By Steve Novak, Armchair Lehigh Valley
In eight terms representing the 137th House District, Republican state Rep. Joe Emrick has consistently fended off Democratic challengers and was even unopposed one year.
This time around, he is facing Northampton County Council member Jeff Warren, who brings name recognition as a Democrat and has been elected to three local offices.
The race has drawn the financial and logistical support of the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, all of which see a chance to flip the district and preserve the party’s slim majority in the chamber in the Nov. 3 election.
The 137th covers Nazareth, Tatamy, all of the townships of Bethlehem, Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth, and parts of Hanover (District 5) and Palmer (Central, North, Northeast, Northwest, Southwest and West).
Emrick, 56, of Upper Nazareth Township, is a former economics and history teacher who has a bachelor’s degree from Lycoming College and a master’s degree in education from Kutztown University. He is a former Upper Nazareth supervisor and is seeking his ninth term.
Republican Joe Emrick
MCMG
In the last two election cycles, Emrick faced political unknown Anna Thomas, besting her by 1,316 votes (3 percentage points) in 2024 and 703 votes (2 points) in 2022.
Neither he nor his campaign responded to Armchair Lehigh Valley’s questions sent through his website and to his campaign manager.
According to his campaign website, Emrick’s top priorities this election are lowering taxes, reducing energy costs, affordability, healthcare and protecting the environment by curbing “excessive” warehouse and data center development and truck traffic.
Warren, 49, of Bethlehem Township, has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and a master’s degree from Kutztown University.
He took his seat on Northampton County Council representing District III in January 2024 following his election in 2023. The former aide to state Sen. Lisa Boscola previously won elections to Easton City Council and the Hanover Township Board of Supervisors.
“The status quo isn’t getting the job done,” Warren told Armchair Lehigh Valley. “Costs continue to rise. Wages remain stagnant. We’ve lost acres of land to warehouse proliferation. We desperately need a change. I’ll be a positive and active voice for change versus what we’ve had for 16 years here in Northampton County.”
Warren cited accomplishments from his time in local government: While on Easton City Council, he was involved in the Simon Silk Mill development project and provided funding to start Easton Public Market; and as a Hanover supervisor, he helped preserve preschool programs during the pandemic. While not everyone agreed on these projects, he said he worked with colleagues “to get the job done for this community.”
Jeff Warren is a Northampton County Council member. (Contributed photo)
Warren’s stated top issues for this election are affordability, school funding, data centers and farmland protection. He said he wants to bring more public funds back to the Lehigh Valley; create programs for jobs, education and housing; be “a watchful eye” on corporations; and inform legislators in Harrisburg “what people really need here on the ground.”
As of June 8, Emrick’s campaign had $140,340 compared with Warren’s $105,286.
Democrats have a slight voter edge in the 137th with 20,380 party members versus 19,547 for Republicans, as of late September. Independents make up the majority of the 10,613 other voters.
State representatives serve two-year terms and receive a base salary of $113,000. The House has 103 Democrats and 100 Republicans.
Warren answered Armchair Lehigh Valley’s questions on a variety of issues and his responses are summarized below. Emrick’s stances are gleaned through his votes, previous public statements and media reports.
Affordability
Emrick: Highlighted the cost-of-living increases for retired municipal police officers and firefighters in a news release on passage of the 2026-27 budget. Voted for a bill that would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029.
Warren: Said raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is “a no-brainer” that will make the state more competitive and attractive. Wants to see “surge pricing” banned in Pennsylvania, as well as stronger antitrust enforcement to lower grocery prices and “make sure grocery chains don’t get to boast to their shareholders” while citizens “struggle under the thumb of inflation.” On housing, proposes an expansion of the first-time homebuyers program and building “more attainable housing in pressured neighborhoods” to boost supply and lower prices.
Healthcare
Emrick: Supported a House resolution last December urging Congress to retain COVID-era subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which were ended under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Trump in 2025. Some 202,000 Pennsylvanians have since dropped their coverage, with cost being the top reason.
Warren: Supports Gov. Shapiro’s proposal for a $50 million program to help subsidize healthcare for low- and middle-income residents who lost the ACA subsidies. Said “it’s absurd that the richest nation in the world” has citizens turning to GoFundMe for healthcare costs. We can’t keep bending to the greed of big insurance companies who want to make a profit more than they want to keep us healthy.”
