2 vie for Dem nomination in 26th District

Two Democrats are competing in the June 2 primary election for the chance to run in November against Republican incumbent Tim Hennessey in the 26th House District.

Hennessey, the most senior Republican in the House of Representatives, announced in January his intention to seek a 14th term.

The two Democratic contenders are Paul Friel, 50, and Frank Gillen, 27.

Friel, who is a member of the Owen J. Roberts School Board, is the owner of Pace Environmental.

Gillen, who has never held elected office, is a senior financial analyst at BNY Mellon.

Gillen said he was “inspired to run for office” due to “the current political climate in our country.”

“I believe too many of the current elected officials in both our national and state government are career politicians that are not doing right by their constituents. I am not a career politician, and I believe with my experience in the financial sector, I can make much more efficient and responsible changes to the states fiscal policy that would increase the benefits given back to the people of the 26th District, without increasing the tax burden on the taxpayers,” Gillen wrote in response to a MediaNews Group candidate questionnaire.

“Additionally, given our country’s current state, I believe that I have the ideal skill set to contribute to our state government’s short and long-term plan for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gillen wrote.

Friel wrote “this district and the surrounding area are changing, and we need to elect reasonable people who will represent our communities, not play party politics. As I ran for school board and understood the inequity of school funding and the burden Harrisburg places on local property tax to fund Public schools, I began to understand the impact this office could have.”

Friel added, “I thought about it seriously and committed only when I was convinced that I could make a difference.”

Asked what he considers to be the most important issue facing the district, Gillen wrote, “I believe the most important issue facing my districtborough-township is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues such as health care, unemployment, and financial stability have been some of the most impactful issues people are facing. If elected, I plan on addressing each issue diligently.”

The pandemic “has forced us all to become acclimated with a ‘new normal.’ I believe that in addition to the safety standards currently in place, that we need to come up with industry specific standards that would give business the greatest chance to remain open while still maintaining a ‘flattening of the curve’ approach,” wrote Gillen.

“When addressing health care, I believe that all people that reside in Pennsylvania should be provided a standard insurance that covers all lifethreatening illnesses, accidents, or disabilities. This would include any necessary prescription coverage,” Gillen wrote.

“Regarding unemployment, I believe that the current unemployment system is failing the people of Pennsylvania. The time efficiency of the application process itself needs to be improved immediately, so that individuals who apply for it can be assisted