Joshua Deering (Ind)

COUNTY
Lancaster

OCCUPATION
Quality Engineer

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, College of Agriculture, Penn State University

QUALIFICATIONS
8.5 years of municipal goverment, current Borough Council VP; 10 years on Mount Joy Borough Planning Commission, current Chair; experience in Agriculture field; community advocate

Pennsylvania State Representative District 98 Voter Guide | VOTE411

Before serving on Borough Council, Deering was a key organizer of a group committed to rebuilding the Kids Joy Land playground in Mount Joy that had been destroyed by arson in 2012.

Mount Joy independent adds name to ballot for 98th House District in Lancaster County

Joshua Deering earned a Bachelor of Science from Penn State University's College of Agriculture. He helped organize a group that worked to rebuild the Kids Joy Land playground in Mount Joy after it was destroyed by arson in 2012.

Pennsylvania State Representative District 98 - VOTE411.org

Mount Joy independent adds name to ballot for 98th House District ...

Joshua Deering earned a Bachelor of Science from Penn State University's College of Agriculture. 

Deering has worked in agriculture, egg processing at Kreider and Esbenshade Farms, and manufacturing and operations at RR Donnelley.

Deering’s run for Pennsylvania State Representative in District 98 is not his first run for elected office, as he was previously been elected to Mount Joy Borough Council.

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

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 there should be more transperancy in the budget process. The budget has become a bargaining tool for the two major parties with too many last minute deals. Use realistic revenue projections based on previous years unless a new revenue stream that has passed is coming.

Property tax relief should focus first on people’s primary homes, seniors, and working families. At the same time, Pennsylvania has to address the underlying reason property taxes keep increasing—too much of the cost of education and state mandates continues to fall on local taxpayers. We need to look at the rising cost of special education and how the state could help reduce pressure on local residents.

Josh on the Issues | Deering for PA

Municipalities and school districts are required to comply with numerous state laws and requirements. While the end goal may be a worthy cause, all too often, the state does not provide enough, or sometimes any, funding to cover the expense of enacting these policies. This results on the local tax base filling that need. I would support having the state evaluate the financial impact of new mandates and provide the funding to implement them. If the state mandates it, the state should help fund it.

Small businesses are the backbone of a community. We need to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining reasonable worker, consumer, and environmental protections.

Supports greater transparency and realistic revenue projections in Pennsylvania's budget process.

Supports property-tax relief focused on primary homes, seniors, and working families while reducing education and state-mandate costs borne by local taxpayers.

Supports requiring the state to assess and help fund the costs of new mandates on municipalities and school districts.

Advocates for reducing unnecessary regulations while maintaining worker, consumer, and environmental protections.

- Supports greater transparency and realistic revenue projections in Pennsylvania's budget process.
- Supports property-tax relief focused on primary homes, seniors, and working families while reducing education and state-mandate costs borne by local taxpayers.
- Supports requiring the state to assess and help fund the costs of new mandates on municipalities and school districts.
- Advocates for reducing unnecessary regulations while maintaining worker, consumer, and environmental protections.

Economy

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

Healthcare

I like to hope that everyone wants a strong public education system. I feel all students deserve a quality education. The dollars spent on education need to make it to the classroom and teachers. Education should prepare students for life, not just graduation. We need strong academics, strong career and technical programs, safe schools, quality teachers that are fairly compensated and accountability for taxpayer dollars.

We also need to look at cyber schools. I believe that virtual learning fills a necessary role. Families should continue to have access to cyber education, but taxpayers should pay what it actually costs to provide that education. Cyber charter funding should be fair, transparent, and consistent so local homeowners are not paying more than necessary through their property taxes.

Cyber charter funding should be fair, transparent, and consistent so local homeowners are not paying more than necessary through their property taxes. Currently, the home school district sends the same amount of dollars it would spend on a student to the charter school while the charter schools cost to educate that student are lower. The funding formula needs to be looked at and this would reduce the pressure on local residents. I also think other districts could model after Donegal and create their own virtual academy, which gives families an option to keep the student in the current district.

Supports directing education funding to classrooms and teachers, strong academics and career programs, safe schools, fair teacher pay, and taxpayer accountability.

Supports continued family access to cyber education and fair, transparent funding based on its actual costs.

Proposes that school districts create virtual academies modeled on Donegal's to give families an in-district option.

- Supports directing education funding to classrooms and teachers, strong academics and career programs, safe schools, fair teacher pay, and taxpayer accountability.
- Supports continued family access to cyber education and fair, transparent funding based on its actual costs.
- Proposes that school districts create virtual academies modeled on Donegal's to give families an in-district option.

