Russ Diamond in the News
Diamond Honors 99-Year Old Veteran & Fitness Enthusiast
State Rep. Russ Diamond talks to veteran Gerald Leinbach about his service in WWII and the Korean War during a SilverSneakers ceremony Nov. 11. Watch Video...
Diamond Plans Prayer Walk Around LVC
Following a controversial public cancellation of a planned vigil for the assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, state Rep. Russ Diamond (R-102) has announced plans to hold a prayer and remembrance walk around the Lebanon Valley College campus on Monday, Oct. 27. Read more...
Diamond: More Lebanon Co. Farms Preserved
Three crop and livestock farms in Lebanon County have been accepted into the state's farmland preservation program, ensuring they remain agricultural properties in perpetuity, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Read more...
Diamond Dedicates Bridge to Fallen Vietnam Hero
Signage unveiled this week designates a bridge on Pa. Route 934 in East Hanover Township as the WO1 John Stephen Chrin Memorial Bridge, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Diamond's measure for the bridge naming was amended into Act 17 of 2025. Watch video...
Diamond Vigorously Defends Firearms Rights on House Floor
House Democrats tried to push four gun control bills this week. Rep. Diamond voted NO on all of them and felt it necessary to remind his colleagues of the relevant part of the PA Constitution that they all swore an oath to support and defend. Watch video...
Diamond to Introduce 'Charlie Kirk Day' Bill
State Representative Russ Diamond in Lebanon County announced Thursday morning that he is planning to introduce legislation that would establish 'Charlie Kirk Day' as an official state holiday on the first Monday of August each year. Read more...
Diamond Honors Woman for Voting 81 Years in a Row
A Lebanon County woman was honored for voting for 81 years in a row. The Lebanon County Bureau of Elections presented 102-year-old Lorraine Koons with an award on Friday afternoon. She got a cake, a baseball hat, a card and an elections blanket. Rep. Russ Diamond, R-102, also gave her a proclamation from the House. Read more...
Diamond: More Farmland Preserved
A Bethel Township poultry farm has been accepted into the state's farmland preservation program, ensuring it remains an agricultural property in perpetuity, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Read more...
House Passes Diamond's Radon Data Bill
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) to allow previous property owners to access radon data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) passed the House 176-27 today. Read more...
Diamond Bill Would Benefit Truckers
One House bill would increase the reimbursement amount truck drivers can receive for undyed diesel used in reefer units. Pennsylvania now allows a person to be reimbursed on any purchase for reefers up to 75 gallons. Sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, HB260 would increase the maximum reimbursement allowed for tax paid on undyed diesel used in affected trucks from 75 gallons to 100 gallons. Read more...
Diamond Announces $1M Grant for Railway Improvements
A $1 million grant awarded today to Allen Distribution will help to build three rail sidings serving a distribution center in Jackson Township, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Read more...
Diamond Announces $280,000 in Fire, EMS Grants
Seventeen fire and emergency medical service organizations in the 102nd District were awarded nearly $280,000 in funding through the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Read more...
Diamond Proposes Abolishing Pennsylvania Property Tax
State Representative Russ Diamond is seeking support for legislation he plans to introduce. In a memo sent to all House members Diamond writes, "I will be introducing legislation to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot so voters can decide whether to eliminate all property taxes in the Commonwealth by a date certain, which in turn would task the General Assembly with devising different methods of funding our schools, counties, and municipalities." Read more...
Diamond: Overspending Detrimental to PA's Future
As Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) listened to Gov. Josh Shapiro share details from his 2025-26 budget proposal today, the representative grew increasingly incensed by the concept of spending 7.5% more than the current fiscal year. Read more...
Diamond Announces Low-Interest Loan for Richland
A low-interest loan awarded this week to Richland Borough will help the municipality install a 500,000-gallon water tank, according to Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). Read more...
Diamond Proposes New State Song
Did you know Pennsylvania had an official state song? If so, can you sing the words or hum the melody without looking it up? Until he heard it performed at the inauguration of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Jan. 17, 2023, state Rep. Russ Diamond said he didn't realize the commonwealth had its own song. Read more...
