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Zachary Moore (Pennsylvania State Senate candidate)
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Zachary Moore (Libertarian Party) ran in a special election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 36. He lost in the special general election on March 25, 2025.
Moore completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Zachary Moore was born in Hagerstown, Maryland. He earned a high school diploma from South Western High School and a bachelor's degree from the Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 2017. His career experience includes working as a GIS professional, analyst, and educator. He has been affiliated with the Libertarian Party of Lancaster County Pennsylvania, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, and the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: Pennsylvania state legislative special elections, 2025
General election
Special general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 36
James Malone defeated Josh Parsons and Zachary Moore in the special general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 36 on March 25, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Malone (D) | 50.0 | 27,034 |
| Josh Parsons (R) | 49.1 | 26,508 | ||
 | Zachary Moore (L)  | 0.9 | 483 | |
| Total votes: 54,025 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Moore in this election.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Zachary Moore completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Moore's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am Zachary Moore, a GIS Analyst living in Mount Joy. Professionally, I provide technical support and data consulting to a number of local and regional agencies. I am running for PA Senate in the 36th District because the two major political parties in this country have done a terrible job governing, creating a contentious environment, pitting neighbors against each other, and passing legislation which threatens the civil liberties we hold most dear, all for their own selfish gain.
- Pennsylvania's funding structure relies entirely too much on revenues generated from local real estate taxes. I want to push for a restructure of how we fund our public school system that removes much of the local real estate tax burden, shifts the balance of funding back to the state, and removes earmarked funding for special purposes. Districts should receive funding based on the number of students they serve, not by how much property tax is collected in their municipalities. We can lower operating costs, ensure teachers are paid fairly, and improve education quality by providing school choice for families and enrollment-based funding for public schools.
- Pennsylvania has one of the most bloated and highly paid state legislatures in the country. This is wasteful and has proven highly inefficient. The way our representative and senate district lines are drawn is still riddled with gerrymandering. Unequal ballot access requirements and an outdated plurality voting method make a mockery of our elections. Major party leadership is only interested in remaining in power and getting as rich as possible in the process. Washington warned us of this in his farewell address, and here we are. I want to make political races more competitive so that voters are able to more easily remove elected officials that have done a poor job, regardless of their standing within a party.
- Our state has been steadily declining in key rankings nationwide. That means that although our cost of living is steadily on the rise, what we get for it and what we can plan on getting for it in the future are steadily declining. Pennsylvania needs to play some catch-up. We need to strip away the practice of spending public funds on failing policies, put resources into fueling a free and welcoming economy, and secure the futures of Pennsylvanian jobs and homes. To do so, I want to increase government transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. Every year, our state adopts another complex, expensive, and ineffectual budget, filled with pork and legal loopholes. I want it to stop.
Economy, Education, Public Safety, Infrastructure, Liberty
Read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, or just study Nick Offerman's character in Parks and Recreation, and you'll get the gist.
Honesty, Responsibility, Intellect, Honor
Leadership, Integrity, Empathy, Technical Proficiency, Adaptability, and Communication Skills
To represent all citizens of the 36th District. To listen to their concerns, answer their questions, inform them of important information. To make informed and principled decisions when sponsoring, advocating for, or voting on legislation. To advocate for policy that will benefit the district without causing harm elsewhere.
I want to leave things better than I found them, wherever I go.
9/11. I was in 7th grade.
I was a lifeguard for a summer camp when I was 16.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It's just one of those stories that is told with a balance of gritty perspective and whimsy that sucks you in and keeps you thinking.
'You Can Call Me Al' by Paul Simon. The bass is just excellent.
I struggle with ADHD. It is both superpower and kryptonite.
One of balance and respect.
Pennsylvania faces major issues with housing, infrastructure, education, economic growth and opportunity, air and water quality, and threats to agricultural resources.
Not necessarily. I think previous experiences in most sectors are going to provide some perspective. It's that personal perspective that allows people to make conscious and principled decisions. Having only political insiders is much more dangerous than bringing in fresh ideas, especially when things are not going so well.
Yes. As long as the focus of the job remains on serving the constituency, and I think it's almost impossible to do so without building some kind of relationship with other legislators.
Calvin Coolidge
I want to improve the place I call home, and I aspire to just do the best I can at whatever job is in front of me at the moment. I think running for another office would be interesting, but this is the one I am running for right now. If I win and I do a good job and my family is alright with it, maybe I would consider something else.
Every single person has a story, a memory that means something to them. I think it's all a matter of perspective, but everyone feels. Everyone goes through some things. I think it's important to try to see each person's story as impactful and consider things from their perspective. Even if you don't understand their perspective or don't agree with it, you can learn something from it. Even if their story horrifies or disturbs you, it can be a moment to grow.
I think granting emergency powers has proven to be a bit of a slippery slope. The point of checks and balances between the legislature and the executive is to ensure no branch gains too much power. The idea behind emergency powers seems wise, but there aren't enough safety measures in place to ensure the balance of government following an emergency.
It would change the funding structure of public schools to reduce local real estate tax burdens and equalize state funding for schools based on enrollment.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Appropriations, Communications and Technology, Education, Environmental Resources and Energy, Institutional Sustainability and Innovation, Intergovernmental Operations, Judiciary, Labor and Industry, Law and Justice, Local Government, State Government, Transportation, Urban Affairs and Housing, Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
Transparency and accountability are essential. Any government without these elements lacks integrity and has no right to exist.
I will not argue against the direct will of the people, although I think all ballots should use a combined approval method of voting instead of the terrible plurality method we use now.
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.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 7, 2025
Current members of the Pennsylvania State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Joe Pittman
Minority Leader:Jay Costa
Senators
District 1
Nikil Saval (D)
District 2
District 3
Sharif Street (D)
District 4
Art Haywood (D)
District 5
Joe Picozzi (R)
District 6
Frank Farry (R)
District 7
Vincent Hughes (D)
District 8
Anthony Williams (D)
District 9
John Kane (D)
District 10
District 11
Judy Schwank (D)
District 12
Maria Collett (D)
District 13
Scott Martin (R)
District 14
Nick Miller (D)
District 15
Patty Kim (D)
District 16
Jarrett Coleman (R)
District 17
District 18
Lisa Boscola (D)
District 19
Carolyn Comitta (D)
District 20
Lisa Baker (R)
District 21
Scott Hutchinson (R)
District 22
Martin Flynn (D)
District 23
Gene Yaw (R)
District 24
Tracy Pennycuick (R)
District 25
Cris Dush (R)
District 26
Timothy Kearney (D)
District 27
Lynda Culver (R)
District 28
District 29
David Argall (R)
District 30
Judith Ward (R)
District 31
Dawn Keefer (R)
District 32
Patrick Stefano (R)
District 33
Doug Mastriano (R)
District 34
Greg Rothman (R)
District 35
Wayne Langerholc (R)
District 36
James Malone (D)
District 37
Devlin Robinson (R)
District 38
Lindsey Williams (D)
District 39
Kim Ward (R)
District 40
Rosemary Brown (R)
District 41
Joe Pittman (R)
District 42
Wayne Fontana (D)
District 43
Jay Costa (D)
District 44
Katie Muth (D)
District 45
Nick Pisciottano (D)
District 46
District 47
Elder Vogel (R)
District 48
Chris Gebhard (R)
District 49
Daniel Laughlin (R)
District 50
Michele Brooks (R)
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (23)
