Brian Wrightson sees young people leaving NEPA as a critical economic issue because a shrinking tax base and falling school enrollments threaten the long-term future of the entire region. If it is happening to his family, he knows it is happening to his neighbors all across the district.
His children grew up here and love this place. But some have looked elsewhere at what is available—the jobs, the housing, the opportunity—and the calculation is coming up short. That concerns him deeply, and he believes it should concern everyone who cares about the future of the region. If it isn’t treated as an urgent problem, NEPA will fail to keep its next generation, losing fresh ideas and vital skills to other areas.
The brain drain in NEPA is directly connected to the rest of his platform:
- Young people cannot afford to buy homes here because prices have risen while incomes have stalled.
- Good-paying jobs in growing industries are concentrated elsewhere, partly because broadband, infrastructure, and investment have not reached the district the way they should.
- When young people leave, the tax base shrinks, schools lose enrollment, and local businesses lose customers in an accelerating cycle.
In Harrisburg, Wrightson will fight for:
- Investment in affordable housing so young families can put down roots in the communities they grew up in.
- Broadband and infrastructure investment that attracts employers and creates the kind of good-paying jobs that give people a reason to stay.
- Dedicated support for small businesses, farmers, and rural entrepreneurs who form the economic backbone of SD-40.
He believes no one should have to choose between staying close to family and building a future.
