Putting Community First: Why I’m Running to Serve the 115th District
When we started this campaign, it was because I realized sometimes you just have to step up and do it yourself. I’m Christian Christoffersen, and I’m running to represent the 115th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. I’ve called Monroe County home since 2018, and like you, I care deeply about the future of our neighborhoods, our schools, our first responders, and the natural beauty that makes the Poconos such a special place to live.
Through my work in patient advocacy, I’ve seen firsthand how broken our healthcare system can be. Many people who visit local hospitals qualify for federal prescription drug discounts, but those savings rarely show up on their bills. Instead, they disappear into a system of middlemen and administrators. I’m running to change that - by bringing real transparency and accountability to programs like 340B and by standing up to PBMs and other players who make healthcare more expensive and less fair for families.
I’m also a volunteer firefighter with Pocono Summit Station 33, and I’ve seen the strain on our first responders. Volunteers are answering calls at all hours while working full-time jobs and supporting their families. As your state representative, I’ll fight to bring fire and EMS training into our high schools so students can earn certifications while they’re still in school, and I’ll work to eliminate the local 1% income tax for those who serve. It’s the least we can do for the people who show up when we need them most.
Housing is another major concern I hear about from our neighbors. Young families are being priced out, and seniors are being pushed out of the communities they helped build. On day one, I plan to introduce legislation to stop corporations from buying up homes across the Commonwealth, reduce excessive permitting costs on new construction, and freeze and lower property taxes for seniors so they can stay in their homes on fixed incomes. People deserve the chance to put down roots here without being crushed by red tape and rising costs.
I’m also committed to protecting the Poconos from overdevelopment. We’ve seen warehouse after warehouse go up (sometimes sitting half-empty) while small businesses struggle and open space disappears. I’ll work to overhaul the permitting process for large warehouses and data centers and prioritize community-based businesses that create real jobs and keep our landscape worth passing on to the next generation.
Education ties all of this together. I want our kids to have more opportunities, not fewer. That means expanding AP course seats so more students can earn college credits for free while they’re still in high school and exploring programs like Operation Halo to put trained veterans to work protecting our schools. If we’re protecting our banks and airports, we should be protecting our children with the same level of care.
Most importantly, I don’t want to be a career politician. I’ve pledged to serve no more than three terms. When difficult bills come up in Harrisburg, I want to hear directly from you. I plan to hold town halls, keep my office open, and make sure every voice in our community has a chance to be heard. At the end of the day, I work for you - and together, we can put community first and politics last.
If you see me out at a tree lighting, a community event, or just in the grocery store, please come say hello and tell me what you’d like to see change in Harrisburg. This campaign is about all of us, and I’d be honored to earn your support.
-Christian Christoffersen