Hello, I'm Zeke and welcome to the Zekely podcast. Let's talk Pennsylvania. The guest I have today is a lifelong Bucks County resident who has spent his life showing that when done correctly, government can help the most people. And now he's running to flip a Pennsylvania State House seat blue this year. Thank you so much for being here, Bryan Allen.

I’m Zeke, a doctor, a Pennsylvanian and unapologetic supporter of Democratic values. You might have seen me on social media working my ass off for Democrats and meeting some pretty amazing people along the way - like President Barack Obama and Governor Josh Shapiro.

For years, I’ve knocked thousands of doors all over Pennsylvania and poured my heart and soul into supporting candidates and causes that make a difference—from local school board races to national elections. The personal is political, and I take every election in Pennsylvania personally.

Where the mainstream media has failed you, I will give you truth and independence. You’ll hear from Democratic leaders, candidates, and change-makers who are working to improve the health of the Commonwealth, and it won’t be boring as hell.

No matter where you are, I’ll meet you with hope and a plan to make your community better one day at a time. Welcome to the Zekely Podcast. Let’s talk Pennsylvania.

Zeke, thank you so much for having me. I am really pumped to be

Absolutely.

a big fan.

County.

Thank you, thank

you. I mean, look, Bucks County is at the center once again of the universe in Pennsylvania. I mean, there are so many candidates running this year in the state Senate and the state House, Congress. I mean, how does it feel to be at the center of everything?

Bucks County, you know, Pennsylvania is the center of the political excitement for the country and our best hope for change. But Bucks County is really our best chance to flip the house and the Senate this year. So I'm excited to be on ground zero here.

100%.

I love it, we're gonna turn Bucks County blue this year and you are a huge piece of that. we're gonna learn all about you, play some games and have some fun, are you ready?

Awesome, let's do it.

All right, well, Bryan, I understand your younger brother, Sean, was born at home because your mom realized she just wasn't gonna make it to the hospital in time and that is crazy. I mean, you were what, two years old at the time?

Thanks

Yeah, two years old. So obviously I don't remember it real well, but, you know, my dad was 21, 22 and ⁓ my grandparents lived right behind us. So my dad called and called my grandparents. said, I think this is happening. So after they called the ambulance and said, can you come over and watch Bucky Bryan? That was my

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

yeah, my dad, you know, like I said, 21, 22 went, they went into the bedroom. He, you know, he's like, and my mom said, he just went, I better go wash my hands. So.

I don't know, as a doctor, you're probably freaking out about this, but.

Yeah, I mean, I

actually have to match your energy a little bit So at the time, I was 11 years old, okay? In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, probably 30 miles from any hospital, my parents got the bright idea of planning to have my brother at home, okay? On a 30 acre plot of land. I mean, now as a doctor, it gives me chest pain to think that they actually...

Yeah.

you

like, electively did that, but I'll never forget, I was 11 years old sitting on the stairs outside a

Yes.

and I think there was a midwife, I least think they had that at least, but yeah, my brother Zach was born at home when I was 11 years old, and, and my brother weighed over 11 pounds, okay? My brother weighed over 11 pounds, and my mom did that with no epidural,

You're right.

when

my god, my goodness.

in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, I don't know what she was thinking. Well, she said something, did something, but yeah, I just wanna let you know. When I read that story, I was like, yeah, we're gonna vibe on that. So I do not recommend to anyone to play in a home birth. Okay, I recommend a hospital birth, because you never know what's gonna happen, but yeah, you don't remember that at two, yeah, no, I totally understand that part.

She's a hero. That's amazing. Yes.

this.

Yeah, this one was definitely not planned, but yeah.

All right, we're gonna play a game called Baby or Daddy, okay? So I'm going to say some things to you.

Okay.

And I want you to tell me if it's a baby energy, ⁓ which is in this circumstance, not that good, ⁓ or daddy energy. Because being someone's daddy is a state of mind. So let's be everyone's daddy in these issues.

I am a father of three, so.

here's the first one. ⁓ Raising the minimum wage. Is that baby energy or daddy?

I think that's definitely daddy, going by the scale you said, definitely daddy energy. Absolutely. It's critical.

daddy energy, right? I mean, yeah,

we need to do it. And obviously the state house wants to do it and you are gonna be a part of that, I'm sure voting in the same way, right?

Absolutely. mean, and you know, when I see this come up, know, a lot of people just think, well, it's kids working at McDonald's or something like that. And, you know, you're just hurting small businesses, but that couldn't be further from the truth. mean, 80 % of the people on minimum wage are over the age of 18. And it helps our entire economy and it raises the wage floor for everybody. And that's something people don't understand and improves the buying power of everyone.

I agree.

100 %

we're off to a good start here How about a LGBTQ plus discrimination? You think is that baby or daddy energy?

Discriminating against them is definitely, that's a discredit to babies to say baby energy. Yeah, you're right. That's one waking you up at three in the morning.

We're just gonna say, we're gonna say, we're gonna say bad baby, okay? We want, we want some, we want some good, exactly, we want some good daddy energy, right. I

mean, obviously this is something that Republican politicians in Harrisburg love to distract people with, you know, by attacking the marginalized communities. So I'm glad you're not on board with that.

And

we just had a vote along those lines recently in the House and

Yeah,

my opponent voted against it.

Democrats are doing what they can.

I got two more for you. How about banning reproductive rights?

That's definitely baby energy.

a of the Republicans, when they had control of the state house, were just one session away from making a constitutional amendment to ban abortion in Pennsylvania. So I'm glad you wouldn't be a part of that.

Yeah.

No, and I'm proud to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood, PA,

And I just think, you know, as a doctor, I'm sure you saw what was happening after Roe was overturned in some of these southern, you know, some of these states and women dying in emergency rooms. you know, we don't want to see

It gets in the way of medicine and people's healthcare.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. 100%. All here's the last one. Paid maternity leave.

That is big time daddy energy. Yes, we need it. We need paid family leave. It's way overdue here in Pennsylvania. ⁓

⁓ The biggest of daddy energies, right? We need it.

I agree with you. Look,

I'm proud that my Democratic County Commissioners in Montgomery County actually passed an ability to have paid maternity leave for all of the workers from Montgomery County. And so that should be everywhere. That should be all over Pennsylvania. So if we can do it here in Montgomery County and not break the bank, then I know in Harrisburg we can do it and not break Pennsylvania by doing what's right.

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

Bryan, why are you running for the Pennsylvania State House?

Well, honestly, I was on the Ben Salem Township Council here. Ben Salem is the largest municipality in Bucks County. I was on the council for eight years, two terms. And I've been out, I've been helping other candidates and staying involved, but with how divisive politics seemed to get and, you know, I have three kids, they were young. I was raising them, coaching, everything else. I wasn't sure I'd ever put my name on a ballot again,

When I saw what was happening here in our Ben Salem School District and programs on the verge of being cut and teachers being laid off and all the things that make my kids' educational experience so fantastic on the verge of being thrown away and schools being underfunded across the Commonwealth, I knew it was time to step back up.

I appreciate that you're running. It's a very big commitment for those who don't know, who've never run for office. It is a big sacrifice. But we need people like you. We need people like you to step up, step into the fray, and help keep towing the line in Harrisburg until we can get more shit done passed in Pennsylvania. So thank you very much for doing it.

appreciate that.

Bryan, the current Republican state rep.

serving in your district voted no to prohibit the use of machine gun conversion devices or distribution of ghost guns. Now the leading cause of death for children in America is gun violence. So what would you do in Harrisburg if given the power to address this?

Well, I think that's common sense, you know, gun safety legislation that we need to support. And when we get a bigger majority in the House, I know that we'll be able to pass that and pass it again and then flip the Senate and get that through. Hopefully I was endorsed and I shouldn't say endorsed recommended by mom's demand action because of where I stand on those issues. And again, being a father and anytime, you know, we see

They're a great organization.

One of these horrific shootings. And then I hear, you know, I know this is off the topic you're asking about, but you hear Republicans say, well, it's, what's fund mental health. Well, let's actually, let's actually do that too. How would that, that be, you know, so.

I know. Yeah, I agree.

no,

I like that you connect those two things together because Republican politicians love to pivot to mental health care and then do nothing about mental health care in Pennsylvania or around the country. So they don't care about mental health care. They don't care about the lives of children. They just don't care. So I'm glad that you care. I'm glad that you will try to pass common sense gun reform in Harrisburg if given the chance.

Absolutely.

Bryan, you were raised by a mom who worked her way through nursing school while raising three kids and a dad who was a machinist at the Nabisco plant. How did your childhood shape your values as an adult?

Yeah.

Yeah. So when I grew up, we were in Croydon when I was really young and my dad worked at a little manufacturing plant nearby and he was a machinist there and he would get laid off. They would have shutdowns and everything else. And my mom worked odd jobs to help me against me. And there were times where there'd be shutdowns and we would be on food stamps to help us.

you know, survive. And then my dad got the job at Nabisco on the Boulevard. He was machinist there and it was a union job and it was a much steadier job. It really helped our family kind of get some stability and gave us a much better life. And then, like you said, my mother around that time was going back to school and he worked nights a lot too, but then she started going to school at night. He would help get dinner ready, help us with our homework and

She became a nurse, became part of PASNAP the nurses union, and she actually became a nurse at the hospital where I was born. I wasn't born at home like my brother. and it really changed the, you know, having the solid, first of all, the work ethic is just amazing. Like, you know, I'm raising three kids. I think we work hard, but like to work all day, like my mom did,

Thank goodness for that.

and then going back out at night to go to school. And then I saw her constantly when any minute of free time she had, there's giant textbooks around. She was doing homework and doing everything she needed to do to get her degree. And it was inspiring.

knowing my dad would ⁓ work all night

still make it to our base, he still coached baseball and all that kind of stuff. And it's just like, they don't make them like that anymore. It's amazing and it really inspired me to just anytime I'm tired or don't wanna give that little extra, think about them.

gives you that drive.

Yeah,

clearly they do make them because they made you, right? And now you're propagating their... Look, I mean, it's good to have them in your sights. And they're such big figures in your mind, you know, as a child to an adult, but your children probably see the same way. So they do make them still today. And you're carrying that on. And look, being a parent is the hardest job in the world. It is the hardest job in the world. And so the fact that your parents did all that, they gave you those values and you're paying it forward now and back to your community.

Now, I...

The unit

I'm grateful for that. So that's a great origin story.

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Bryan, why are you a Democrat? And why do you choose to represent the Democratic Party?

Yeah.

So I told you about my grandparents who lived behind us when we were growing up. And I used to, I could just hop the fence and go visit them. I don't know if they always liked it. They never gave me the impression they didn't, but I just was so excited to go hang out with them. And my grandfather, call him Pop-Pop, he was one of my heroes too. And he was also a machinist at Standard Press Steel in Jenkins Town.

he had like a wood shop in his attic, the third floor of their house. so I'd go up there and hang out with him while he was tinkering around with stuff. And he had a

framed picture of John Kennedy on his wall. you know, I was like, this was 20 some years after Kennedy was assassinated. And I said, Pop Pop, why do you have...

Like, who is this guy? Why is there a picture of him hanging on your wall? And he said, that's John

Mm-hmm.

he looked out for people like us. The Democratic party cares about working people like us.

we want everyone to have healthcare. We want better schools for our kids. We want higher wages for working families. We want to make sure corporations are paying their fair share. I think you'll find across the line that that's a pretty common theme with Democrats and that is exactly how I feel. So that's why I'm a Democrat today.

And I remember when I first got involved in my early twenties and some of the, know, we had a 2,500 Republican voter registration edge in Ben Salm and the Republican council people and committee people would come up to me, why are you a Democrat? You'll never win here. And I said, well, it's not about that. It's my values, you know?

Yeah, no, I appreciate that we share the same values and ideals. And I love the Democratic platform. I mean, I think that for people who don't like Democrats or don't think that we have goals, they need to read the platform. Look, I get it. It's 91 pages long. I mean, that's like reading

not a novel or anything, but you know, it's like reading a pretty long ended story. But if you read it, it's hard not to fall in love with it.

Bye.

You described a lot of the things that Democrats want to achieve. And in states where they have the trifecta, they have achieved those things. But you need to have power to pass legislation. And so I'm just grateful that you're a Democrat, and I can't wait to get to Harrisburg and continue to progress with those ideals.

Bryan, you are a huge Beatles fan and once met Beatles drummer Pete Best and John Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Lennon. So that's pretty awesome.

Yeah.

Yep.

Mm-hmm.

It was really cool. was really, and you know, it was just like, you felt like you

touching a piece of history, you know? It was just really amazing to me.

And I know everyone loves the Beatles, but I was like nuts for all the others. They're so, yeah. So, yeah.

Yeah, no, that's fine. ⁓ They're iconic. If you're gonna

latch onto a group, that's a good one.

All right, well, I wanna see how much you really know about the Beatles. We're gonna do some Beatles trivia,

Alright.

do my best.

The Quarrymen.

Here's

another one. Where did George Harrison write his iconic track, Here Comes the Sun?

in India?

that's right. I knew that. That's right. Damn. Damn it.

The rooftop at Abbey Road Studios in London. All right.

You got it. You got it.

Very good. You did a pretty good job. I didn't know any of those. I didn't know any of those. OK. It's OK. It's OK. No judging here. You still keep your Beatles mania badge. You get to keep it. OK. You got to keep it.

Now the Eric Clapton one I blew I should have I should have a little rusty

there were times during your childhood when your family relied on SNAP benefits, when your father was laid off from the Nabisco plan.

Mm-hmm.

Seeing Trump and Republican politicians threaten snap benefits in Pennsylvania must have been really difficult for you to watch.

Absolutely. It's a disgrace. You know, and like I said before, my family worked hard. We weren't looking for a handout or anything. And

it just kind of keeps you afloat when you need it, you know, and a lot of seniors rely on it. You know, it's terrible. Between the Medicaid cuts and the SNAP funding, they're crushing us here in Pennsylvania. And the Republicans have been

Yeah.

complicit in their silence for too long, too many of them.

It's terrible. mean, I look as a physician, I took an oath to do no harm, right? And I don't think that that oath that I took starts and stops when I enter or leave a hospital. I believe that doing no harm means all the time. And to deny food to a child, to deny food to an adult, regardless of the situation is wrong.

It's wrong, and I don't think we should look down on people who need help. And like we said earlier, government works best when people who care about government are working in it. And I think that it can help the most amount of people. So I think it's disgusting that Republican politicians and Trump were threatening to take away SNAP benefits. It's just gross.

It's a fraction of the cost of this war in Iran that we're fighting.

Yeah, it's a fraction of the cost. Yeah, I mean, at the

end of the day, feeding people should not be about money. I mean, like, if we're the richest nation in the world, if we're the best nation in the world, then nobody should have to go hungry, right? And so it shouldn't even be a question about money. It just should be the right thing to do. And I'm glad that you would support SNAP benefits in Harrisburg.

Absolutely.

Bryan, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no to legalize marijuana. How do you feel about that?

I support legalizing recreational marijuana. think it's in the surrounding states and people can get it where we're at now. I think it's safer than alcohol. You're a doctor, so I'd love to get your opinion on this, it seems to be, according to the studies I've seen, safer than alcohol.

Yes.

tax it, regulate it, make sure it's...

you know, being done safely and keeping it away from anyone under 18 or 21.

Right.

you know, according to the governor's budget, would, you know, raise like over $500 million for our state, which could be used to help our schools help fund, you know, medical insurance again, SNAP, a lot of things.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's a no-brainer. I people are driving across bridges to go to New Jersey. They're going to Delaware. They're going to New York. They're flying to Colorado, California to get marijuana because it's legal there and it's safe. And, you know, if we want to balance the budget, if Republican politicians actually care about, you know, bringing more money into Pennsylvania safely, then legalizing marijuana is a no-brainer. So I'm glad that given the chance, you would vote to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania.

we're gonna play What the Buck. It's my favorite trivia game to play with people running in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I have some trivia for you that's gonna make you say, the buck? And you have to say what the buck, okay? I have to preface that because some people don't say it and it ruins the game, man. So you gotta say it, okay? Okay, so a potential strike.

All right.

I get it.

I had a feeling this one was coming.

by more than 200 unionized maintenance workers may keep what Pennsylvania theme park from opening for the summer season on

Hershey Park. What the buck?

What the buck, man?

What the buck? mean, look, you're a Democrat, so you definitely support unions, and whatever they need, Hershey Park needs to come to the table, right? I mean, it's the sweetest place on earth, so we gotta get those rides up and moving. All here's another one. Which university was ordered by a federal judge to turn over names of Jewish students and employees during an investigation into alleged antisemitism?

Yes.

Absolutely.

Yes.

That was a PENN if I'm not mistaken.

You are correct. What the buck, What the buck? mean, look.

What the buck? It's insane. What decade

or what time period are we living in here?

I mean, I'm

Jewish and I can tell you, making lists of Jews for the government, usually not a good idea. I mean, just putting that out there. So yeah, I'm not happy with that decision at all, but it is on brand for the Trump administration. Here's another one.

in March, a Secret Service agent assigned to whose security detail accidentally shot himself in the leg.

man, I don't know this one, I'm sorry. I remember a story about the shooting in the Lombard.

No, it's okay. I didn't either Yeah, it was

actually former first lady. Dr. Jill Biden. Yeah, I don't know it was Yeah, yeah, it was what the buck man and it it's okay. I didn't know it either I had to look this stuff up, but it was called a negligent discharge It's like thought that was like an interesting name for that. But yeah, I mean he's okay, but not not a good thing Okay, here's the last one in which Pennsylvania town will music fest take

⁓ yes, okay. I'm sorry. What the buck? Why don't I know this stuff? What the buck?

Yeah, jeez.

Thank you. That's good.

Hmm

which I've never been to. I've never been to it before. ⁓ It is not Bucks County. It is not.

Okay, so it's not Brooks County. All right.

I'm gonna say, I

don't know. ⁓ you know, I'm so close to saying Allentown. That sort of wrong, but I would have been close. I'm like Reading Allentown.

It's okay.

No, it's okay, Bethlehem PA. No, it looks great. July 31st to August

9th, they're gonna have Third Eye Blind, Train, Weird Al, Yankovitch, AJR. What the buck, man? It sounds amazing. Yeah. I know, it's all good stuff. It's like, are we both millennials? Are we both millennials?

Yeah. What the fuck? That's my wheelhouse. And that's why you asked that probably, because you know I'm a 90s guy.

I'm 47, so I forget. I always lose track of the...

Are you there?

of the time periods. Yeah, so I'm a millennial. That's like my sweet spot, all the music fest people, so that's great. Well,

Yes, there's too many categories now.

Yeah.

thanks for playing What the Buck with me.

Are you a fish guy or?

Bryan, in high school, you ran for the Student Council Executive Board President and beat the guy who had been your class president for three straight.

That must have been one hell of a speech man.

Yes. Jim is a, is a great

and, like I said, I was always interested in service and, know, the first three years it's kind of a popularity

you know, Hey, I got along with everyone. We, ⁓ played sports and everything, but didn't think it was in the cards for me, but we had an opportunity to give a speech and I could lay out some ideas that I thought would be helpful to the school.

Uh-huh.

They

went over very well. The faculty didn't like all the ideas and they started proofreading the speeches after that ahead of time.

That's awesome.

That's hilarious. So Jim

was your class president beforehand. So what's Jim doing now? I have to know.

Jim.

I don't know, to be honest. I forgot. I got to check in with him. He moved away. but yeah, I know. No, he was stayed out of politics. It might have been a better.

Gosh, you like totally derailed his timeline, Bryan. mean, like the guy.

Well, you were also voted most likely to be president in your senior yearbook, right?

Yeah, again, I think

this, were impressed with that speech for something that's valid.

I guess so. Well look, Bryan,

⁓ savor

State House for now, okay? Don't get any ideas right now.

Yeah. No, no, trust me.

Bryan, you bagged groceries and worked as a cashier at your local Acme through high school and college, and you joined a union while you were there as well.

Yeah.

what benefits did you get from belonging to a union while in high school and college?

Mm-hmm.

they treated.

me just as well as they treated the most senior employee there. We were all looked at as equals. And it was just a really, it really taught me a lot about how important unions are, which, know, I, my parents were in a union and we had a great life partially because of that. But this was the first time I really got to see it firsthand and experience it. And ⁓ it really, really impacted me.

Yeah, I'm.

So I will

always be grateful for that experience.

No, collective bargaining is so important. mean, unions came into existence because companies were not treating their employees well. You know, mean, like if companies always did the right thing, then you wouldn't need unions, right? But unions came about because people were being abused, they taking advantage of, they were dying, being maimed, they are not giving enough time off, they didn't have paid time off. You know, they didn't have any benefits whatsoever, no retirement, nothing. And so unions brought all that into the fray.

Mm-hmm.

And so to say that all unions are obsolete, well, I'm sorry, greed and avarice is never going to be obsolete. You are always going to need people to check that level of power. And so I'm glad you had such a good experience with the union, you know, and Democrats.

Yeah. I worked at a picnic

place before that and they worked us, you know, like way over the amount of hours we were probably, I was a 15 year old allowed to work and everything. And it was crazy. So to go from that to,

set times and making sure that you had the breaks that you're supposed to have to keep everyone safe. was about safe, safety and health and wellbeing.

Bryan Allen, Union Man.

Yep, absolutely.

Bryan, the current Republican state rep serving in your district voted no to allow election officials to begin counting mail-in ballots up to seven days before an election. How do you feel about that, Bryan?

Well, I think it's crazy. I don't see why they can't start canvassing earlier the ballots. And then maybe we wouldn't have the president complaining on election night, you know. ⁓

stop the count. It's

just so ridiculous. I mean, if people want to know elections in one night, why not count the hundreds of thousands of ballots as they come in up to seven days before an election?

then you can release those results first thing in the morning and you have an idea of where things are going. There's no blue wave. It's just that's the way it is, right? But Republican politicians need that to constantly just spread this disinformation over and over and over again. It just makes absolutely no sense.

Yes.

Exactly.

It's more work for people and it's just terrible. It grinds down the staffers and workers and sows misinformation. So I'm glad.

Yeah. And we have great

county election employees. work their butts off and I think we owe it to them. mean, they're put under so much stress with these, some of these crazy election laws mandated by Harris.

Right.

Mm-hmm

Yeah, it's crazy. Well look flip flip the state Senate get a trifecta. We'll be able to change all those things

Sounds awesome.

Mm-hmm.

got out and with very little money, just knocked on doors every single day, talked to talk to voters of all political

I could really relate to them because of my background and the life that I and the family that I came from and the work ethic. you know, when they told me about their problems, we, we understood, you know, and, ⁓ something resonated, you know, I was offering something different. ⁓ we had, you know, big developers that were, ⁓ had a lot of influence here in Ben Salem and, people didn't like where things were heading and,

I was able to break through.

I

like you're being humble, Bryan. I do. I'm gonna say what you're not saying. You worked your ass off. You worked your ass off to get that seat. And I really hope that the past is prologue because we need to flip this seat November 3rd. And I know you're working your ass off today, so I appreciate that.

Yeah.

Well, I did, yes.

Absolutely.

Yes. Thank you.

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Bryan, you met your wife when she was 26 on eHarmony and up until that point she had never been registered to vote. And when she found out what you did for a living, she registered about that as bananas,

Isn't that nuts?

Yes,

she told me after she registered, she admitted it to me. I think it was a couple dates in.

⁓ my.

I was ashamed.

That is is privilege personified. Yeah,

She's very passionate now, if it makes any difference.

Yeah, it's good. Look,

when you know better, you do better. OK, Maya Angelou said it best. It's fine. But I just find that so interesting. And it also just goes to show that, you know, it matters who we talk to. It matters who we engage with. It matters what we say to people, because you never know what they're going to do.

You know, based on what you say, if you're apathetic and you don't care and you think that both sides are the same, you're not going to vote. If you're passionate and you lay out why it's important to vote and why you should support certain parties, then hey, maybe you're going to get up and do something a little bit different than you never did before. know, obviously, privilege can get in the way of not knowing why you should get involved, but politics affects everyone. It affects everything. And so that's why I think it's so important to talk positively about politics and what it can do for you.

And I just think it's great that your wife now is in the game, you know, trying to make the state a better place. I think it's a funny story. I like that.

Yes.

Bryan, as a two-term Ben Salem councilman, you helped put more police officers on the street, you fought over development, and you worked to bring tax relief to local homeowners. You realize you're running as a Democrat, right? You realize, because I thought those were only things that Republican politicians did. Right? Yeah.

Right. well, that's what they would like you to believe, but that's not accurate.

I have a family here. I want Ben Salam to be safe, my community to be safe. We had a casino coming in when I was running for office the first time, and I wanted to make sure we were prepared and that my community would benefit and be prepared for any kind of impacts that that casino would have. So those were common

ideas to bring to the table and fight for and our community deserved it and we needed we needed to make those investments.

I appreciate that. mean, look, I think those are all very good things for any community. And you're going to bring that to Harrisburg. But I I like to demystify the democratic platform and what people don't understand is that we all want the same things for the most part. I just feel like people don't know necessarily the bridges and the levers of power to get us there. And so I'm glad that you showcase that in a political position. And you're just going to do more than Harrisburg. That's why I got to get you there.

Yes.

I appreciate you bringing that up because that's

blur the record on here in Ben Salem. They like to attack our Democratic candidates on that every year. I want great schools. I want to keep our community safe. Yeah,

What, Republican politicians lying? Mm-hmm. Yeah, well.

Good, good, good, keep it going.

Bryan, we're going to play Time to Run. OK, I have some questions about your campaign. All right. So what is your on the go snack

Protein bars. Yeah, pure

protein bars. wow. OK.

bars. They're easy to grab and

Like, what are we like?

get tricky in the

like the me-

because they get a little melty if they're just leaving them in the car.

Yeah, are we talking like the mega protein bars like the 20 plus grams of protein?

20 grams, yeah, not the ones that are super, you know, sugary and stuff.

Yeah,

those are a little rough on my gut sometimes, but good for you. Yeah, do it. Do it. Do what you got to do.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it gets tricky. I'm used to it.

Got the iron stomach. All right. How about what's what's the longest you've talked to someone on the phone to ask for a donation?

I've pretty recently, I think I've had like a good 25 minute conversation, but yeah.

Whoo, that's good.

I mean, it's good that you get there. I mean, it's like, I think it's tragic that we have to spend this much money in politics at all to run for political office. I mean, your seat, which is highly flippable, is probably gonna, what, cost a million dollars, maybe even more. But look, we have to play the game. Yeah, we have to play the game that Republican politicians set the rules, okay? This is only this way because of conservatives. Democrats want to

Yeah.

million plus.

reform.

and kind of move the ball forward, but this is kind of where we are. ⁓

Absolutely,

you need finance reform and I'm proud that a lot of my donations have been from individuals that care about making our Commonwealth better.

Mm-hmm.

Which endorsement are you most proud of so far?

That's a tough one. No, well, you know, change PA has been great to work with. They've been a huge help to me. Turn bucks blue has been great. I got to pick one. Wow. Of course, you know, we talked about how important Planned Parenthood is. Not, you know, because there's some that, you know, people don't understand the scope of what they do. You do obviously, but, and I'm very proud of course of, ⁓

Yeah, I don't want you to upset anyone. You can aim a couple if you want, you know.

I know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

of TWU 234's endorsement because of, with everything that's going on with SEPTA right now, that they have their faith in me that I'm going to come to their aid and help with this mass transit funding crisis. It's such a big economic driver for our whole region. ⁓

Yeah.

you

Absolutely.

Yeah,

no, it's a no-brainer. I really hope that Josh Shapiro comes in and,

You know, you can slap that on your website, okay?

That would be

Bryan, your district has a $17 million budget deficit that has been driven in large part by rising costs and lack of reimbursement for schools from Harrisburg. And I understand the current Republican state rep still refuses to fully fund public schools in Pennsylvania, which I can only assume you disagree with.

