Lauren McCurdy
DemocraticQ1 PFAS chemicals are widely used in consumer products but have raised health concerns due to their persistence in the environment and humans, and some Pennsylvanian legislators are considering restrictions on its use, such as in House Bill 2145. Should Pennsylvania restrict PFAS in consumer products? What scientific evidence would you use to inform your decision?
Concerns about plastics and poisons leeching into our fresh water supplies is a major concern in my post-mining industry region. I would support legislation protecting consumers from these significant contaminants.
Q2 Measles vaccination rates in Pennsylvania have declined in recent years, from 95.5% in 2020 to 92.5% in 2025. At the same time, measles outbreaks have emerged across the state, with 62 confirmed cases in PA in 2026. As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns that center on infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues?
This is a difficult issue. I don’t know how much “vaccine education” can solve this problem. Pediatricians need to be supportive of these vaccines. I know someone formerly from the vaccine industry who has shared some uncomfortable stories about the manufacturing process. People need to have full faith and trust in what they put into their children’s bodies, but the increase of home schooling communities that will use their children’s health as an exercise of freedom seems to be increasing. I do believe in the power of vaccination. I would like to support initiatives that expand the use.
Q3 There have been avian influenza outbreaks in Pennsylvania, with potential impacts on poultry and dairy operations, both industries that provide billions of dollars of economic value to the state. What policies, if any, do you support to strengthen the state’s preparedness and outbreak response? Are there specific strategies you would prioritize to protect farm workers, agricultural communities, and the broader public?
Improving early detection of outbreaks and having a systems in place that minimize risk of spread and death in herds/flocks is important and needs to be a priority. Perhaps more funding to our land grant universities could help this effort. Standards to protect farm workers should be developed.
Q4 Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the third-largest producer of coal, per the Energy Information Administration. In contrast, PA currently ranks 45th in the country in terms of wind, solar, and hydropower energy production. How do you think these energy sources should be distributed across PA’s energy production portfolio, and what policies, if any, would you support to facilitate this?
We must close the door on new fossil fuel industries and incentivize renewable energy. Small scales green energy, grant systems to encourage green energy industries, including reducing dependence on petroleum based products is the right direction for PA
Q5 Pennsylvania has proposed more reporting, utility oversight, and zoning guidance for large data centers, along with shifting some generation, capacity, and reliability costs onto data center developers rather than ordinary ratepayers. How should the costs and benefits of large data center development be divided between developers and the public, and what requirements, if any, would you support on power, water, and public reporting before a project moves forward?
If profits leave the state, there must been deep taxation to lessen the burden on PA taxpayers for roads, schools and public safety costs.