County
Allegheny
Occupation
Communications and Programs Manager
Education
Bachelors from Point Park University, Masters from George Washington University
Qualifications
I bring real-world experience, strong community ties, and a commitment to delivering practical solutions that improve the lives of working families.
The most pressing issues I hear from residents are the rising cost of living, access to affordable healthcare, and the need for more economic opportunity. Families are feeling squeezed, and too many are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses.
I would work to lower costs by supporting policies that make healthcare more affordable, invest in workforce development, and expand career and technical education so people can access good-paying jobs without unnecessary barriers.
I also hear concerns about infrastructure and housing affordability. I will advocate for smart investments in these areas to strengthen our communities and ensure long-term stability.
My focus will be on practical solutions that help people.
I support commonsense measures that both expand access and strengthen trust in our elections. That includes early voting, improved mail-in ballot processes, and ensuring polling places are accessible and well-staffed so every eligible voter can participate.
At the same time, we must maintain strong security standards, protecting voter data, supporting paper ballot backups, and ensuring transparent, auditable results. I also support providing counties with the resources they need to run efficient, secure elections.
Our goal should be simple: make voting easy and accessible for eligible voters, while ensuring the integrity and confidence in the system.
The state budget process has become too drawn out and unpredictable, creating uncertainty for schools, local governments, and families who rely on timely funding decisions.
I believe we need greater transparency and earlier, more consistent negotiations to avoid last-minute deals. Setting clearer timelines, requiring regular public updates, and encouraging bipartisan engagement earlier in the process can help prevent delays.
I would also support measures that ensure consequences for missed deadlines and prioritize passing a responsible, on-time budget that reflects the needs of Pennsylvanians.
Yes, I believe the state legislature should enact laws addressing the impacts of data centers on water, energy, and land use. These facilities can place significant demands on local resources, and statewide standards are necessary to ensure transparency, protect consumers, and safeguard our environment.
At the same time, state regulation should complement, not override, local control under the Municipal Planning Code. Municipalities understand their communities best and should retain the authority to make zoning and land use decisions.
The goal should be a balanced approach: strong statewide guardrails paired with local flexibility, so we can manage growth responsibly while protecting residents and resources.
County
Allegheny
Occupation
Vice President of Operations at Frankferd Farms Foods, Inc.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Allegheny College
Qualifications
Parent, Volunteer, Environmental Scientist, Small Business Operator, Soccer Coach, Decent Human Being
My district covers a wide area with varying issues depending on location, but one consistent thing that impacts everyone is the affordability crisis. Whether it's at the gas pump as a result of our current madman-in-chief, or at the grocery store, where prices are rising for various reasons including (but not limited to) laborers' fears of being abducted by ICE not showing up to work, we all feel it. While these issues can't all be addressed/corrected at the state level, I will work to bring common sense and decency into decision making, while simultaneously addressing other issues that we CAN have a direct impact on, like protecting our daughters' rights that have been taken away at the federal level so that they can grow up safely in PA.
The myth of widespread election fraud has been disproven, and if mail-in voting is good enough for the President, it's good enough for the residents of PA. I support Democratic efforts to expand voting access (such as early voting), and I STRONGLY reject any version of the SAVE act, which will disenfranchise a significant number of eligible voters while rolling back democracy as we know it. I also strongly reject the idea of masked ICE agents at polling places - voter intimidation has no place in the democratic process.
There's no simple answer to the negotiations of the state budget, and as a first-time candidate, I can't speak with much authority to the process or the inner workings. However, I am a fan of compromise, and I think there are concessions that both sides can and should make in order to minimize shutdowns and borrowing from reserves. I also agree that legalizing recreational marijuana and taxing games, as proposed, while simultaneously investing in our infrastructure to make PA even more attractive to residents and businesses (think - modern rail travel across the state and connecting suburbs to city centers, increased and improved bike lanes, etc.), is a good strategy to both increase tax revenue and position PA for continued growth.
Absolutely yes - I firmly believe that any and all new data center development needs to adhere to all water, energy and land use laws, and that we need to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past in rushing headstrong and headfirst into rapid development of new technologies without the appropriate due diligence, vetting, and research into how to best combine innovation with conservation, so that we can avoid creating yet another significant environmental cost down the road, and so that we can set an example for the next generation who will be watching. I feel that the existing MPC should not be overruled by state mandates to allow for rapid data center development, while cutting through regulations and red tape.
County
Allegheny
Occupation
Engineer and State Representative
Education
Ph.D. and Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Carnegie Mellon; MBA from Univ. of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Bachelors' of Computer Engineering and Computer Science from Tulane University
Qualifications
Entrepreneur; Twice elected Ross Township Commissioner; Northland Library Foundation Board; Northern Tier Library Foundation; National Park Service Volunteer; Youth Sports Coach; Current State Rep.
Pennsylvania has all the ingredients to be one of the fastest-growing states with the strongest economy in the country. We have some of the best schools, universities, hospitals, cultural amenities, recreational activities, and a workforce second to none. Yet, our state is consistently ranked as one of the worst states to do business in. The result is that companies and jobs have steadily left our region for other areas. Pennsylvania needs to dramatically restructure our tax and regulation rules to attract businesses and put us back on the path of growth.
Our election system is functioning only at the level we have allowed — and we need to do better. For any democracy to function we need 100% public confidence in our elections. This requires Democrats and Republicans to set aside political differences and collaborate on transparency. Implementing voter ID is one approach that a majority of Pennsylvanians support. We also need to enhance support for local election workers, who are vital to maintaining election integrity. Many states also have multiple in-person voting days leading up to election day. There are common-sense reforms both parties can back, and I am committed to working across party lines to achieve this.
I was one of a handful of state legislators who refused to accept a paycheck during the lack of a budget. It is unacceptable that almost every year the budget is late – many times for months. It is not right that organizations must layoff staff or take out loans while our elected officials suffer no consequences. My changes include the following:
- Downsizing our largest, most expensive state legislature
- Implementing term limits
- While the state doesn’t have a budget then state legislators should not be paid (something I do voluntarily myself)
- If the state budget isn’t done on time then legislators shouldn’t receive pay raises
- Legislature must remain in session until a budget is done
- Move to two year budgeting
Data centers and electricity usage is a defining issue of our time. There is a massive investment in electrical production and data centers serving new AI based applications. Pennsylvania, is currently one of the top two states for electrical generation and we send a vast quantity of this energy to other states in the regional electrical grid (PJM) such as VA and OH to support their data centers. We must protect our consumers and not allow these states to drain our locally produced power which increases our electricity rates.
For local land use Pennsylvania has over 2,500 different municipalities whose expertise and experience vary greatly. The state should support these municipalities so they and the state get the direct benefit.
