Mark Pinsley (D) defeated incumbent Jarrett Coleman (R) in the general election for Pennsylvania Senate District 16 on November 3, 2026.

The election was a rematch. In 2022, Coleman defeated Pinsley 54.2%–45.8%. In the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump (R) received more votes than Kamala Harris (D) in Senate District 16 by a margin of 8.9 percentage points.

The Morning Call's Laurie Mason Schroeder said the race between Coleman and Pinsley was "[o]ne of the most closely watched races in the upcoming election ... viewed as critical to determining control of the Pennsylvania Senate." Twenty-five of 50 Senate seats were up for election in 2026. Republicans held a 27–23 majority.

Pinsley was, as of the 2026 election, a U.S. Army veteran and the Lehigh County Controller. Pinsley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In his survey response, Pinsley said, "I want to be remembered as someone who made sure working people in Pennsylvania got the same fair shot as people with money and connections. Most people I talk to aren't asking for special treatment. They just want to know that if something goes wrong, they won't get steamrolled because the other side has more lawyers, more money, or knows somebody in Harrisburg."

Coleman was, as of the 2026 election, an airline pilot. He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and earlier served on the Parkland School Board. Coleman's campaign website said, "Senator Jarrett Coleman turned down the state pension and perks, votes against tax hikes, and answers to the Lehigh Valley and Upper Bucks — not the Harrisburg insiders. On November 3, keep the pilot in the fight. Not the politicians."

The Pennsylvania branch of Americans for Prosperity endorsed Coleman. The Lehigh Valley branch of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Pinsley.