Bucks County Senate Race Relies on Yass PAC

Jeff Yass, a co-founder of Susquehanna International Group, has become the dominant financial force in a key Pennsylvania state Senate race.

Campaign finance records show that 75 percent of the $4.7 million held by Republican incumbent Frank Farry comes from a PAC funded by the billionaire. The Pennsylvania Democratic Campaign Committee and official reports attribute this bulk of the funding to Students First PAC. As of May 2026, Transparency USA PA calculates that Yass has donated a total of $96.4 million to various individuals and organizations. He serves as the primary contributor to Students First PAC and also provides capital to Pennsylvania Rising, the Republican Committee of Chester, and the Commonwealth Leaders Fund.

All Eyes on Yass reported in April that the billionaire allocated $16.5 million to Students First PAC. He also directed $4.2 million to the PA Education Choice Fund. Both entities contributed directly to Farry’s reelection effort. Farry, who represents Senate District 6, maintains that the funding does not influence his legislative choices. In an email, he stated that campaign contributions have never been a factor in how he votes. He described himself as an independent voice in Harrisburg who brings people together to accomplish work.

Democratic challenger Eileen Hartnett Albillar argues that such large donations imply expectations. She stated that the billionaires backing Farry do not give away millions without expecting something in return. Hartnett Albillar, the current Bucks County Clerk of Courts, noted that Farry voted to raise the gas tax and block the minimum wage. She also pointed out that his law firm represented local data center developers while he supported tax breaks for those entities. She claimed the Yass-backed campaign seeks to defund public schools, which would force property taxes to rise in Bucks County.

State Senator Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat from Senate District 10, called the level of funding unprecedented. He urged voters in the district to question why a specific organization would provide such substantial resources. He noted that Yass has previously invested in public school funding issues, including private school scholarship programs and vouchers. WHYY reported in 2021 that Yass supported initiatives aimed at tax credits and school privatization.

In June, Farry voted to increase the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. He also voted to remove the sales tax exemption for data centers. The EITC program allows businesses and individuals to redirect tax dollars to support K-12 scholarships for eligible families through approved nonprofits, including private and religious schools. Donors receive tax breaks for these contributions, effectively creating taxpayer-funded vouchers.

Farry responded to Hartnett Albillar’s criticism by alleging she had accepted millions of dollars from senators in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He also claimed she took donations from California billionaires, though he did not name specific individuals or organizations in his email. Arthur G. Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, issued a statement on Friday regarding the revelations. He noted that Farry represents 254,698 constituents but runs a campaign that is 70 percent funded by one MAGA billionaire. Steinberg said Yass’s agenda includes expanding profits for private and charter school operators and breaking up unions to force workers into submission.