BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Republican Jarrett Coleman and Democrat Mark Pinsley squared off in a testy debate Thursday morning for Pennsylvania’s 16th Senate District.
- Republican Jarret Coleman and Democrat Mark Pinsley are competing for a new district that will represent parts of Bucks and Lehigh counties.
- The pair touched on gun control, abortion, election integrity and the people donating to their campaigns.
- The 30-minute debate will air as part of a longer episode at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31 on WFMZ.
The event, for WFMZ-TV's "Business Matters" show and moderated by host Tony Iannelli, set a conversational tone, letting both candidates interject and question each other on crime, guns and the people funding their campaigns.
Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller, and Coleman, a Parkland School Board director, took digs at each other throughout without raising their voices.
Pinsley, an experienced orator who previously served as a South Whitehall Township commissioner, went on the offensive early. When Coleman spoke about his upset defeat of longtime state Sen. Pat Browne in the May primary, Pinsley steered the conversation to Coleman’s financiers. They include Jeffrey Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest man and advocate for cutting school spending, and William Bachenburg, who was subpoenaed by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Coleman cautioned viewers not to jump to conclusions about his backers. Pinsley sarcastically agreed.
“Jarrett, you have three fake electors that donated to you and one right-wing billionaire. So, yeah, should we look into it?” he said.
Coleman wouldn’t back down, later accusing Pinsley of using his own brand of dirty election tactics. In 2016, Pinsley openly lobbied electoral college voters not to cast their ballots for Donald Trump, saying the former reality TV star was unqualified for office. Pinsley argued he operated within the bounds of the law, but Coleman wouldn’t hear it.
“You’re the only election denier here,”Mark Pinsley, candidate for the Pennsylvania State Senate
“You’re the only election denier here,” Coleman said.
Coleman tried to paint Pinsley as a tax-and-spend Democrat, saying his opponent suggested raising taxes during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Pinsley swatted away the attack, saying Coleman must have only skimmed his full tax policy.
Pinsley said he supports raising some taxes, including creating a county sales tax, but only if local governments balance that by reducing property taxes. By diversifying their tax revenue, local governments can reduce the heavy burden placed on homeowners, who provide the bulk of tax revenue to municipalities.
“That’s a Republican plan," Pinsley said. "I don’t care if it’s a Republican plan or a Democratic plan. I will put forth the best plan."
While Pinsley cracked jokes and struck a congenial tone, Coleman remained serious and tried to catch Pinsley in gaffes.
While talking about their energy policies, for example, Pinsley downplayed Coleman’s calls for opening up Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry. Pennsylvania already is open for business, Pinsley said, pointing out that companies have permits to drill wells they're not using. He also pointed out that much of the gas that would be produced would be shipped overseas instead of being used here.
“I don’t really care all that much about the Keystone Pipeline," Pinsley said. "I know it provided jobs and things like that, but this is not my biggest issue."
“Jobs and things like that,” Coleman repeated, incredulously.
The 16th Senate District includes the northern half of Bucks County and most of Lehigh Couty except for Hanover, Salisbury and Whitehall townships, Catasauqua, Coplay, Emmaus, Fountain Hill, along with most of Allentown and portions of South Whitehall Township.
The half-hour debate will air at 7 p.m. Monday on WFMZ. The debate will appear alongside the debate for Pennsylvania's 14th Senate District between Republican Dean Browning and Democrat Nick Miller, which was taped immediately beforehand.
