Paul Friel

Paul Friel was born in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania. Friel graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1987. He earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University in 1993. Friel's career experience includes owning and managing PACE Environmental and working in executive management. He has served on the boards of the Philadelphia Boys' Choir and Camp Rainbow.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a business owner, school board member, and advocate for public education and environmental stewardship. I will use my 25 years of executive experience to ensure greater investment in our communities and fight for common-sense, progressive policy that will allow families to thrive. As a public school parent and member of the Owen J. Roberts School Board, I will fight for greater, more equitable funding of public education, and I'm committed to environmental advocacy and clean jobs that will protect our communities and improve the economy. I believe that sound policy, reflective of our shared values and the considerations of our local community, will lead to sound government actions - this core belief combined with my priorities has pushed me to run for office.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Strengthening EducationEnvironmental stewardship and protecting natural landsEconomic recovery from COVID-19 that prioritizes local businesses

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about education. I am a public school parent and school board member, and I believe strongly that improving our schools will help create equality of opportunity for all our kids. I believe it's time that our state put the investment into education that we need, which will give our kids the resources they need to thrive and create equity across the state. I am also passionate about the environment. I love the outdoors and the open lands here in Chester County, and I want to protect it for our families as well as future generations. As the owner of a small business, I also believe strongly in helping local businesses thrive here in Pennsylvania.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe relevant experience is necessary. As a business owner with over 25 years of executive management experience in private, publicly-traded, and small businesses, I have the leadership experience and acumen to effectively represent my community. As a member of the Owen J. Roberts School Board, I also am accustomed to elected office.

However, I believe there are too many long-time legislators in Harrisburg who are out of touch with their communities, and do too little with the office while collecting taxpayers' money. I'm not a career politician, and I pledge to take action to fix the issues affecting Pennsylvanians from the day I am sworn in.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe rebuilding our economy in a way that will support our environment and local economies is the greatest challenge that I am committed to tackling in the State House.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Pennsylvania is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, and this damages our citizen engagement and cohesion in the political process. Communities should be able to vote together, and our current system splits them up for political gains. All parties should have a fair chance to govern, and legislators should be able to represent geography- and community-based districts, which will make both the campaigning and legislative processes more effective. I'm committed to ensuring that communities can vote together and be governed by a common legislator, rather than being split up to advance partisan political needs.