Paul Friel grew up in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from St. Pius X High School and Temple University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He lives in the Owen J. Roberts School District with his wife, Mary, and their four children.

Friel previously served as president and chief executive officer of Swiss Farms, Saxby’s Coffee, and Agle Nutrition. He also owned PACE Environmental, an environmental testing and engineering firm, and has experience in the manufacturing, retail, and environmental sectors.

Friel has served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for District 26 since 2022. He previously served as president of the Owen J. Roberts School Board and unsuccessfully ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2020.

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

ECONOMY
* Support the creation of good-paying jobs in line with community needs
* Prioritize small businesses as we rebuild the economy
* Set a living wage across Pennsylvania and secure paid sick leave
* Balance our budget through closing tax loopholes, not with reckless cuts

Issues | Friends of Paul Friel

Friel says rural communities should be strengthened by investing in infrastructure and making government services available and accessible to everyone in the district.
* Increase access to rural broadband
* Create fair environmental policy & storm-water regulation
* Support land leasing for solar projects

Friel says that agriculture is vital to Pennsylvania and that he is committed to fighting for family farms and local agriculture businesses.
* Protect state agriculture and invest in family farms that grow food we eat vs industrial farms producing crops for federal subsidies

Supports establishing a living wage statewide and securing paid sick leave.

Calls for closing tax loopholes rather than cutting spending to balance Pennsylvania's budget.

Supports expanding access to rural broadband.

Advocates protecting Pennsylvania agriculture and investing in family farms rather than industrial farms producing federally subsidized crops.

- Supports establishing a living wage statewide and securing paid sick leave.
- Calls for closing tax loopholes rather than cutting spending to balance Pennsylvania's budget.
- Supports expanding access to rural broadband.
- Advocates protecting Pennsylvania agriculture and investing in family farms rather than industrial farms producing federally subsidized crops.

Economy

The COVID-19 crisis has clearly demonstrated the weaknesses in our healthcare infrastructure, now is the time to invest in a stronger system for the future.
* Improve healthcare infrastructure and supply, allocating resources for future crises

HEALTHCARE
* Improve healthcare infrastructure and supply, allocating resources for future crises
* Increase treatment for those affected by the opioid epidemic, and invest in addiction prevention
* Find affordable quality long-term solutions for our seniors so that every Pennsylvanian can age with dignity

HEALTHCARE
* Increase treatment for those affected by the opioid epidemic, and invest in addiction prevention
* Find affordable quality long-term solutions for our seniors so that every Pennsylvanian can age with dignity

FAMILY AGRICULTURE & RURAL PENNSYLVANIA
* Support land leasing for solar projects
* Protect state agriculture and invest in family farms that grow food we eat vs industrial farms producing crops for federal subsidies
* Increase access to quality healthcare in rural communities

Supports improving healthcare infrastructure and supplies while allocating resources for future crises.

Supports expanding opioid-use treatment and investing in addiction prevention.

Supports affordable, quality long-term care solutions for older Pennsylvanians.

Supports increasing access to quality healthcare in rural communities.

- Supports improving healthcare infrastructure and supplies while allocating resources for future crises.
- Supports expanding opioid-use treatment and investing in addiction prevention.
- Supports affordable, quality long-term care solutions for older Pennsylvanians.
- Supports increasing access to quality healthcare in rural communities.

Healthcare

EDUCATION
As a member of the Owen J. Roberts School Board and public school parent, Paul is passionate about education. He will pursue full and fair funding for school districts and work to close the budget gaps that place children of color and children in poor communities at a disadvantage.

Friel is an advocate for increasing investment in higher education so students can attend college without going into crippling debt.
* Increase accessibility and affordability of higher education

Plans to pursue full and fair school-district funding and close budget gaps affecting students of color and students in low-income communities.

Supports making higher education more accessible and affordable.

- Plans to pursue full and fair school-district funding and close budget gaps affecting students of color and students in low-income communities.
- Supports making higher education more accessible and affordable.

Education

ENVIRONMENT
* Transition from fossil fuels toward renewable energy by removing state subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and making renewable energy competitive
* Investments in green infrastructure and renewable energy sources like wind and solar that create good-paying manufacturing jobs here in Pennsylvania and opportunities for our rural economies with jobs that can’t be outsourced or offshored

ENVIRONMENT
Paul is dedicated to protecting the well-being of communities and will work for policies that support open spaces, along with clean air and water.
* Prioritize open spaces, clean air and water for all our communities

ENVIRONMENT
* Incentivize green jobs to reduce pollution and make energy more efficient in homes
* Streamline and simplify government regulations to ensure that Pennsylvania companies are complying with environmental regulations using the latest technologies

ENVIRONMENT
* Incentivize green jobs to reduce pollution and make energy more efficient in homes
* Streamline and simplify government regulations to ensure that Pennsylvania companies are complying with environmental regulations using the latest technologies
* Work to phase out single use plastics

ENVIRONMENT
* Streamline and simplify government regulations to ensure that Pennsylvania companies are complying with environmental regulations using the latest technologies
* Work to phase out single use plastics

Friel says rural communities should be strengthened by investing in infrastructure and making government services available and accessible to everyone in the district.
* Create fair environmental policy & storm-water regulation
* Support land leasing for solar projects

FAMILY AGRICULTURE & RURAL PENNSYLVANIA
* Create fair environmental policy & storm-water regulation
* Support land leasing for solar projects
* Protect state agriculture and invest in family farms that grow food we eat vs industrial farms producing crops for federal subsidies

Supports investments in green infrastructure and wind and solar energy to create Pennsylvania manufacturing and rural jobs.

Prioritizes policies supporting open spaces and clean air and water in Pennsylvania communities.

Supports incentives for green jobs to reduce pollution and improve home energy efficiency.

Supports streamlining environmental regulations so Pennsylvania companies can use current compliance technologies.

Supports phasing out single-use plastics.

Supports fair environmental policy and stormwater regulation.

Supports leasing land for solar projects.

- Supports investments in green infrastructure and wind and solar energy to create Pennsylvania manufacturing and rural jobs.
- Prioritizes policies supporting open spaces and clean air and water in Pennsylvania communities.
- Supports incentives for green jobs to reduce pollution and improve home energy efficiency.
- Supports streamlining environmental regulations so Pennsylvania companies can use current compliance technologies.
- Supports phasing out single-use plastics.
- Supports fair environmental policy and stormwater regulation.
- Supports leasing land for solar projects.

Energy & the Environment

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

Public Safety

GOOD GOVERNANCE
He’s committed to making voting easier and more accessible, and knows we must allow communities to vote together and stop them from being split up for partisan interests.
* Make voting and voter registration more accessible

GOOD GOVERNANCE
* Establish term limits for legislators for greater accountability and responsiveness
* Make voting and voter registration more accessible
* Support common-sense reforms like “No budget, no Pay” to ensure that state budgets are passed on time

Supports making voting and voter registration more accessible.

Supports a "No budget, no Pay" reform to encourage Pennsylvania to pass state budgets on time.

- Supports making voting and voter registration more accessible.
- Supports a "No budget, no Pay" reform to encourage Pennsylvania to pass state budgets on time.

Voting & Elections

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Paul Friel

Supports increased oversight and regulation of charter schools, particularly cyber charter schools.

Edward Krutsch

Buket Urgen

EDUCATION
* Increase funding and deliver equitable school funding
* Address high local property taxes
* Enact more oversight and regulation of charter schools, particularly cyber charters
* Increase accessibility and affordability of higher education

Samantha Horosky

- 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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