Race to watch: What voters need to know about Pa. state Rep. John Lawrence and Democratic challenger Cristian Luna

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The Pennsylvania House of Representatives writes laws and helps the governor craft a budget. Each elected member serves a two-year term in Harrisburg. All 203 seats in the state House are up for election this November.

A majority of the state’s legislative races are non-competitive, meaning a handful of close races across the commonwealth will decide which party controls the state House.

In 2022, a new legislative map helped the Democrats snatch control of the state House for the first time in more than a decade. They now hold a one-seat majority.

Democrats see the 13th District, which encompasses more than a dozen boroughs and townships in Chester County, as a realistic opportunity to increase their margins.

Incumbent Republican state Rep. John Lawrence is squaring up against Democratic newcomer Cristian Luna.

Republican John Lawrence

Lawrence, 46, first assumed office in 2011. He currently serves on several committees in the state House, including Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Appropriations, Professional Licensure and Rules. In 2021, his GOP colleagues in the House chose him as speaker pro tempore.

The London Grove resident ran on a reform platform and said that he has maintained his promises in his seven terms in the legislature. Lawrence does not use a state vehicle and has refused a state pension.

“When you’re trying to move a difficult issue forward, it’s very important to try to identify your allies and who you can work with,” Lawrence said. “Sometimes you find allies on your side of the aisle, other side of the aisle, inside the capitol and outside the capitol.”

Recently, he has become an unlikely ally to House Democrats in the fight against water privatization. He is opposed to any monetization or sale of the contested Chester Water Authority, which spans parts of Chester and Delaware counties.

“It’s reckless, irresponsible and outrageous to suggest that people who are simply paying their water bills from a well-run water authority should be asked to pony up and pay higher rates due to fiscal mismanagement of the city of Chester,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence said he has also been active in the local bipartisan effort to restore emergency health care services in Chester County in the aftermath of the closure of Brandywine and Jennersville hospitals.

“I’ve tried in my time in office to work on matters of fiscal responsibility, keeping government debt down and also a real focus on local issues,” he said.

He said his most gratifying experience in elected office came after a conversation with a domestic abuse survivor. She notified him of a loophole in state law which required victims to pay temporary alimony to their spouses. Lawrence and former Democratic state Rep. Brandon Neuman drafted legislation to bring the practice to an end. Then-Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law in 2018.

Lawrence grew up in southern Chester County. He graduated from Penn State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He worked as an account officer with J.P. Morgan Chase.

“I’m running again to serve the people of southern Chester County with honor and fidelity and to try to represent them well, particularly on some of the big issues that are facing our area,” he said. “We have a lot of important issues that need to be addressed in southern Chester County.”

Democrat Cristian Luna

Luna, 27, is a deputy prothonotary in the Chester County Prothonotary’s Office, where he helps guide domestic violence survivors through the court system. Prior to that, he was a bilingual legal advocate with the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County.

He is the son of Mexican American immigrants, who came to Chester County to work on its famous mushroom farms. Growing up in West Grove, Luna also worked on the farms. He said he couldn’t handle the difficult work that sustains the $2 billion industry. After graduating high school, he forged a different path.

Luna is the first in his family to graduate from college. He attended West Chester University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science in 2019.

Luna said he was inspired to run for office in November 2023 after joining Lincoln University students on a march to Harrisburg for state funding.

“I decided to run, first, because I recognized and I saw looking at the General Assembly that sometimes, being Latino, our voices weren’t always heard,” Luna said.

He believes southern Chester County needs a voice in the legislature that is informed by advocacy work. Since he’s started knocking doors, he said the biggest issue facing his potential constituents is the fight over the Chester Water Authority.

Luna’s platform includes protecting abortion rights, addressing climate change, tackling hospital closures and raising the minimum wage.

“I’ve been through life. I am 27 years old and things have not always come so easy,” Luna said. “So I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am and that to me is the person that I would want fighting for me in Harrisburg and bringing about a new change, bringing a new voice and somebody who can get things done.”