Mark Pinsley is currently leading Bradley Merkl Gump in the race for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 16th State Senate District.
However, with 46% of the vote, Merkl Gump is still keeping the race competitive.
The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary still has to face the candidate from the Republican party in the fall general election.
The 16th District in Pennsylvania covers portions of Bucks and Lehigh counties.
Democratic candidate Mark Pinsley is a longtime public official who currently serves as Lehigh County Controller, a position he has held for seven years and will continue to hold through 2027. After initially running for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, he ended that campaign and withdrew from the race, stating that an evaluation of his campaign finances led him to shift his plans.
Instead, he shifted his focus to seeking the Democratic nomination for the 16th State Senate District.
“While I may not have the means to raise the stratospheric amounts of cash required just to compete in a congressional primary, I do have the network, support, and experience to win the nomination for State Senate in the 16th District,” Pinsley said in his announcement.
His professional background includes teaching economics, serving in the Army Reserve, and building his own business as the founder and president of Dunbarton Business Software.
Pinsley has received endorsements from Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel and California Congressman Ro Khanna.
Pinsley is facing off against Bradley Merkl Gump on the ballot. Gump is an 8th‑grade history and civics teacher in the Perkiomen Valley School District and has spent 15 years teaching in Pennsylvania. A lifelong resident of the district, he lives in Perkasie with his wife and two sons.
He was elected to the Pennridge School Board in 2023 and currently serves as a board director and curriculum chair.
His campaign has received endorsements from SEIU PA State Council, PSEA, Allentown Mayor Matthew Tuerk, and members of Pennsylvania Senate Democratic leadership. His stated priorities include job creation, wage growth, support for public schools, reproductive rights, expanded healthcare access, and community well‑being.
“Families in our district need jobs that pay a living wage, and they need affordable housing. Our public schools need full support. Pennsylvania’s seniors deserve dignity and financial security. I’ll bring a teacher’s perspective, a neighbor’s mindset, and a deep commitment to this community to the State Senate. Together, we can create a better future in District 16,” said Merkl-Gump.
Incumbent Republican Jarrett Coleman is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for the 16th District State House seat.