2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

John Deatrich

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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 Lackawanna College for Criminal Justice. He has been accepted into the Act 120 police training program. Deatrich himself, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School and Schuylkill Technology Center, obtained his teaching credentials at Temple University. While he 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. Deatrich turned his sights to a career in teaching in 2002. He has taught career and technical education at both Schuylkill Technology Center and is currently teaching at Berks Career and Technology Center.

News | John Deatrich for State Representative

John Deatrich graduated from Pottsville Area High School and Schuylkill Technology Center and obtained teaching credentials at Temple University.

John Deatrich currently teaches career and technical education at Berks Career and Technology Center. He previously taught career and technical education at Schuylkill Technology Center, worked in the family business, Deatrich and Son Automotive, and opened a racing parts and speed shop.

I became a career and technology teacher at Schuylkill Technology Center in 2002. Then a new position at Berks Career and Technology Center in 2007. Around that same time I was elected to council in Palo Alto, served as Finance Chairman, then council president. The last 6 years I’ve been in the position of Mayor of Palo Alto. Having been in many positions over the last couple decades has afforded me a plethora of experience in public service.

Meet John | John Deatrich for State Representative

John has served as mayor of Palo Alto for the past six years. He was previously elected to the Palo Alto council.

INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR

John supports fair funding for infrastructure repair. Allocated funding for road repair does not reflect additional commercial traffic since the construction of warehouses in this district.

CHILD CARE REFORM

Issues | John Deatrich for State Representative

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 believe legislators should have the budget completed on time, every year, period. That is their job. If they fail to do that, they should never dare vote to give themselves a pay increase as they have done in the past.

Vote411 Candidate Detail: John Deatrich

In fact, if the budget is not be finalized beyond 60 days. I would sponsor, or support, legislation that legislators pay to be frozen. I don't think they should be getting a pay check if their failure to do their job is affecting the lives of so many people that elected them to their positions.

Supports infrastructure funding that accounts for warehouse-related commercial traffic on local roads.

Calls for the state budget to be completed on time and opposes legislator pay increases when it is delayed.

Would sponsor or support freezing legislators’ pay if the state budget remains unfinished beyond 60 days.

- Supports infrastructure funding that accounts for warehouse-related commercial traffic on local roads.
- Calls for the state budget to be completed on time and opposes legislator pay increases when it is delayed.
- Would sponsor or support freezing legislators’ pay if the state budget remains unfinished beyond 60 days.

Economy

As of October 16, 2026, John Deatrich’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Healthcare

CHILD CARE REFORM

Rebalance of the current child care assistance program. Before or after school day care assistance for working parents earning a wage above the poverty line. More hours worked earns more childcare credit and assistance. Less hours worked requires less outside childcare assistance.

Proposes restructuring child care assistance for working parents above the poverty line based on hours worked.

- Proposes restructuring child care assistance for working parents above the poverty line based on hours worked.

Education

These are serious questions, and if not done correctly, our residents and future generations will be forced to live with the consequences indefinitely. The wave of developers, and the speed in which they move, must be stopped until laws and regulations can be formulated using a common sense, equitable, and fair solution that defines PA's future in Tech.

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. The state should carry the burden of law and its enforcement of safety, protecting citizens’ quality of life, natural resources, the grid, regulation and oversite that data centers are lowering cost of energy, and infrastructure. In that order.

Additionally, the state should observe the individual and uniqueness of each situation and allow for local municipalities and or Planning/Zoning to create their own specific ordinances that state law may not address. The Department of Environmental Protection must be a stakeholder in the process as well and have sufficient power to stop operations without notice until violations or valid issues are addressed.

Calls for the Department of Environmental Protection to suspend data-center operations over violations or valid issues.

Additionally, the state should observe the individual and uniqueness of each situation and allow for local municipalities and or Planning/Zoning to create their own specific ordinances that state law may not address. The Department of Environmental Protection must be a stakeholder in the process as well and have sufficient power to stop operations without notice until violations or valid issues are addressed. No fines, no appeals, cease or limited operations until issues are addressed.

Calls for pausing data-center development until laws and regulations are established.

Supports state data-center regulations that protect residents, natural resources, the electric grid, energy costs, and infrastructure.

Supports allowing municipalities to enact data-center ordinances not addressed by state law.

- Calls for pausing data-center development until laws and regulations are established.
- Supports state data-center regulations that protect residents, natural resources, the electric grid, energy costs, and infrastructure.
- Supports allowing municipalities to enact data-center ordinances not addressed by state law.

Energy & the Environment

Public Safety

What changes, if any, would you support to enable better access, ensure security, and support the processes of our elections?
Everyone must believe in our voting system. If people think the election process is compromised, it will decrease the number of people voting. That is an attack on our democracy. How voting is done, first in this state, has to be a bi-partisan effort.

How voting is done, first in this state, has to be a bi-partisan effort. PA has a secure voting system. Remove the politics, and scare tactics from this process and lets allow PA to set the gold standard for what the election process should look like for the entire country.

Said Pennsylvania has a secure voting system and calls for bipartisan election policy without political “scare tactics.”

- Said Pennsylvania has a secure voting system and calls for bipartisan election policy without political “scare tactics.”

Voting & Elections

Tim Twardzik

- 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

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives