Pennsylvania State Senate District 40 candidate surveys, 2022
From Ballotpedia
This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 40 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
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- Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 40
Rosemary Brown defeated Jennifer Shukaitis in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 40 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rosemary Brown (R) | 55.3 | 53,795 |
 | Jennifer Shukaitis (D)  | 44.7 | 43,557 | |
| Total votes: 97,352 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joel Getz (L)
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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As a solutions-based candidate, it's essential to cut property taxes for those who are unfairly burdened, and to make sure schools have the funding they need to prepare our children equitably for a life of prosperity and productivity.
Clean water means ensuring the proper balance of development and protections. I support commonsense protections for our water and health.
I will work for the working people and businesses to strike a balance in economic development where we have a thriving local economy as well as jobs that support the cost of living.
Clean water means ensuring the proper balance of development and protections. I support commonsense protections for our water and health.
I will work for the working people and businesses to strike a balance in economic development where we have a thriving local economy as well as jobs that support the cost of living.
I am passionate about policy that empowers healthy lifestyles for our children, working folks and older adults. This includes housing that is affordable, access to healthcare, improving roads and bridges as well as expanding broadband, and especially preserving our precious natural resources. My strengths would be best served on committees for the community, economic & recreational development and local government to facilitate improvements by working together with local municipalities to achieve these goals.
I look up to my grandmother and environmental advocate, Nancy Shukaitis. She lived her life with integrity and positivity and nurtured my affinity for education, creativity and service to others. After forming a grass roots organization to protect our community from a federal dam project, she was the first female to be elected Monroe County Commissioner. She worked to preserve the land in what is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area, started our County bus system, and installed solar panels on the county courthouse in 1980. My wish is to carry on her legacy in doing what is right for everyone in our community.
Not that I know of. Perhaps I should write one!
An elected official should be educated and/or informed about government process and issues. An elected official should have characteristics of integrity and the ability to make proper decisions without succumbing to pressures of special interest groups or political party.
I am a hard worker, a team player, reliable, responsive, and someone who enjoys helping others. I have a vast history of life and career perspectives that contribute to my ability to see all sides of an issue and work on complex issues. My passion for making things better and not getting discouraged is perhaps most valuable to being successful.
I believe the core responsibilities in Harrisburg for a state senator are to budget responsibly, legislate for the betterment of the state, create fair taxation policy, and appropriate spending effectively.
I would like to lay the foundation for a future where all Pennsylvanians have opportunities for clean air, clean water, education that leads to fulfilling jobs which pay a livable wage, and a community with amenities of open space, trails and activities for a balanced, healthy lifestyle no matter the season of life.
I would like to see Pennsylvania be an example, with an exemplary credit rating, a balanced budget, an advanced infrastructure and prosperous future.
I remember the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. I was ten years old and in school at the time. Christa McAuliffe was a role model who demonstrated that women can pursue their dreams. While the loss of all our astronauts that day was devastating, their legacy lives on in my heart.
My first job was delivering newspapers for the Pocono Record. I was 12 years old and walked two routes on steep hills for 4 years. I took pride in quietly hand delivering each paper inside the screen door each morning before 6am so each customer didn't have to walk outside and it was there before the sun came up.
Lasting Legacies of the Lower Minisink, written by my grandmother, Nancy Shukaitis, is my favorite book. It highlights the history of the local region and the farms that used to line the Delaware River in what is not the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
I saw the sign
It is a challenge to see others give up because of inequity and insufficient resourcees. Seeing the lines at food pantries, hearing from folks who move away because they can no longer afford to live here, learning about older adults who struggle to pay for their medications, and witnessing the mental health issues that to me can be tackled at their core and for too long have not been addressed.
Ideally the legislature and governor would work together for the best interests of all Pennsylvanians in the short-term as well as for future generations.
The greatest challenges ahead seem to be revenue sourcing, sprawl development, impaired water quality, housing that is affordable for working and older adults, and livable wage jobs.
A unicameral legislature would be potentially be able to enact legislation in a more timely manner and essentially would be more responsive to emergencies, but without checks and balances, laws could be passed without the regard deemed necessary for the fairness of all.
It's definitely important for state legislators to have previous experience in order to be navigate effectively and be productive. Having served as a township supervisor in one of the largest municipalities, I not only understand the process, but also have a deep understanding of what is needed to achieve a symbiosis among all levels of government to coordinate in a more effective manner. Having private sector experience is a beneficial dovetail to coordinating with community organizations and businesses.
Building relationships with other legislators regardless of party affiliation is essential to progressing forward. As a Township Supervisor, our board has developed a dynamic relationship of cooperation and camaraderie. Having mutual respect for one another, communicating respectfully, and a shared goal of making the best decision for everyone has been productive and effective in legislating and decision making.
I favor an independent commission be initiated for redistricting.
My priority committees would be Community, Economic and Recreational Development, Local Government, and Environmental Resources and Energy.
n/a
Various legislators inspire me, but I am an individual who stays true to myself and tend not to mimic others.
I hope to always serve where I am best suited to be.
Recently I spoke with an older adult in Mount Pocono Borough in my district. She told me that her sewer bill is $248 per quarter. She is retired and lives alone. She feels that no one has really helped her. I listened to her and story, and realize that we have a serious concern with overburdening older adults.
Two cows are standing in a pasture on a sunny day. One cow says to the other, "Moo!" The other cow says, "Aw, man, that's what I was going to say!"
In an emergency situation, time is of the essence. We elect a Lieutenant Governor to serve on the board of emergency management. In times of urgency, we should be able to entrust the use of emergency powers to our Governor with the guidance of the Lieutenant Governor. The legislature should find ways to support and guide response efforts.
Compromise is necessary in all aspects of life, but especially in policymaking that involves a broad population. As a township supervisor, our policymaking relies upon listening, respect and compromise.
See also
More about these elections:
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