SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Jeffrey Lake has entered the race for state office, framing his campaign around affordability, mental-health support, and environmental concerns that he says are pressing issues for residents in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Lake said he was motivated to run by what he described as a need for “transparency” and “accountability” in local government, arguing that many families are struggling to meet basic needs. His platform centers on expanding affordable housing, preventing evictions, and increasing the availability of permanent supportive housing. He called stable housing “a public health intervention,” adding that no family should be forced to choose between rent and groceries.
A major pillar of Lake’s campaign is his opposition to large-scale data center development in local neighborhoods. He argues such facilities threaten to strain water supplies, raise utility costs, pollute air quality, and clear forested land while generating relatively few long-term jobs. Instead, he proposes repurposing unused buildings into community spaces in partnership with school districts and local organizations.
Lake, a mental-health professional, also highlighted youth mental-health services and early education as priorities. He supports placing trained mental-health staff in schools to intervene before crises escalate. To address what he called an “untenable” cost burden on working families, he has proposed free childcare for all Pennsylvania children until kindergarten, along with wage increases for childcare workers and public-school staff.
Citing rising living expenses and what he views as unchecked data-center growth, Lake said northeastern Pennsylvania is at a “crossroads.” If elected, he pledged to push for policies in Harrisburg that would lower household costs, expand access to mental-health care, and “restore opportunity” to the region.
FOX56 reached out to Sen. Flynn for comment but received no reply.