Biographical Information
COUNTY
Columbia
OCCUPATION
Self Employed. Property management
EDUCATION
BA Business Management
QUALIFICATIONS
5 years on the Bloomsburg Area School Board (2 as president), 6 years on Bloomsburg Town Council (4 as Mayor), Involved member of various community groups.

VOTE411 Candidate Detail: Justin C. Hummel

Justin C. Hummel earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management.

Pennsylvania State Representative District 109 - VOTE411.org

Justin Hummel of Bloomsburg, PA, and owner of the bar “The Study” on Main Street, is running for mayor of Bloomsburg, PA.

Justin Hummel, owner of The Study Bar, talks mayoral bid

Justin C. Hummel is self-employed in property management and owns The Study, a bar on Main Street in Bloomsburg.

Justin Hummel, Owner of The Study Bar Talks Mayoral Bid - The Voice

BLOOMSBURG — Democratic Bloomsburg Mayor Justin Hummel intends to challenge state Republican Rep. Robert Leadbeter.

Hummel, who has served as mayor since 2022, announced his bid last week for the 109th Legislative District of the Pennsylvania House of Represenatives, which encompasses all of Columbia County.

Bloomsburg mayor Justin Hummel seeks state seat

Justin currently serves as mayor of Bloomsburg, a position he has held since 2022. He has served six years on Bloomsburg Town Council and five years on the Bloomsburg Area School Board.

Bloomsburg Mayor Justin Hummel seeks state seat - The News-Item

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

Jobs & Economic Opportunity
Columbia County is well-positioned for growth. With access to major highways, water, and infrastructure, Justin will work to attract new industries, support local employers, and create good-paying jobs—while strengthening the tax base so costs don’t keep rising on residents.

Issues and Priorities | Hummel for the 109th

Supporting Good-Paying Jobs
Growing our economy starts with rewarding employers who invest in their workers. That means:

* Incentivizing higher wages through targeted tax breaks

* Making sure state grants go to companies that create jobs and grow the local tax base

* Attracting new industries while supporting the employers already here

Supporting Working Families & Caregivers
A strong workforce depends on strong families. Justin supports:

* Increased support for child care services

* Restoring and strengthening protections for family caregivers

* Better funding for Area Agency on Aging services

Connecting People to Jobs & Care
Access matters—especially in rural communities. Justin will work to:

* Expand rural transportation options like shared transit and route-based systems

* Improve access to jobs, healthcare, and essential services

* Support long-term solutions that better connect communities across the 109th

Protecting Farms & Strengthening Local Agriculture
Farming is a cornerstone of our local economy. Justin supports:

* Accountability in farm funding and loan programs to ensure resources are used as intended

* Expanding local purchasing—connecting farms with schools, hospitals, and other institutions

* Reducing barriers for small-scale processing and butchering to strengthen local food systems

* Prioritizing small and diverse farms, not just large operations

Plans to attract industries, support local employers, and create good-paying jobs while strengthening the local tax base.

Supports targeted tax breaks for employers that raise wages and state grants for companies that create jobs and grow the local tax base.

Supports increased child-care services, stronger protections for family caregivers, and better funding for Area Agency on Aging services.

Plans to expand rural shared transit and route-based transportation systems to improve access to jobs, health care, and essential services.

Supports accountability in farm funding, local purchasing from farms, reduced barriers to small-scale processing, and prioritizing small and diverse farms.

- Plans to attract industries, support local employers, and create good-paying jobs while strengthening the local tax base.
- Supports targeted tax breaks for employers that raise wages and state grants for companies that create jobs and grow the local tax base.
- Supports increased child-care services, stronger protections for family caregivers, and better funding for Area Agency on Aging services.
- Plans to expand rural shared transit and route-based transportation systems to improve access to jobs, health care, and essential services.
- Supports accountability in farm funding, local purchasing from farms, reduced barriers to small-scale processing, and prioritizing small and diverse farms.

Economy

Lowering Healthcare Costs
Healthcare is one of the biggest pressures on families and local governments. Justin will:

* Support efforts to expand access and reduce costs through broader risk pools and smarter state policy

* Advocate for solutions that lower costs for schools, municipalities, and small employers

* Push for better access to care close to home, so residents aren’t forced to travel far outside the region

Access to Care & Continuity
Too often, people fall through the cracks after receiving care. Justin will work to:

* Improve access to medications and follow-up care

* Address barriers like transportation and cost

* Keep people stable and supported in their communities

Plans to support policies that expand health-care access, reduce costs, and increase the availability of care close to home.

