Election 2026: Democrat Tim Brennan Running For State Representative

Candidates running in the Nov. 3 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch when they are received.

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Democrat Tim Brennan of Doylestown Borough is running for re-election as state representative in Pennsylvania's 29th House District. He is being challenged by land use attorney Sean Duffy, a Republican from Buckingham.

Biological Information

Name: Tim Brennan

Town of Residence: Doylestown Borough

Position Sought: State Representative

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: Trish, wife, Tucker, son

Education: Ursinus College, Widener University Law School

Occupation: State Representative, Attorney

Questions

1. Why are you running for state office?

I grew up in a diner waiting tables and genuinely love people; I also fundamentally believe that thoughtful government policy improves people’s lives. I was successful as an attorney and businessperson, but was never quite content. I want to do the most good I can with the time I have. This job provides a constant opportunity to be a positive influence on people and my community. Whether it’s roads, the canal, policy issues, fighting for funding, showing up for our young people at schools or clubs, constituent service, supporting local government or any of the other parts of the job, this role gives a chance to make things a little better than you found them.

I am well aware that dysfunction in Washington has made many of our neighbors cynical, but for me that is a motivation to work harder, to show up more and to be the type of Representative people expect and deserve. There is still so much good that can be done and it is usually most evident at the level closest to the people. It has been the honor of a lifetime to do this job and each morning, I wake up with that same appreciation for the work.

2. Where do you stand on energy production in the state?

Pennsylvania is one of the top energy-producing states in the country and that is important to our economy and future. That said, my district is in the center of the Delaware River Basin, which provides 15 million people with clean drinking water, fuels our agriculture economy and is central to our tourism market. Together, this resource generates billions of dollars in economic activity. We need to have a balanced approach that allows well-regulated production while maintaining environmental stewardship as a central concern. Growing up in Pennsylvania’s coal region, I saw firsthand what happens to communities that fail to strike that important balance. The region suffered from waterways stained orange by coal runoff, underinvestment in communities and over-reliance on a single dominant market. Ultimately, quality of life declined, the young people left and the economy stagnated. So far in this generation, Pennsylvania has struck a reasonable balance, though we should be demanding a greater contribution from these industries to improve the infrastructure they are using, to provide targeted tax reductions and to provide greater investment in our residents. We also need to recognize the reality that, even with a wealth of resources, we absolutely must invest much more broadly in renewable energy, which will be necessary for long-term sustainability.

3. What can be done to curb the increased cost of utilities?

We are seeing a huge increase in energy demand with recent advancements in artificial intelligence. Government must protect the health, safety, and welfare of our residents, as well as protect them from increased costs due to these private developments. Under Democratic leadership in the state House, I voted for legislation to end sales tax exemptions for data centers, allow temporary moratoriums, require base levels of renewable energy, prohibit passing on infrastructure costs to residents, require transparency, and ban NDAs to address this massive increase in demand and the proliferation of data center developments. After continued inaction on these issues by our Republican State Senate, Governor Shapiro was forced to unilaterally issue an executive order to establish many of these goals. These measures are intended to slow the pace of development, establish appropriate guardrails, ensure adequate consideration of the public interest, and protect residents from bearing the costs of private infrastructure investments. We cannot allow the market alone to dictate where and how this development occurs, as my friends in the Senate seem to believe, and government should be protecting our residents, addressing the ethical and safety concerns related to AI and providing real oversight to address some of the most complicated questions of this generation.

4. Where do you stand on taxes and the state budget?

Over the last four years, I have served on the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, where we advanced budgets that contained seven tax cuts for everyday Pennsylvanians and working families. I think we have a responsibility to be good stewards of state tax dollars and to provide the best return possible to our residents here in Bucks County. I also believe that budgets must reflect our values, so I have been proud to support increased funding for our schools, expanded services for seniors, improved child care services and expanded healthcare options. We have done all this while providing targeted tax incentives and investments that have made Pennsylvania the only growing Northeast economy.

The 29th House District includes Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Township, Chalfont Borough, New Britain Borough, Buckingham Township, Solebury Township, and New Hope Borough.