U. SAUCON TWP., Pa. – State Sen. Jarrett Coleman and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley clashed in a heated, last-minute debate for Pennsylvania's 16th state Senate District Friday morning, tangling over their records in office and visions for Pennsylvania.
Coleman, a first-term Republican, took the offensive throughout the debate, attacking Pinsley for inconsistencies in his stances over the years and painting him as a tax-and-spend extremist.
"You can't talk about affordability when you are as crazy for taxes as Mark is," Coleman said.
Pinsley fought back, calling a Coleman a liar whose support is based among Pennsylvania's wealthiest residents instead of his constituents. And while Coleman claimed he and President Donald Trump were not in lockstep, Pinsley noted his opponent didn't draw those lines in the past.
"Let's face facts. He's MAGA. He introduced the president of the United States. He mimics the president of the United States," he said, referring to Coleman's speaking role at a Trump campaign rally in Allentown days before the 2024 election.
Re-examining old stances
Coleman spent much of the debate attacking Pinsley as an unserious candidate who attempts to govern through sound bites. When Pinsley launched his campaign for state Senate this February – after backing out of an announced congressional run – many Lehigh County Democrats instead endorsed his primary opponent, Coleman said.
"My opponent says he's running for you. He's simply running for anything. He runs for everything. This is his ninth office in Lord knows how-long," he said.
Much of Coleman's attacks focused on a suggested "wealth tax" that Pinsley floated as an alternative to raising property taxes. The proposal was based around an intangible personal property tax, which all Pennsylvania counties abandoned decades ago. Along with challenges in collecting the tax, court rulings raised questions about the tax's constitutionality.
Pinsley attempted to walk a fine line, noting that as controller he can't introduce legislation. At the same time, he defended the concept saying it was an effort to lower property taxes and shift the tax burden onto wealthy households. Primary residences, saving accounts, 401(k)s and pensions wouldn't be touched under the proposed tax, he said.
"This is really about taxing fairly billionaires and trillionaires," Pinsley said.
Earlier in the debate, Coleman tried to attack Coleman over shifting figures for his proposed minimum wage. On camera, Pinsley supported a $22-an-hour wage, saying it would allow Lehigh County residents to afford the high rents in the region while leaving them funds for other necessities. Coleman noted that Pinsley posted his support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage the day before.
When Coleman cited legislation he proposed to allow counties to set their own minimum wages instead of a statewide rate, Pinsley challenged him to give an appropriate wage in the 16th District. Coleman wouldn't, saying the market would set it.
Despite the heated rhetoric, the two opponents did find common ground. Both of them broadly support legalizing recreational marijuana but want to iron out details on where it could be sold and what protections would be put in place to ensure children can't make purchases.
Both of them also called for greater regulations on data centers, though Coleman wanted to create a system where municipalities could opt out of those developments while Pinsley favored a statewide moratorium.
The 16th District represents much of Lehigh County and the northern half of Bucks County. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district by about 21,500 voters, according to voter registration statistics.
But Democrats are optimistic that they can still swing the seat given recent election results. Given recent voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump, Democrats believe the 16th District is winnable and potentially their key to taking control of the state Senate for the first time in 30 years.
The Business Matters episode, moderated by host Tony Iannelli, will air at 6:30 p.m. tonight and again at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Polling places will open about 11 hours after the Monday airing concludes.