Diamond Applauds Withdrawal of Shortsighted Gaming Regulation
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has withdrawn its immediate plans to pursue automatic removal from the self-exclusion list that casinos use when prohibiting problem gamblers. Read more...
County Republicans Endorse Diamond
The Lebanon County Republican Committee voted to endorse the re-election of State Representative Russ Diamond (R-102) at a meeting held at the Lincoln Republican Club auditorium on Thursday night. Diamond won the vote by a 31-1 margin among Committee members in attendance from the 102nd District. Read more...
Diamond Endorses Trump
Pennsylvania State Representative Russ Diamond (R-102), one of the most stalwart conservative voices in the General Assembly, today formerly endorsed Donald Trump for a second term as President of the United States. Read more...
Diamond Secures Ballot Slot
State Representative Russ Diamond (R-102) today confirmed that he has successfully filed the required paperwork with the Department of State to have his name appear on the ballot in 2024, a full week before the filing deadline. Read more...
Diamond to Seek Re-Election
State Representative Russ Diamond (R-102, Lebanon County) today announced that he will be seeking re-election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2024. A life-long Lebanon County resident, Diamond believes his efforts have been successful in providing Lebanon County values a strong voice in Harrisburg. Read more...
Diamond Labels Taylor Swift PA House Resolution "Silly"
Rep. Russ Diamond, still praising Swift for her wild success, called the resolution "silly" because the songstress long ago left Pennsylvania and now lives in Tennessee – he even invoked Swift's lyrics to make his point. Read more...
Diamond Votes to Renew Critical Privacy Law
"It is the provision of Pennsylvania law that states if you call someone on the telephone they cannot record you without your permission. It is the provision of Pennsylvania law that states that you have a reasonable expectation of privacy and someone cannot surreptitiously record your conversations without your permission. That is a critical thing that makes Pennsylvania special and that absolutely needs to be renewed," Diamond said. Read more...
Diamond Proposes Bill to Prohibit Running for Multiple Offices
Running for two public offices at the same time — one that you already hold and one that you aspire to hold — has become a familiar scenario in Harrisburg. Two state representatives, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, have filed bills that would put a stop to it. Both say it is feeding a cycle of frequent and expensive special elections, not to mention fundamental questions it raises about the priorities of the candidates involved. Read more...
Diamond, Aument Propose Bills on Sexually Explicit Books in Schools
House Bill 1659 and Senate Bill 7 were introduced by Representative Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) and Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster.) The bills would identify sexually explicit content in school libraries and curriculum, and allow parents to choose whether their kids can read the books. Read more...
Diamond: Save the (Primary) Date
The dangers of moving up the 2024 primary at this late date are clear and present, while the benefits – if any – are minimal at best. The General Assembly should reject this midnight effort to move Pennsylvania's primary date, and instead focus on making improvements to our electoral system that will restore confidence and enhance voting security. Read more...
Diamond Files Bill to Protect Cash Transactions
Cash is king – or at least it used to be – and Rep. Russ Diamond is proposing legislation that would bar businesses from refusing to accept cash for transactions under $500. Read more...
Diamond Cosponsors Bill to Protect Kids from Online Porn
A Pennsylvania legislator looks to require smartphone manufacturers to automatically engage content filters on phones and digital tablets activated in the commonwealth in order to prevent minors from accessing pornography online. It proposes opening manufacturers like Google and Apple to class action lawsuits and civil fines capped at $500 when failing to enable filters upon activation. The bill would allow adults to turn off the filters and eliminate the content restriction. Read more...
Diamond & Rozzi: Run For One Office At A Time
Several state House of Representatives members are backing proposals to make those running for office choose to run for one position at a time. Two co-sponsorship memorandums have been floated in recent weeks prompted by numerous special elections to fill vacant state Legislature seats — and the uncertainty those elections have raised over control of the legislature. Read more...
Diamond Blasts Bill on Boroughs as 'Ultimate Patronage' Program
The state House on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow the same person to serve as a borough's employee and elected official — regardless of its population — triggering an impassioned critique from a lawmaker who named several Allegheny County boroughs as places that could end up having the "ultimate patronage position." Read more...
