ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Republican Jarrett Coleman has won Pennsylvania's 16th District Senate seat.
- Republican Jarrett Coleman has won the 16th District Senate seat
- Coleman unseated incumbent Sen. Pat Browne in the Republican primary
- Democrat Mark Pinsley has become a leading voice for progressives in the Lehigh Valley and has focused on civil rights issues on the campaign trail
Democrat Mark Pinsley conceded to Coleman on Wednesday morning in a statement by text message.
"I want to congratulate Senator-Elect Coleman on his victory. I wish he and his family well on their new journey," Pinsley said.
"I also want to thank all of my volunteers. I am so grateful for your tireless hours and support. Now we must help the new government succeed so that all Pennsylvanians can live a better life."
Complete but still unofficial election returns in Lehigh and Bucks counties show Coleman getting 67,910 votes, or 54.3 percent, to Pinsley's 57,171 votes, or 45.7 percent.
Coleman outperformed Pinsley on their home turf of Lehigh County, where Coleman got 38,591 votes to Pinsley's 34,073, according to uncertified results. Coleman won Northampton County, too, with 29,319 votes to Pinsley's 23,098, according to results that will remain unofficial until they are certified.
Coleman was a dark horse candidate who shocked longtime incumbent Sen. Pat Browne in the Republican primary. Browne sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and used his influence to bring the Lehigh Valley millions in funding for local projects.
A member of the Parkland School Board, Coleman unseated him with a campaign that labeled Browne as a career politician whose time had passed.
Coleman has continued his fight against entrenched politicians on the general election campaign trail. He has called for term limits, a gift ban and ending pensions for lawmakers.
He has also called for reshaping the state's education spending, arguing that money should be linked to individual students instead of school districts.
Supporters of school voucher programs have made similar arguments, saying costs will go down by forcing public schools to compete with charter schools, private schools and religious schools. Opponents argue such a system would gut public school districts, especially in poor communities.
Coleman first was elected to the Parkland School Board last year on a campaign criticizing the district's pandemic lockdown policy. He said parents were not given enough input about remote learning, and he opposed mandatory mask rules, saying they were being forced upon families. When the district voted to make masks optional in February, he was the lone no vote, saying students should not have a choice about wearing masks.
Pinsley has become a leading voice for progressives in the Lehigh Valley, calling for more accountability for police and the end of cash bail for non-violent offenders. On the campaign trail, he focused on civil rights issues.
Pinsley has said he would support keeping Pennsylvania's current abortion provisions in place. He has called for legislation that would make it illegal to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community. He has also called for protecting Pennsylvania's election integrity, saying he would be willing to negotiate on voter ID.
The district covers most of Lehigh County's suburbs and the northern half of Bucks County. Republicans hold a slim advantage among registered voters in the district.