Plans to improve access to medications and follow-up care while addressing transportation and cost barriers.

- Plans to support policies that expand health-care access, reduce costs, and increase the availability of care close to home.
- Plans to improve access to medications and follow-up care while addressing transportation and cost barriers.

Healthcare

Fair Funding for Schools & Taxpayers
Rising costs shouldn’t keep falling on local families. Justin supports:

* Solar for Schools to help districts reduce long-term energy costs

What do you see as the most pressing issues facing residents of your district, and how would you address them?
The 109th district encompasses all of Columbia County. Due to our proximity to the nuclear power plant, Data Centers are a real concern citizens have. We also suffer from some significant PFAS contamination from decades ago. I would work with local municipalities to find solutions that fit the needs of residents being impacted by both these issues. We also need to be making better investments into public schools and public transportation in rural areas like the 109th.

Fair Funding for Schools & Taxpayers
Rising costs shouldn’t keep falling on local families. Justin supports:

* Charter school reform to protect public school funding

Fair Funding for Schools & Taxpayers
Rising costs shouldn’t keep falling on local families. Justin supports:

* Special education funding reform so districts aren’t left carrying unpredictable financial burdens

Building the Workforce Pipeline
We need more opportunities for young people to build careers here. Justin supports:

* Expanding career and technical education (vo-tech) programs

* Creating pathways to skilled trades and blue-collar careers

* Investing until programs can meet demand and eliminate waitlists

Supports Solar for Schools to reduce districts’ long-term energy costs.

Calls for greater investment in public schools in rural areas, including District 109.

Supports charter school reform to protect public-school funding.

Supports reforming special-education funding so districts do not bear unpredictable financial burdens.

Supports expanding career and technical education, skilled-trades pathways, and program investment to eliminate waitlists.

- Supports Solar for Schools to reduce districts’ long-term energy costs.
- Calls for greater investment in public schools in rural areas, including District 109.
- Supports charter school reform to protect public-school funding.
- Supports reforming special-education funding so districts do not bear unpredictable financial burdens.
- Supports expanding career and technical education, skilled-trades pathways, and program investment to eliminate waitlists.

Education

Smart Growth & Responsible Development
New opportunities—like data centers—must be approached thoughtfully. Justin supports better planning at the county level and making sure concerns about water use, energy demand, noise, and long-term impact are addressed before decisions are made.

Local Voice, Real Authority
Communities deserve a real say in decisions that affect their land, water, and future. That means clearer guidance from the state, better access to zoning information, and stronger local control—so municipalities aren’t left navigating complex decisions like data center development on their own.

Should the state legislature enact laws concerning the impacts on water, energy, or land use from the development and operation of data centers? Would state regulation of data center development and operation interfere with the authority of municipalities to establish ordinances under the MPC (Municipal Planning Code)?
Yes. This is a complex subject and it raises issues we need to be discussing in a non-partisan manner. I think local municipalities should have the most control over what operates in their communities.

In Columbia County and across the 109th, our farms, small businesses, and skilled trades aren’t separate issues — they’re all part of how our communities make a living.
Protecting local jobs means:
• Preserving working farms
• Supporting agritourism and farm markets
• Encouraging farmer-first solar solutions
• Investing in workforce development and skilled trades
• Supporting small businesses
• Creating opportunities that keep young people here
When local businesses succeed and farms stay in production, our communities stay strong.

Pillars | Hummel for the 109th

Plans to work with local municipalities on solutions for residents affected by data centers and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination.

Supports county-level planning that addresses data centers’ water use, energy demand, noise, and long-term effects before decisions are made.

Supports clearer state guidance, zoning information, and stronger local control over land-use decisions, including data-center development.

Supports farmer-first solar solutions while preserving working farms.

- Plans to work with local municipalities on solutions for residents affected by data centers and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination.
- Supports county-level planning that addresses data centers’ water use, energy demand, noise, and long-term effects before decisions are made.
- Supports clearer state guidance, zoning information, and stronger local control over land-use decisions, including data-center development.
- Supports farmer-first solar solutions while preserving working farms.

