Republican Rep. Paul Schemel reflects on political career after announcing he won’t seek re-election

The Republican representative has been in office since 2015 but is stepping aside so new blood can join the state legislature.

• Ben Wasserstein/WITF
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 via Jennifer Fitch / Pa. House GOP

Rep. Paul Schemel (R-Franklin County) attends a House State Government committee hearing on Jan. 28, 2021

Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin, won’t seek re-election.

The Republican representative has been in office since 2015 but is stepping aside so new blood can join the state legislature.

“I enjoy being a legislator, policy is interesting to me,” Schemel said. “But I think it’s healthy to have turnover.”

Schemel acknowledged it is uncommon for an announcement to be made so early when the election is in November 2024, but said he wanted to give people a greater opportunity to run if they choose to.

“It’s a dangerous thing to do because, you know, you can become less relevant in Harrisburg if people know you’re not coming back,” he said.

Schemel was one of the 57 Republicans to sign a letter urging Pennsylvania’s federal legislators to object to the certification of the state’s electoral votes.

Schemel was one of two Republican Pennsylvanian lawmakers to voice second thoughts on that letter.

In 2021, he told WITF that he wondered whether what he believed were legitimate procedural questions in Pennsylvania were mistakenly conflated with former President Donald Trump’s false claim that the election was rigged or stolen.

His decision to not seek re-election is not tied to those reflections, he said.

Schemel said Pennsylvanians should be confident in the election process.

Despite not achieving every goal he had set, Schemel holds no regrets for his time in the legislature representing the people in southern Franklin County. He added that achieving every goal might be a pipe dream.

“If we could all be king for a day, there would be, you know, a list of things we’d love to do and none of us get to be king for a day, so we never accomplish all those lists,” he said.

He has faith in the future of Pennsylvania’s democracy.

“Whether Republicans or Democrats are in control, that pendulum will slide back and forth in Pennsylvania,” Schemel said.  But, I think that as long as we have good women and men that stand up and take the oath and do the best that they can.”

Schemel, an attorney, said he imagines he will return to private practice after leaving office.

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