Looking Ahead: An Independent Future for PA-10

As this year comes to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about the conversations we’ve had across PA-10 and what they say about our future.

I’ve sat in borough council meetings where only one resident showed up. I’ve listened to farmers talk about losing farms and struggling to find workers. I’ve heard stories from families who are stretched thin by the cost of everyday life.

And I’ve also seen something else: neighbors who are tired of being told to fear each other. People who are ready to talk across lines that others keep trying to redraw.

That’s why I’m running. And it’s why I’m hopeful about what we can build together in 2026.

What This Year Taught Me

If I had to choose one word for this year, it would be unity.

Everywhere I go, the concerns sound familiar:

• Can I feed my family and pay my bills?
  
  
• Will I be able to see a doctor when I need one?
  
  
• Is my community safe and respected?
  
  

It doesn’t matter if I’m talking with a farmer, a small-business owner, a veteran, an immigrant, or a lifelong resident whose family has been here for generations. The details change. The worries do not.

I’ve learned that the “divide” between rural, suburban, and urban communities is often just the unknown. We don’t always know each other’s daily lives. We don’t always hear each other’s stories.

But when we do, something powerful happens: the “us versus them” story falls apart. It becomes we and us: shared values, shared concerns, shared solutions.

Bridging the Gap

In the coming year, I want to focus even more on bringing people together on purpose.

That means:

• Supporting efforts like “Ask a Farmer” events, where farmers answer questions in grocery stores, at festivals, and in schools, so people who don’t live near farmland can better understand the work that feeds us all.
  
  
• Working toward interfaith conversations where pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, and other faith leaders help host honest, respectful discussions about what our communities need.
  
  
• Continuing my commitment to visit every borough and township in the district, so I’m not just talking about communities, I’m listening in them.
  
  

Bridging the gap isn’t about everyone agreeing on everything. It’s about making sure we actually know each other before we let anyone tell us who to fear.

The Economy: Kitchen-Table Reality

Many families in PA-10 are starting the new year with a calculator and a lot of hard choices. Groceries, rent or mortgage payments, medical bills, gas…none of it feels simple anymore.

I don’t use “buzzwords” when I talk about the economy. I think in terms of kitchen-table reality:

• Can you cover the basics?
  
  
• Do you feel secure if there’s an emergency?
  
  
• Do you see a path forward, not just a way to get by?
  
  

Our struggles may look different from town to town, but the pressure is shared. And that shared pressure is one more reminder that we can’t afford politics that keep us in separate corners.

We need practical, people-centered solutions that work for farmers and factory workers, nurses and teachers, seniors, small businesses, and young families. That’s the work I want to carry into 2026.

What Independence Looks Like in 2026

I’ve said from the beginning that my campaign is about people, not parties.

Independence, to me, means:

• I don’t see “blue counties” and “red counties.” I see communities full of individuals whose voices matter.
  
  
• I’m willing to talk with anyone in good faith—whether we agree on most issues or very few.
  
  
• I won’t let my values be dictated by party leadership or polling. I’ll stay grounded in service, dignity, and basic humanity.
  
  

You deserve a representative who answers to you. Someone who tells you the truth, even when the road ahead will take time and work.

I believe the government belongs to the people of this country. It’s the starting point for everything I do.

Why I’m Running as an Independent

When I say I’m running as an Independent, I want to be clear about what that means and why it matters in 2026.

I’m not part of an Independent Party. I’m not running to split votes or make a statement. I’m running as an Independent because I believe our government works best when representatives are accountable to the people they serve, not to party leadership or political labels.

Being Independent gives me the freedom to listen first. It allows me to work with Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated leaders when it helps our communities and to say no when party pressure gets in the way of common-sense solutions. It means I can focus on what actually improves lives here in PA-10, rather than what scores points in Washington.

In 2026, that independence will show up in real ways:

• Continuing to visit boroughs and townships across the district, meeting people where they live and work.
  
  
• Holding conversations in person, not just online or behind closed doors.
  
  
• Asking questions, doing the research, and listening before proposing solutions.
  
  
• Working toward policies that respect the dignity and work of the people who make PA-10 strong: farmers, veterans, families, educators, and small-business owners alike.

Independence isn’t a cure-all. But it opens the door to something we need right now: honest representation, real collaboration, and leadership that puts people before parties. That’s the kind of future I’m working toward and why I believe an Independent voice matters now more than ever.

A Message for 2026

This moment is serious, and the challenges are real. But this is not the darkest time in our nation’s story. We have faced worse, and every time, people who were willing to show up, speak up, and stay engaged moved us forward.

That’s what gives me hope about Central Pennsylvania:

• The neighbors who stand together against hate.
  
  
• The farmers who keep working while advocating for fair policies.
  
  
• The parents who keep showing up for their kids’ schools and communities.
  
  

As we step into 2026, here’s what I want you to remember about the kind of leadership I offer:

I will listen.
I will show up.
I will fight for the future.

A future where every voice in PA-10 counts, not just the loudest or the most powerful.

If you’re ready for something different in 2026, I invite you to add your voice early:

👉 Get involved at isabelleharman2026.com/volunteer and tell us what matters most to you.

Together, we can build an independent future for PA-10—one that reflects our shared values, our shared challenges, and our shared hope.

— Isabelle Harman