2026 Candidates Running For The US House of Representatives
Rachel Wallace
Bio Paragraph
Rachel Wallace was born and raised in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and is a proud graduate of Pottsville Area High School. She has spent her career in public service. She started out working for her Congressman, Tim Holden, and went on to serve in the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Senate, and the White House, where she was Chief of Staff for the Office of Management and Budget. So she knows how the federal government works – and how it doesn’t.
Why I'm Running
Rachel moved home after her mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease so she could be closer to her family, which has lived in Berks and Schuylkill counties for 10 generations. The daughter of a pastor and a nurse, Rachel is focused on fixing our health care, lowering the cost of living, and keeping our promises to veterans and farmers. Her campaign will hold Dan Meuser accountable for his votes to take away health care from tens of thousands of district residents while doubling his own wealth since taking office.
Website: https://www.wallaceforcongress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wallaceforpa/
2026 Candidate Running For The PA House of Representatives
Tina Burns
John Deatrich
John Deatrich
Biography
My name is Tina Burns, and I am running for Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 124th District. I grew up in a lower-middle-class family in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Tamaqua Area High School. I served in the United States Coast Guard, where I learned the importance of leadership, service, and honorin
Biography
My name is Tina Burns, and I am running for Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 124th District. I grew up in a lower-middle-class family in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Tamaqua Area High School. I served in the United States Coast Guard, where I learned the importance of leadership, service, and honoring the Constitution.
After my military service, I worked in a wide range of jobs, including truck driver, educator, small business owner, and healthcare professional. I hold a Master of Science degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Florida International University and currently work in the healthcare industry. These experiences have shaped me into a practical problem solver who understands how to work with others to get results.
Why I’m Running
I am running for my child, my grandchildren, and for everyone in the 124th District who deserves better representation in Harrisburg. For too long, our communities have been overlooked while politicians put corporate and industry interests ahead of the people they serve.
Our area has struggled for decades, yet billions of taxpayer dollars continue to be handed to profitable industries while families work harder just to get by. I am not bought or paid for by corporations, and I will always put the voices of our small and rural communities first—regardless of party or income.
It’s time for real change and honest representation. Together, we can Be The Change and put the people of PA-124 first.
Website: https://www.burns4pa.com/
John Deatrich
John Deatrich
John Deatrich
Biography
John Deatrich lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Danielle Deatrich, a Nurse at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. They have six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. One is serving abroad in the Air Force; four are currently enrolled in College and Universities, such as the Savannah College of Art and Design, West Virginia University, and
Biography
John Deatrich lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Danielle Deatrich, a Nurse at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. They have six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. One is serving abroad in the Air Force; four are currently enrolled in College and Universities, such as the Savannah College of Art and Design, West Virginia University, and two are attending Penn State University Park. One is a senior at Pottsville High, attends Schuylkill Technology Center, and is planning on attending Penn State Schuylkill. His goal is to become Act 120 Certified and join a local police force.
Deatrich himself, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School and Schuylkill Technology Center, started out in the family business (Deatrich and Son Automotive). Automotive service and shaping a local dirt track racing career led to the creation of his own racing parts and speed shop business. Deatrich turned his sights to a career in teaching in 2002, he finished his coursework and obtained his teaching credentials from Temple University in 2007 graduating with a 3.78 GPA. He has taught Career and Technical Education at both Schuylkill Technology Center, and is currently teaching at Berks Career and Technology Center.
Professionally, Deatrich considers himself first and foremost an educator. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Deatrich found himself taking on extra roles, such as Chief Negotiator for his local PSEA Local Barging Union. He was also elected as the Office President of the PSEA local union and served as a regional delegate representative for PSEA.
Deatrich served as a labor representative during the creation of the Berks County School Employees Health Consortium. As a labor representative, he helped create a self-contained, self-funded healthcare insurance package for all Berks County school employees. This healthcare package improved benefits while lowering in some cases eliminating co pays that from services and procedures. This lowered costs for all stakeholders and ultimately saving Berks County taxpayers.
For two decades he has been an elected official for the Borough of Palo Alto, serving in many facets of its borough government. First, he was the chair of the finance committee, then many years as the borough’s council president where he was responsible to oversee all committees. In the last 5 years, Deatrich has served as the Mayor of Palo Alto. He has played a key role in negotiating several intermunicipal police agreements with multiple municipalities. Deatrich, working with his council, has successfully brought the borough’s police coverage into the 21st century. For the first time in borough history, Palo Alto now has 24/7 police coverage.
Deatrich is very proud of the work he and the council have done to combat blight. They have created tough, strict, second to none ordinances against unsavory landlords with undesirable renting practices, and enforceable quality of life ordinances to improve the health and safety of citizens. Deatrich is proud of the key role he played developing and maintaining partnerships with local business, and unmatched progressive planning to ensure the future of Palo Alto is secure on all fronts
Deatrich lists personal qualities of importance to himself as, honesty, humility, empathy, and availability. Each one as important as the next, especially in the role of State Representative.
Website:
https://www.deatrichforstaterep.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EVdtHNzp9/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Ryan Coleman
John Deatrich
Ryan Coleman
Biography
Ryan Coleman is a lifelong Coal Region native, born and raised in Hegins, Pennsylvania. A proud product of the Tri-Valley community, Ryan understands what it means to grow up in a place where people work hard, look out for their neighbors, and take pride in where they come from.
Ryan has spent 13 years as an educator, currently te
Biography
Ryan Coleman is a lifelong Coal Region native, born and raised in Hegins, Pennsylvania. A proud product of the Tri-Valley community, Ryan understands what it means to grow up in a place where people work hard, look out for their neighbors, and take pride in where they come from.
Ryan has spent 13 years as an educator, currently teaching 9–12 grade Earth Science, and 15 years coaching basketball. He has also served two years on the Tri-Valley School Board, giving him firsthand experience in the decisions that shape our kids’ futures, from classroom funding to building budgets.
After seven years living in the Harrisburg area, Ryan and his family made a deliberate choice to come home. They saw good people leaving and a community that needed fighters to stay and invest in its future, not walk away from it. Now, as the father of a ten-year-old daughter, that decision is more personal than ever. Everything Ryan does is driven by a simple question: what kind of future are we building for her and for every kid growing up in this community? And how do we better support the parents raising them?
Ryan is running for State House because he refuses to sit back while the place he’s raising his daughter falls further behind. The Coal Region deserves a representative who actually lives the same struggles as the people here: rising costs, underfunded schools, vanishing healthcare, and a federal government that treats our communities like an afterthought. He won’t just show up for a photo op, he’ll show up for you. He’ll fight for good-paying jobs, fair school funding, affordable healthcare, protection of 2nd Amendment rights, and against the proposed 7,500-bed ICE mega-facility that threatens to overwhelm Tremont’s water, sewer, and emergency systems.
When he’s not in the classroom or on the campaign trail, Ryan enjoys hunting, fishing, reading, playing video and board games, and traveling with his family.
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