Diamond: Let's Encourage Doug Mastriano to Sit This One Out
Today, I'm calling on all level-headed Pennsylvania Republicans to join me in requesting that Doug Mastriano abandon any plans he may have to run for U.S. Senate in 2024. In 2022, I publicly predicted what would happen if Doug Mastriano was on the top of our ticket ten days before the primary election. Unfortunately, I was mostly right. Read more...
Republicans Should Embrace Mail-in Voting
It shouldn't be easier for Democrats to vote than for Republicans. Democrats shouldn't be able to sit in their warm, comfy chairs, put a few checks in the boxes, stick the ballot in an envelope and drop it in a mailbox –while Republicans are forced to trek to the polls. That just isn't right. Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon County), understands it's so much easier for his voters to fill out the ballot at their kitchen table than feeling rushed and tired after standing in a long line. Read more...
Gebhard, Diamond Announce More than $635k for County Projects
Sen. Chris Gebhard and Rep. Russ Diamond today announced state grants totaling more than $635,000 have been awarded throughout Lebanon County for projects that will improve public safety and create additional recreational opportunities. Read more...
Diamond, Gebhard Announce More than $1.7M for Infrastructure
Rep. Russ Diamond and Sen. Chris Gebhard today announced state grants totaling $1,705,634 in order for three Lebanon County municipalities to better serve residents' needs. Read more...
Diamond: PA Republicans Need a 3-point Game
In Pennsylvania, no-excuse mail-in voting is the equivalent of the 3-point shot in its early days. Unfortunately, Republicans have been operating as if this new rule doesn't exist – and it shows. We've routinely been trounced by the Democrats in mail-in voting. Regardless of whether we like mail-in voting, nothing changes the fact that it's legal and will remain legal for the foreseeable future. Republicans must embrace a winning mail-in strategy or we'll suffer the same fate as basketball teams who fail to embrace a 3-point strategy: we'll continue to lose elections. Read more...
Diamond Reappointed to PA Election Law Advisory Board
State Representative Russ Diamond has been reappointed as a designated member of the Joint State Government Commission's Election Law Advisory Board by House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler. Diamond had previously served on the board since its inception as the designee of Cutler when he was Speaker of the House. Read more...
Diamond Announces $982k Loan for Richland Water System
Rep. Russ Diamond today announced that Richland Borough has been approved for a $981,853 loan through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). This will allow the borough to complete a critical public water infrastructure project. Read more...
Diamond Opposes 'Sweetheart' State Hospital Sale
Sen. Pat Browne's last big deal, as a lame duck after losing his seat to a primary challenge this year, has some in the Lehigh Valley and beyond asking whether it was as transparent as it should have been. "Half of my objection to it was that it doesn't pass the smell test," state Rep. Russ Diamond said. Read more...
Diamond Coasts to Easy Election Win
Republican Russ Diamond easily won re-election to represent the 102nd district in the state House of Representatives for another two years. According to the Associated Press, Diamond received 19,091 votes, or 70.21% of the ballots cast, while Democrat Laura Quick received 8,100 votes, or 29.79%. Read more...
Wolf signs Diamond Bill into Law
Governor Tom Wolf signed Rep. Russ Diamond's HB2373, addressing the use of the former Lt. Governor's mansion at Ft. Indiantown Gap, into law as Act 166 of 2022. It was the final Act signed into law by Wolf. Due to unresolved tensions between Wolf and Diamond over Pennsylvania's Covid-era policies, no signing ceremony was held. Read more...
House Unanimously Passes Diamond Bill on Dead Voters
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, HB 143 requires the Department of State to cross-reference its statewide voter database with death record information from local registrars at least once a month. If a voter's first and last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number appear on a death record, the voter will be removed from the Statewide Uniform Registry of Voters. Read more...
Republican Lt. Governor Primary Takes Testy Turn
Some elections are like NASCAR races — drivers may swap a little paint while trying to advance, but the checkered flag at the finish line is always in focus. Some elections — say, the Republican primary for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor — are more akin to a demolition derby. Read more... [WATCH VIDEO]
Diamond Announces $1.1M Grant for LVC Nursing & Health
Rep. Russ Diamond today announced approval of a $1,100,000 grant for the Lebanon Valley College Nursing & Interdisciplinary Health Education Facility in Annville Township. Read more...