Absolutely. If we fully funded schools in Pennsylvania, Ben Salem would have an extra $38.5 million and that would solve all these issues and help tax local taxpayers.

did get that deficit down, but they had to do it with a lot of painful cuts. And we're looking at a tax hike here in Ben Salem.

That is a huge line I love to draw between Harrisburg and where you live. If your property taxes are going up every year, the first question you should ask is how much money, how much tax money that has gone from my pocket to Harrisburg is coming back to my district to fund public schools. And if that money is not coming in, your school board has no choice but to raise your local taxes. And that is because of Republican politicians. The state Senate has been in control

Absolutely.

by Republicans for 30 plus years, and they have made it their mission to defund public schools and give it to charter schools. And that's why we have to flip the state Senate and keep you in Harrisburg as a Democrat, maintain control, get the trifecta, fully fund public schools, decrease your property taxes. It's a no brainer, but that's we will need to be thinking when they go to the polls this November 3rd.

I remember talking to a woman on the phone when we had Republican legislature before and they cut education funding. And she said, well, I'm glad because I pay too much in property taxes. And I had

Alright, bruh.

explain to her that that's going to drive your property taxes up. Some people don't understand that. So I'm glad you clarified that.

Yeah

I try to do it every time.

Bryan, what would you say to someone who is disaffected with democracy?

Keep the faith because I've had days where I feel like that. And then I, ⁓ you know, I get out and I talk to people and listen to their concerns and also their hopes. And it really, it really helps, helps me to see that there's a brighter future

you know, people, you know, seem to be looking at what's happening and reacting to that now. And that gives me a lot of hope for democracy. And that, sorry, that was more what I, what gives me hope, but I think people need to look at that. So.

No,

I

most recently, I guess, at Austin Davis said, know, democracy works best when you get engaged, when you're involved with it. And when a lot of people get involved and engaged, democracy works a whole hell of a lot better. So I agree. I think we all have periods of despair. And you kind of wove in my second to last question of what gives you hope. And I'm glad that you have hope that democracy is still moving forward and that people are going to keep showing up, people like you.

Absolutely.

who are gonna show up every day and try and make your town better. And I'm hoping that very soon you're gonna make Harrisburg better and the rest of the state.

My last question for you, Bryan, is what are your plans to get you through these next few years? yeah.

next few years. Well,

in less than a year, I'll be representing the 18th district and I can work on a lot of these positive changes that we've been talking about. That will definitely help me get through this mentally. And, ⁓ also just, ⁓ you know, anytime I go to like my kids' schools, their activity, you know, different activities and stuff. I see,

the students there, the next generation, how smart and energetic and creative they are. It just really, it's back to, sort of ties into the last question, but that really gives me hope and helps keep me going. So, you know, we'll continue to stay involved with them and hopefully I'll have time to coach again. I had to get a step away from that a little this year, but that.

Yeah, no, look, you're

running your ass off in a campaign and a lot of things get pushed to the wayside, but I'm sure your family is rooting for you and you couldn't do this without family support. So I'm sure they're being very understanding and you're just doing a great job. So keep the faith, man. You're doing awesome.

No, absolutely not.

Bryan Allen running for state house as a Democrat. This is the part where you come in real close and turn up your volume. OK, Josh Shapiro.

If you live in the 18th district, which includes Ben Salem Township and Humeville, you need to get up off your ass and go to Bryan's website and sign up to Doorknock, to phone bank write postcards, make a donation. This is a highly flippable seat and don't tell me your vote doesn't matter. Every election is the most important election and as we've seen race after race,

You could be the vote that decides to send Bryan to Harrisburg after November 3rd. So Bryan, I am so happy you're running. I'm so happy you're stepping up for your community and the rest of the state. I just hope I can call you on November 3rd and congratulate you, really.

I hope you will. hope you can. And I just want to thank you for everything you're doing because it's amazing.

Getting the word out and

Look.

people. It's fantastic.

we need more of you. So.

Absolutely

happy to do it.

Well, thank you so much for joining me here on The Zekely Podcast Stay hopeful and get involved and until next time let's keep building a stronger, Pennsylvania