Republican Kris R. Vollrath is running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in District 156 in the 2026 general election. He faces Democrat Chris Pielli.

Vollrath has called the West Chester area home since 1969, according to his campaign website. He said he worked in IT for approximately 25 years at companies ranging from small firms to one of the largest software companies in the world.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 156
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Residence: West Chester area (since 1969, per the candidate)
  • Education: High school diploma, East High School (1983); bachelor's degree, Penn State University; bachelor's degree in business and computer science, West Chester University (1988)

Experience and public service

Vollrath spent roughly 25 years in IT, according to his campaign website. He served as vice president of operations at Visual Sound, Inc. from 2011 to 2012, according to BallotReady profile data. He has been a content expert at InfoComm since 2005 and owner of Vollrath Renovations since 2012, according to the same source.

Vollrath said he is an elected member of the Chester County GOP.

On the issues

Vollrath outlined these positions on his campaign website, as compiled by BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own views.

Taxes and budget: Vollrath said he will fight for fiscal discipline, balanced budgets and spending priorities that serve residents instead of political insiders. He said taxpayers are tired of bloated budgets, patronage, waste and spending that puts bureaucracy ahead of basic services.

Economy: Vollrath said overregulation, high taxes and anti-business policies have made it harder for employers to survive and easier for them to leave. He said the commonwealth should be a place where businesses grow, families stay and jobs are created, not a place people flee.

Energy and environment: Vollrath said he opposes policies like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that he said drive up electricity prices and hurt Pennsylvania workers. He said the state has abundant natural gas resources and should use them to provide reliable, affordable energy and protect jobs.

Immigration: Vollrath said he supports ending sanctuary policies and removing barriers that prevent cooperation with federal authorities when dealing with criminal illegal immigrants. He said Pennsylvania must protect its citizens while broader immigration reform is handled responsibly and lawfully at the federal level.

Government reform: Vollrath said he supports election integrity reforms including stronger verification, timely ballot processing, voter ID, and clear, consistent election rules.

District 156 voters will choose between Vollrath and Pielli on the November ballot.