Diamond Threatened by Opponent in Lt. Governor Race
A Republican seeking his party's nomination for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor in next month's primary threatened Russ Diamond, one of his eight opponents, that he plans to confront him in person over a Facebook post raising questions about his background. Read more...
State House Honors Lt. William Lebo
The Pennsylvania House honored the memory of fallen Lebanon police Lt. William Lebo and shared condolences with his family and fellow officers in a resolution passed unanimously on Tuesday, April 12. The resolution, introduced by state Rep. Frank Ryan and co-sponsored by state Reps. Russ Diamond and Sue Helm, put Lt. Lebo's history of service and sacrifice into the commonwealth's official legislative record for posterity. Read more...
Diamond Blasts DoS for Personal Information Sharing
A state lawmaker is questioning the authority of the Department of State to access email addresses and cell phone numbers from other state agencies to aid its voter outreach efforts. Rep. Russ Diamond said he has heard from voters who were incensed over receiving emails and text messages with invitations to apply for a mailed ballot when they never provided that contact information to the state department but may have to other state agencies. Read more...
Diamond Supports Whole Milk in PA Schools
A bill put forth to the Pennsylvania House aims to return whole milk to schools in the commonwealth in advance of any federal action on the matter. The bill, introduced by Rep. John Lawrence (R-13) and co-sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond, is currently on the table for the House of Representatives to consider this session. Read more...
Crowds Line Rt 422 to Honor Lt. William Lebo
Thousands of people from the Lebanon County community lined the main thoroughfare in Lebanon to pay tribute to fallen hero Lt. William Lebo of the Lebanon City Police Department. Read more...
Diamond Secures Ballot Slot for Lt. Governor
State Representative Russ Diamond (R–Lebanon) today filed the necessary paperwork to qualify to have his name on the ballot for Lieutenant Governor in the 2022 Republican Primary Election. Read more...
Diamond Announces Grant for Annville Library
Representative Russ Diamond announced that the Annville Free Library will be going under renovations due to a $750,000 Keystone Grant that was approved. "Libraries are the repository of knowledge, entertainment, and information access in the digital age – you can research world history or apply for a job on the internet," Diamond said. "We are fortunate to have such jewel in the Annville Library in the historic district, and these improvements will have a positive effect on the entire area." Read more...
Diamond Cruises Over Duvall with 53-point Win
Russ Diamond, Republican state House member for Pennsylvania's 102nd District, has defeated Democratic challenger Matthew Duvall with all of the precincts reporting. Diamond finished with 70.8 percent of the vote (11,389 votes) while Duvall had 17.7 percent, at 2,457 votes. Read more...
Diamond Earns NRA and Other Key Endorsements
Russ Diamond (R-102) has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund, the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the National Federation of Independent Business, and several other key organizations for re-election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Read more...
Diamond Named "Guardian of Small Business"
The National Federation of Independent Business has honored State Representative Russ Diamond for his voting record on behalf of Pennsylvania's small business owners in the 2015-16 session of the General Assembly. Read more...
Diamond Romps in 102nd District Race
As he did in 2014, Republican Russ Diamond comfortably defeated Democrat Jake Long. With 98 percent of the votes counted, Diamond led Long by nearly 19,104 to 8,192 votes, a margin of 70 to 30 percent at the time of print. Read more...
Diamond Defeats Houtz by 11 Points
Russ Diamond defeated Tom Houtz with a 55-44 percent win in the 2016 Republican primary in the 102nd District. The race was highlighted by false claims and negative personal attacks by Houtz against Diamond, funded mainly by 101st District State Rep. Maurree Gingrich's political committee. The Lebanon County Republican Committee declared an open primary in the race. Read more...
Diamond Earns Two Key Re-election Endorsements
State Representative Russ Diamond recently received two key endorsements for re-election. The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and the Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors have stated their support for the Annville businessman's retention as the Representative in the General Assembly for the 102nd District. Read more...
Diamond Prevails in Rough and Tumble 102nd District Race
In a race that seemed more like an intra-party primary battle, Russ Diamond came out on top in the four-way race for the 102nd District House seat in Lebanon County. Diamond received 45 percent of the vote, Democrat Jake Long logged 26 percent, and Independent Robert McAteer had 23 percent, according to unofficial results. Read more...