Data centers
Emrick: Said in a July Facebook post that he is “championing the effort to halt” data center development. In June, voted in favor of House Bill 2650 that would require data center developers seeking state tax benefits to meet strict standards protecting energy affordability, supporting local communities, creating jobs and strengthening environmental protections. Voted in favor of House Bill 2150 to mandate annual reporting of energy and water consumption by data centers and House Bill 2151 to develop a model data center ordinance for municipalities. In March, voted against House Bill 1834 that would require the state Public Utility Commission to develop data center regulations that would include banning electric companies from passing costs of infrastructure updates and energy demands from data centers onto customers. Voted in favor of House Bill 2496, which would allow a six-month pause on data center development. Voted in favor of House Bill 2198, which would repeal tax incentives passed five years ago to encourage data center development. Emrick voted with the majority in favor of the tax credit in 2021.
Warren: Supports a municipal moratorium option on data center development so communities can take time to understand and educate residents on project impacts. Opposes tax incentives for data center developers, saying that money should be given “back to communities that actually need it.” Is favorable toward bills regulating data center growth and utility usage. “We need these guardrails for our local municipalities, and we don’t need politicians playing in the sandbox with these developers.” Wants data centers to pay for their electricity and water.
Immigration detention
Emrick: Position unknown.
Warren: Said the Trump administration has “weaponized ICE” and turned it into a “secret police … that threatens and stokes fear.” Said that “judicial warrants should be produced before anyone is ever detained” by ICE. Opposes construction of privately owned immigration centers — supported a nonbinding resolution saying as much on County Council. “These human warehouses would not add any tax revenue, and also put unnecessary strain on water capacity” while creating fear in immigrant communities, he said.
Education
Emrick: Voted for a bell-to-bell ban on cellphones in schools. (The House and Senate are working out differences in their bills.) Praised 2026-27 budget for increasing education spending. “Without increasing taxes, this budget fully funds Gov. Josh Shapiro’s request for our public schools, again funding school districts at record levels,” Emrick said in a news release.
Warren: Supports a cellphone ban in schools and a “balanced” approach to technology in the classroom, preserving what enhances learning and limiting distractions. Does not support a proposed amendment that would eliminate school property taxes; he said that would require increases to income and sales taxes, “which are less reliable … forms of funding and still impose a burden on taxpayers, especially middle or low-income families.” Would prefer an increase in state funding and a formula that reduces the burden on seniors.
Skill games
Emrick: Position unknown.
Warren: “Willing to have a conversation with all stakeholders involved before making a decision.” Said a tax on skill games could boost statewide revenue but would impact revenue of small businesses that use them. “The [state] Supreme Court is forcing the Legislature to take action on this issue, so we have to either regulate and tax them, or regulate them to be fully illegal.”
Voting
Emrick: In 2021, voted for a reform bill that included requiring voter ID. In June, voted against legislation allowing mail-in ballot pre-canvassing before Election Day.
Warren: Supports pre-canvassing of mail ballots up to a week before Election Day and maintaining satellite election offices. Said the former is an administrative function — “not early vote counting” — that will limit long delays and improve public confidence in elections. The latter, he said, provides another option for people who can’t wait in long voting lines.
Reproductive rights
Emrick: In 2025, voted against a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state Constitution providing for personal reproductive liberty regarding abortion, contraception, infertility and miscarriage care. In 2017, voted in favor of a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks.
Warren: Is “open to discussions” about a state constitutional amendment preserving reproductive autonomy, including abortion, contraception and miscarriage care after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. “We need politicians out of doctors’ offices,” he said. “Every woman should have the right to choose how they’ll handle their own reproductive health.”
Gun rights
Emrick: Voted against universal background checks and ownership prohibitions for people who violate protection-from-abuse orders. Voted in favor of bills that would allow concealed carry without a permit and would restrict municipalities from enacting gun laws tougher than the state’s.
Warren: Would support “red flag” laws barring domestic abusers from firearm ownership and “commonsense practices” like universal background checks. “Gun violence is a public health crisis,” he said.
This story first appeared on Armchair Lehigh Valley and is being published on themorningcall.com as part of a partnership with the website, which aims to give voters factual information in a nonpartisan way to help them make informed decisions at the polls. Armchair Lehigh Valley is run by publisher Katherine Reinhard and editor Robert H. Orenstein, two former Morning Call employees. Learn more about Armchair Lehigh Valley and subscribe at armchairlehighvalley.substack.com.