Our 2024 Candidates

Raised in West Deer, Pennsylvania, Rob Mercuri is a proud son of a dedicated blue-collar family. His family legacy is one of hard work and service with roots in the steel mills and oil fields of Western Pennsylvania and proud service in uniform during our nation’s wars.

After graduating from Deer Lakes High School, Mercuri attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a commission as a lieutenant in the Army before being deployed for two tours in Iraq as an intelligence officer and member of an embedded military training unit. While in the Army, Mercuri achieved the rank of Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Mercuri later earned an MBA by taking night classes from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After stints with two major accounting firms, he was recruited by Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank, where he rose to Senior Vice President of risk and finance.

Seeing a need for leadership in state government, Mercuri ran for and won a seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2020 and won reelection in 2022. During his time in the legislature, Mercuri authored legislative reforms in the areas of education, finance, autonomous transportation, and data privacy. He has also been a champion for fiscal responsibility and economic development through innovation, lower tax rates, and reduced barriers to entry for entrepreneurs.

Active in his faith and community, Mercuri and his family live in Pine Richland where he and his wife, Kelsey, own and operate a small business and are raising their three school-age children. 

Jeremy Shaffer is a proven leader in business, our community, and government. Shaffer’s record exhibits his ability to bridge divides and focus on the well-being of our community, showcasing a leadership style that is both effective and inclusive. Running for the State House, his mission is to unite the community and help steer us toward a brighter future.

Shaffer holds a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon and co-founded a small business headquartered in Western Pennsylvania that specializes in highway and bridge construction and safety. A problem-solver and entrepreneur at heart, Jeremy understands the importance and challenges of opening and running a business and working with government agencies, all while growing revenue and managing personnel.

Jeremy has served his community in numerous ways as a former Township Commissioner and Board President, Northland Library Foundation Board member, Northern Tier Library Board member, and coach of numerous youth sports teams. Jeremy is also active in local churches, having served as both an elder and a deacon.

Representing the 28th District, Jeremy will be a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility, which means not raising your taxes and rooting out wasteful spending. In addition to these fiscal priorities, Jeremy will also focus on supporting our first responders, maintaining quality infrastructure, and standing behind students and teachers in our great local schools.

Jeremy understands that for far too long, politicians have put their personal interests and agendas ahead of the people they serve. As your state representative, Jeremy will work for you, the taxpayers, not the political establishment, and will fight for commonsense solutions to help all Pennsylvanians achieve their dreams.

Jeremy and his wife, Stacey, a physician, are raising their five children here in District 28, and their goal in serving these communities is to ensure freedom and prosperity for current and future generations.