Education

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, I support state legislation that would delay data center development until local municpalities have time to update their zoning laws. We need smart, responsibile development. Residents should not subsidize it or sacrifice their quality of life for it. If a data center wants to come to PA, it should pay its own way and be a good neighbor. The state should look to regulate statewide issues but municipalities need to be able to maintain local land use control.

We must have a dependable power supply and prevent the costs of major new energy users from being shifted onto households and small businesses. Pennsylvania’s current data-center policy requires developers seeking state support to bear the costs of new electric infrastructure associated with their projects.

Our current way of doing things is not working, so something needs done. Let’s think outside the box and come up with a commonsense funding mechanism. We need to reduce the pressure on property owners and those persons on a fixed income. Utility costs have skyrocketed over the last several years. New industry should incorporate the infrastructure costs to operate rather than shift the burden to residents and there should be policies for renewable energy to help with the strain on the grid and the eventual decline of the fossil fuels.

I support responsible well-planned growth while accounting for current projects. You can’t get a study when there are multiple projects working or already started and then do more growth until you see the effects and outcome of what has already been approved. 
We need to prioritize protecting farmland, community character, water resources, and local infrastructure. There also needs to be a more holistic regional planning approach—just because an invisible line separates a municipality does not mean the impact from a project won’t have a direct effect on your neighbor.

I support protecting streams, groundwater, open space, parks, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Environmental protection and strong economic activity are not mutually exclusive

Supports delaying data-center development until municipalities can update zoning laws and retain local land-use control.

Supports requiring major new energy users and industries to bear their infrastructure costs rather than shifting them to households and small businesses.

Supports renewable-energy policies to reduce strain on the electric grid and prepare for declining fossil fuels.

Prioritizes protecting farmland, community character, water resources, and local infrastructure through regional planning for growth.

Supports protecting water resources, open space, parks, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation alongside economic activity.

- Supports delaying data-center development until municipalities can update zoning laws and retain local land-use control.
- Supports requiring major new energy users and industries to bear their infrastructure costs rather than shifting them to households and small businesses.
- Supports renewable-energy policies to reduce strain on the electric grid and prepare for declining fossil fuels.
- Prioritizes protecting farmland, community character, water resources, and local infrastructure through regional planning for growth.
- Supports protecting water resources, open space, parks, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation alongside economic activity.

Energy & the Environment

I support police, fire departments, EMS, and volunteer emergency organizations, particularly as communities grow. One of the greatest assets to a community is their volunteer fire department, but getting volunteers is becoming much more difficult, and must be addressed.

Supports police, fire departments, emergency medical services, and volunteer emergency organizations, including addressing volunteer-firefighter recruitment challenges.

- Supports police, fire departments, emergency medical services, and volunteer emergency organizations, including addressing volunteer-firefighter recruitment challenges.

Public Safety

What changes, if any, would you support to enable better access, ensure security, and support the processes of our elections?
I believe in and would support open primaries. We need to change the monopoly of the primary elections. I do feel all registered voters should be able to vote. Overall, I feel our election process is safe and secure.

I have no interest in drawing districts to benefit any political party or individual. My priority is making sure every voter has a fair opportunity to elect someone who truly represents their community. I would support a fair and transparent redistricting process that keeps communities together whenever possible. Districts should be balanced, practical, and drawn in a way that respects existing communities and local boundaries. I would support establishing objective criteria, support of an independent council, and public input before maps are created and finalized.

Supports open primaries and allowing all registered voters to vote, while saying Pennsylvania's election process is safe and secure.

Supports transparent redistricting that keeps communities together, uses objective criteria and an independent council, and includes public input before maps are finalized.

- Supports open primaries and allowing all registered voters to vote, while saying Pennsylvania's election process is safe and secure.
- Supports transparent redistricting that keeps communities together, uses objective criteria and an independent council, and includes public input before maps are finalized.

Voting & Elections

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Joshua Deering

- Supports property-tax relief focused on primary homes, seniors, and working families while reducing education and state-mandate costs borne by local taxpayers.
- Supports requiring the state to assess and help fund the costs of new mandates on municipalities and school districts.
- Advocates for reducing unnecessary regulations while maintaining worker, consumer, and environmental protections.

- Supports requiring major new energy users and industries to bear their infrastructure costs rather than shifting them to households and small businesses.
- Supports renewable-energy policies to reduce strain on the electric grid and prepare for declining fossil fuels.
- Prioritizes protecting farmland, community character, water resources, and local infrastructure through regional planning for growth.
- Supports protecting water resources, open space, parks, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation alongside economic activity.

- Supports transparent redistricting that keeps communities together, uses objective criteria and an independent council, and includes public input before maps are finalized.

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- 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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