State Senator John Yudichak Statement on
Not Seeking Re-Election to the State Senate
Honored, blessed, and grateful are the first few words that
come to mind as I reflect on my decision to not seek
re-election to the Pennsylvania State Senate in the 2022 election cycle. The
good people of northeastern Pennsylvania have welcomed me into their homes and
hearts over the last 24 years during my six terms in the House of
Representatives and my three terms in the State Senate. Recognizing their
kindness and support, I have always strived to match their generosity with
unremitting passion and purpose in how I approached public service.
The people of northeastern Pennsylvania have been my full
and faithful partners in creating jobs, strengthening our communities, and
creating a better quality of life in our region. Most recently, the Governor’s
Action Team reported that northeastern Pennsylvania was the number one region
in Pennsylvania in both job creation and private investment - an accomplishment
that is a testament to the aspirational spirit of the people of northeastern
Pennsylvania. Together, we have built strong bipartisan coalitions among
diverse constituencies in government, business, and organized labor to
construct new roads and bridges like the South Valley Parkway in Hanover
Township and expansion of State Route 424 in Hazle Township. These critical
public infrastructure investments have attracted more than $1 billion in
private investment and thousands of jobs to our region. We have also worked
together to secure economic development projects, like the $6 billion Nacero
manufacturing facility in Nanticoke and Newport Township, which is positioned
to be the single largest economic development project in the history of Luzerne
County.
Over my tenure in public life, I have been inspired by the
working families of northeastern Pennsylvania who go to work every day to
provide a better life for their family and better days for their community. I
have tried to match their work ethic and mirror their working-class values in
every vote I made and in every project I pursued. For me, politics is the
profession and people are the purpose.
No family has inspired me more than my own. My parents, Joe
and the late Sally Yudichak, instilled in me and my siblings a sense of
responsibility to family and community that will never leave me. I often pause
during my day in Harrisburg to remind myself that my mother and father, like so
many families in northeastern Pennsylvania, had to work by the sweat of their
brow and the strength of their hands so I could have the privilege of serving
in the state legislature. I also think about the core group of volunteers who
helped to elect me, the folks I call the original door knockers, and I am
humbled by their efforts and dedication to the cause of better government. It
is a privilege of the highest honor to earn the people’s trust and to serve as
their voice in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. To the citizens of the 119th
district in the House of Representatives and to those in the 14th district in
the Senate, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
We have made good history together - a
list of success stories that spans nearly three decades. Legislative success
stories like the Senior Citizen Full Benefits Act, the Sargent Sherwood Baker
Act, the Waste Tire Recycling Act, the Moon Lake Park Act, Kevin’s Law, the
Anti-Gang Law, the Local Manufacturing Tax Credit, the Coal Refuse Tax Credit,
and the Computer Data Center Development Act. Environmental success stories
like the mine reclamation work of the Earth Conservancy and the conservation of
state forest lands in both Luzerne and Carbon Counties. Educational success
stories like the SHINE program in our public schools and the expansion of our
region’s finest institutions of higher education. Community success stories
like the work of the South Valley COG, the Mountain COG, the West Side COG, the
Carbon County COG and the creation of the Wyoming Area Regional Police
Department. Regional success stories like the creation of the NEPA
Nursing Home SOS Program, the Regional COVID-19 Code Enforcement Partnership,
the Luzerne County Small Business Loan Program, and the Luzerne County Public
Infrastructure Program. And finally, the private sector economic success
stories that have made NEPA the number one job creating region in all of
Pennsylvania. Each of these legislative and community success stories are, in
large part, the product of the hard work and dedication of my legislative staff
who have honorably served the citizens of northeastern Pennsylvania and will
always be a very special family to me.
Although I will not be seeking re-election to the
Pennsylvania State Senate, my heart will remain forever dedicated to serving
the communities of northeastern Pennsylvania. I consider Senator Lisa Baker,
Senator John Gordner, Senator Dave Argall and Senator Marty Flynn as friends,
colleagues, and public servants of the highest quality. I look forward to
helping them and the region’s state legislative delegation to continue the
great progress we have made in making northeastern Pennsylvania the best place
to raise a family, get an education, and build a career.
Finally, I believe the time has come to better serve the
most important people in my life - my daughters Sarah, Anna, Evelyn, and Grace.
My daughters grew up in politics, and they have sacrificed a lot of time with
their father over the years to the demands of public life. As my daughters
embark on important milestones in their own lives, I plan to dedicate myself to
supporting their endeavors and to enjoying every moment we share together as a
family.