Energy & the Environment

Support for First Responders
The people who protect our communities deserve support. Justin backs:

* The HOME Act to provide property tax relief for volunteer firefighters and first responders

* Collective purchasing at the state level to help departments afford essential equipment without inflated costs

Solutions That Prevent, Not Just Respond
Programs like the co-responder partnership with CMSU are already working—pairing law enforcement with mental health professionals to step in early. Justin supports expanding these efforts to:

* Prevent crises before they escalate

* Reduce repeat calls and strain on police

* Connect people to help instead of the justice system

Supporting the People on the Front Lines
Our police and first responders are being asked to do more than ever. That means:

* Competitive wages and time off to retain officers locally

* Practical, day-to-day training that reflects the calls they respond to most

* Access to the equipment they actually use, not just high-cost tools that rarely leave storage

Addressing Addiction at the Root
The only way to reduce addiction is to reduce demand. That means making sure people can access real help when they need it—through treatment, recovery support, and community-based resources.

Public Safety, Mental Health, and Addiction

Public safety isn’t just about enforcement — it’s about prevention.
When mental health and addiction go untreated, police are asked to fill gaps they weren’t meant to handle. We can do better by investing in treatment, recovery, and support systems that reduce crises and keep communities safer.

Supports the HOME Act, which would provide property-tax relief for volunteer firefighters and first responders, and state-level collective purchasing of department equipment.

Supports expanding co-responder programs that pair law enforcement with mental-health professionals to prevent crises and connect people with help.

Calls for competitive wages, time off, practical training, and useful equipment for police and first responders.

Supports addiction treatment, recovery support, and community-based resources to reduce demand and prevent crises.

- Supports the HOME Act, which would provide property-tax relief for volunteer firefighters and first responders, and state-level collective purchasing of department equipment.
- Supports expanding co-responder programs that pair law enforcement with mental-health professionals to prevent crises and connect people with help.
- Calls for competitive wages, time off, practical training, and useful equipment for police and first responders.
- Supports addiction treatment, recovery support, and community-based resources to reduce demand and prevent crises.

Public Safety

What are your thoughts on the state budget process? What changes, if any, would you support so that the budget is enacted in a timely manner?
I know that not all representatives can afford to not be paid, but I think that if the state budget doesn't get passed by a particular time then no one on the state payroll should be getting compensated. Crafting a budget that others rely upon is what we send people to Harrisburg to do.

What changes, if any, would you support to enable better access, ensure security, and support the processes of our elections?
Our elections are secure. I have concerns about changes to the postal system impacting mail in voting, but I support increased access to all eligible voters.

Showing Up & Staying Accessible
Representation starts with being available. Justin is committed to:

* Holding regular office hours and drop-in opportunities across the 109th

* Attending local meetings, events, and community gatherings

* Making it easy for residents to reach out and be heard

Clear Communication & Transparency
People deserve to know what’s happening and why. Justin is committed to:

* Sharing updates through community meetings, online forums, and regular communication

* Explaining decisions clearly—not just announcing them

* Creating more opportunities for two-way conversations, not just one-way updates

Supports withholding compensation from state payroll employees if the state budget misses a specified deadline.

Says elections are secure and supports increased voting access for all eligible voters.

Commits to regular office hours, local meetings, and opportunities for District 109 residents to be heard.

Commits to communicate through community meetings and online forums, explain decisions clearly, and create two-way conversations with residents.

- Supports withholding compensation from state payroll employees if the state budget misses a specified deadline.
- Says elections are secure and supports increased voting access for all eligible voters.
- Commits to regular office hours, local meetings, and opportunities for District 109 residents to be heard.
- Commits to communicate through community meetings and online forums, explain decisions clearly, and create two-way conversations with residents.

Voting & Elections

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Justin C Hummel

- Supports charter school reform to protect public-school funding.
- Supports reforming special-education funding so districts do not bear unpredictable financial burdens.
- Supports expanding career and technical education, skilled-trades pathways, and program investment to eliminate waitlists.

- Supports county-level planning that addresses data centers’ water use, energy demand, noise, and long-term effects before decisions are made.
- Supports clearer state guidance, zoning information, and stronger local control over land-use decisions, including data-center development.
- Supports farmer-first solar solutions while preserving working farms.

- Supports expanding co-responder programs that pair law enforcement with mental-health professionals to prevent crises and connect people with help.
- Calls for competitive wages, time off, practical training, and useful equipment for police and first responders.
- Supports addiction treatment, recovery support, and community-based resources to reduce demand and prevent crises.

- Commits to regular office hours, local meetings, and opportunities for District 109 residents to be heard.
- Commits to communicate through community meetings and online forums, explain decisions clearly, and create two-way conversations with residents.

Edward Krutsch

Buket Urgen

Robert Leadbeter

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws, including introducing tax bills. 
- State representatives and their staff respond to constituent concerns and questions through emails, phone calls, and website announcements. 
- State representatives oversee the executive branch and can vote to overrule a veto by the Governor.  
- They are elected to two-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase

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