Incumbent Lou Barletta is being challenged by Democrat Mike Marsicano.

Lou Barletta, R-incumbent, serves on three important committees to central, northeastern and south-central Pennsylvania: the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which plays a critical role in economic development and job growth; the Education and Workforce Committee, which focuses on improving our education system to produce competitive, qualified future workers and the Committee on Homeland Security, which helps protect the American people and our borders. Barletta serves as Chairman of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.Born and raised in Hazleton, Barletta left his family businesses to create his own company with his wife, Mary Grace, building one of the largest companies of its kind in the country.Barletta’s political career began with his election to Hazleton City Council in 1998. He won the race for mayor in 2000 and was re-elected with more than 90 percent of the vote. As mayor, Barletta inherited a massive budget shortfall. Through tough, fiscally responsible decisions, he was able to turn his city around.In addition to the financial crisis, Barletta was faced with a serious illegal immigration problem in Hazleton. His leadership on this issue earned him national attention for his first-of-its-kind Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which has served as a blueprint for many other communities across the United States facing similar problems. Lou and Mary Grace are the parents of four daughters, Kelly, April, Lindsey and Grace, and have three grandchildren, Gabriel Louis, Madeleine Grace and Julia Mae.Michael P. Marsicano, Democrat, is the son of Paul and Doris Marsicano.A 1966 graduate of Hazleton High School, Marsicano served in the Pennsylvania National Guard military police, graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and served as a state trooper and helicopter pilot. He is a retired 767 airline captain from United Airlines and was one of a few selected pilots chosen for special duty after 9/11. He was also the mayor of Hazleton from 1996-2000 and had numerous businesses including a greenhouse, small excavation and steel hauling business. Mike has one daughter, Michelle, and a poodle named Lucky.We asked them, “What do you feel is the area’s biggest problem and how would you solve it if elected?”Barletta: Creating and maintaining good-paying jobs is one of the biggest issues facing the 11th District. We need to stop the excessive regulations coming out of Washington, which are hamstringing our local businesses with unnecessary costs and restricting their ability to hire workers. We also need to simplify the tax code from seven brackets to three brackets and lower rates for most Americans, especially those in the middle class. Simplifying the tax code will make it easier for people to file their taxes and allow businesses and families to plan for the future. People know better than government how to spend their money. For every dollar you send to Washington, you don’t get a dollar in return. Rather than sending money to Washington, we should allow Americans to keep the money they earn in their local economies, because doing so creates jobs and supports local businesses.Marsicano: The area’s biggest problem is the lack of jobs in the 11th Congressional District. The job market in America is diminishing daily. The reports and statistics we hear from Washington are not what we the people are experiencing. Overregulation, whether it be the coal industry or the independent truck driver, our economy is not producing family sustaining jobs. Practically everything is produced in far away countries. We manufacture very little. Our country must reform the tax code for small businesses because our economic growth is dependent on these businesses. All start up costs should be tax deductible and all regulatory restraints for small businesses must be cut. Small business needs the support and capital that only the government can provide to restart the 27 million small businesses. They make up more than 99 percent of America’s firms, and employ more than half our workforce. I will work to guarantee small businesses in America have access to credit and whatever other essentials that are required for their success.