfield Township to study the Cheltenham Avenue corridor (Paper Mill Road to Ogontz Avenue) and explore ways to improve safety and accessibility for everyone.

Residents are invited to attend public open houses to learn more, share feedback, and help shape the project:

?? Open House #2
Thursday, May 28, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Springfield Township Building (1510 Paper Mill Road)

Review findings and give input on proposed improvements.

You can also share feedback by submitting comments on the interactive map and completing a public survey.

For more details or to register, visit the project website.

Harrisburg Office

325 Irvis Office Building

PO Box 202154

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 783-1079

Glenside Office

115 East Glenside Avenue

Suite 8
Glenside, PA 19038
(215) 572-5210

Unsubscribe from future updates