N. Cornwall man to run write-in campaign on Democratic ticket in 101st District

A 23-year-old North Cornwall Township resident is conducting a write-in campaign for the 101st Legislative District seat in the May primary election on the Democratic ticket. 

Sukh Singh, a 2020 Cedar Crest High School graduate, is running a write-in campaign in hopes of opposing incumbent Republican candidate John Schlegel of Cornwall in November’s general election. Schlegel is seeking his third term in the Pennsylvania State House.

State law requires individuals running a write-in campaign in the 101st District to obtain at least 300 write-in votes in the primary, which is on Tuesday, May 19. That number will get Singh’s name on the Democratic ticket for the Nov. 8 general election.

Singh told LebTown he had collected enough petitions to have his name on the ballot, but technicalities with the required paperwork disqualified enough signatures that he fell short by 15 names. The petition drive ended a few weeks ago.  

The 101st Legislative District includes the city of Lebanon, Cornwall Borough, and North Cornwall, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, West Cornwall, and West Lebanon townships.

Besides wishing to work on behalf of Lebanon countians on a number of statewide issues that impact the local economy, Singh said he wants to present more options to voters in his district.

“I’ve noticed that there is a gap in representation in my community. I’ve also noticed that he ran unopposed back in 2024. And in my opinion, that didn’t sit with me because it felt like an incomplete ballot,” Singh said. “I believe the people in our community deserve a choice in the basic fundamentals of a democracy.”  

He listed the housing crisis, rising property taxes, failing infrastructure, and spiraling healthcare costs as several of his top platform issues.

“I believe in housing affordability regardless of where you are at on the economic income scale, whether you’re a homeowner or someone who rents,” Singh said. “I see the common occurrence of people who own property but who are worried about rising property taxes. A lot of people are moving, not because they want to move, but because they have no other option. So my question is, where’s the relief for homeowners and people who rent?”

Singh said he believes politicians are failing to act on redevelopment of failing infrastructure, including in public schools.

“I also believe in infrastructure redevelopment because I believe our infrastructure is rapidly failing,” Singh said. “We need the infrastructure to be kept up-to-date. Also, students need resources. They are our future generations. I understand that people do have concerns about whether we are overfunding public infrastructure. I feel it’s kind of a fear and  taboo subject that we need to work on and we need to deliver results.”

Other issues he wants to address include the opioid crisis, rising medical costs, and school funding to ensure every child has an opportunity to obtain an education.

“I feel like a lot of these sectors are things that the average politician isn’t paying attention to, and there are so many fundamental cracks that are (there),” Singh said. “And it just feels like an ultimate disconnect, in my opinion. These are issues that I feel affect many people regardless of political background, regardless of age, gender, or race.”

These issues affect everyone, he added.

“We all need a house, we all need shelter, we all need to be able to afford to eat, we all want to be able to have a decent and proper education,” Singh said. “We all want the system to work.”

The primary election in Pennsylvania is on Tuesday, May 19, and Lebanon County’s 60 polling precincts will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.