Lebanon County

Pa. State Senator Dies of Brain Cancer 1 Year After Winning Election

Sen. David Arnold, of Lebanon County, was 49 years old

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A Pennsylvania state senator stricken with brain cancer died Sunday, his family said.

Sen. David Arnold, R-Lebanon, died peacefully at home with his wife and daughter by his side, his family and staff said in a statement distributed by the Senate Republican press office.

“It is with heavy hearts that the family and staff of Senator David J. Arnold Jr., announce the end of his battle with brain cancer,” they wrote.

Arnold was 49.

After serving 14 years as Lebanon County's district attorney, Arnold ran for and won the state Senate seat in a special election in January 2020. In early November 2019, during the campaign, he announced that he had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and had undergone surgery to remove it.

Arnold had also served on the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission and as president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. Closer to home, he had coached youth basketball and softball.

“Dave Arnold leaves us with a legacy of a life well-lived," the PDAA said in a statement. "For those of us who had the pleasure of working with Dave, we will have many fond memories: his warm smile, his common-sense approach to issues, his relentless pursuit of justice, and his advocacy for victims of crime and safe communities."

In a statement, Senate Republican leaders called Arnold “a good man and committed leader.”

Arnold is survived by his wife Alicia and daughter Reese.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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