Democratic candidate Jackie Baker, a longtime public school teacher, joined Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo to discuss her campaign for Pennsylvania State Senate District 20 and the issues facing communities across Northeast Pennsylvania ahead of the November election.

Baker is challenging incumbent Republican State Senator Lisa Baker for the seat. A lifelong resident of Northeast Pennsylvania, Jackie Baker said her experience as an educator and her family’s working-class background have influenced her approach to public service.

During the interview, Baker discussed her nearly 20 years of experience in public education, including teaching early childhood, elementary, special education and middle school students. She said those experiences have given her a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing families, schools and local communities.

Baker, who previously ran for the State Senate in 2020 and 2022, said affordability has become a central concern in this year’s election. She pointed to rising grocery prices, housing costs, utilities and taxes as financial pressures facing residents.

On taxation, Baker criticized Pennsylvania’s tax structure, arguing that it places a disproportionate burden on working families and middle-income earners. She called for changes to corporate taxation, including closing tax loopholes, and proposed additional taxes on natural gas extraction to generate revenue for state programs.

Baker also criticized Pennsylvania’s gasoline and diesel taxes, arguing that higher transportation costs affect households, farmers and businesses throughout the region.

Education funding was another major focus of the conversation. Baker called for increased state and federal investment in public schools, arguing that greater state support could reduce school districts’ reliance on local property taxes.

She said the current funding structure creates disparities between communities with different levels of property wealth and advocated distributing education resources more equitably across school districts.

The interview also addressed access to rural healthcare, including hospital closures, emergency medical services and maternity care. Baker expressed concern about federal Medicaid funding changes and called for additional state oversight of hospital mergers and greater financial support for rural medical facilities.

Baker shared her own experience traveling two hours to a hospital while in labor, describing the difficulties residents can face when healthcare services are far from home.

Another issue discussed was the expansion of data centers in Pennsylvania. Baker called for a pause on new developments to give local governments time to establish zoning regulations and protections for water supplies, farmland and surrounding communities.

Drawing comparisons to natural gas development in Susquehanna County, Baker said she believes stronger environmental oversight and local decision-making are necessary before additional large-scale projects move forward.

When asked why voters should choose her over Lisa Baker, Jackie Baker pointed to differences between their positions on taxation, environmental regulation and campaign financing.

She described her campaign as a grassroots effort and criticized what she characterized as the influence of corporate money in state politics.

Baker said she wants to bring a different perspective to Harrisburg, emphasizing her experience in education and her commitment to addressing the concerns of working families.