McGarrigle, Kearney face off in 26th Senate race
The incumbent state senator in the 26th District and the mayor of Swarthmore are engaged in a political battle to see who will capture the seat.
State Sen. Tom McGarrigle, R-26 of Springfield, has held the office since 2015. In that capacity, he serves as chairman of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and serves on the Banking and Insurance; the Community, Economic and Recreational Development, the Local Government; and the Rules and Executive Nominations committees.
Prior to his job in the Senate, McGarrigle served on Delaware County Council and as a Springfield Township commissioner. Owner of an automotive business, he and his wife of 30 years have three sons.
Kearney, a Democrat, is serving his second term as mayor of Swarthmore and previously served on the borough’s zoning hearing board and planning commission.
He and his wife are partners in their architectural firm that has provided expertise for Cheyney and Widener universities. They also have two adult children and have lived in Swarthmore for 23 years.
The candidates outlined what they garnered from district residents while out on the campaign trailer.
“When I’m out talking to voters, I’m talking with them about my accomplishments on issues like education, combating the opioid epidemic and commonsense gun-control reforms,” McGarrigle said.
He highlighted passing a no-tax-increase budget this year, increasing education programs by more than $250 million and including a grant program for investments in school safety.
The senator also spoke of three pieces of legislation he introduced that were passed this year. One, increased protections for victims of domestic violence by requiring abusers to surrender their firearms within 24 hours after a permanent Protection From Abuse order has been issued. Another provided students with alternative pathways to graduation besides the Keystone Exams, a measure he said was supported by the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Pennsylvania School Board Association.
Finally, he said a bill he championed addressed drug recovery houses that were being operated by inappropriate individuals “more like drug dens,” and not giving the people the help they need for recovery.
Kearney also shared his campaign philosophy.
“This campaign is about putting the people of Delaware and Chester counties back in control of their state government,” he said. “The Republican super majority in the Legislature has broken Harrisburg and, unfortunately, our opponent has done nothing to fix it except for a few election year gimmicks.
“The people of our communities want a state government that leads on issues of equality, economic development and investing in our future,” he continued.
Kearney noted the disparity in education funding, pointing out classes in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District have an average 17 students while in the Upper Darby School District, the average is almost 30 students per class although the property taxes in Upper Darby are higher
than in Swarthmore.
“In every budget he has proposed, Gov. (Tom) Wolf has asked the Legislature to pass a tax on the oil and gas that companies take out of our ground we’re the only state without one - a measure that has vast bipartisan support,” Kearney said. “But, GOP leaders and oil and gas lobbyists have killed it every chance they’ve gotten, leaving Pennsylvania as the only major gas-producing state that doesn’t tax gas extraction.”
Both candidates have sent mailers to district constituents, pointing fingers at their opponent.
“College Professor Tim Kearney IS OUT OF TOUCH,” one of McGarrigle’s mailers, paid for by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, read. “Elitist Liberal Professor Tim Kearney wants to raise taxes on hard-working families. Kearney is bragging about his plans to raise taxes on job creates and business owners. Worse yet, Kearney wants a government takeover of health care that will double the taxes you pay.”
Featuring a picture of Kearney next to a $100 bill on fire, another mailer reads: “Radical Liberal Professor Tim Kearney thinks taxpayers have money to burn. Swarthmore resident, Professor Tim Kearney wants to raise taxes on just about everybody!
“If Radical Liberal Tim Kearney had his way,” the back of it reads, “our taxes would be higher ... We can’t afford Tim Kearney in the state Senate.”
This also was paid for by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
Kearney had his material as well.
In one paid for by Friends of Tim Kearney, it contends, “Tim Kearney. Small Business Owner. Mayor. Father. Ready to take on the Harrisburg Republican bosses.”
The candidate is quoted on it saying, “Harrisburg political bosses and State Sen. Tom McGarrigle have put corporations ahead of middle-class families, oil and gas interests ahead of our environment, and tax cuts for millionaires ahead of our public schools. Join me in fighting back.”
In it, he also lists what he plans to do such as: “Provide fair funding for our public schools; impose an extraction tax on gas drillers; ensure fair pay for women in the workplace; protect a women’s right to choose; champion small businesses by providing tax incentives that encourage job growth within our communities; (and) pass common sense gun legislation.”
The candidates also shared how their backgrounds have shaped who they are.
Growing up without a dad and under the care of his single mother, McGarrigle said he started working at a young age after going to a trade school for auto mechanics before opening his own shop.
“I learned the value of hard work, honesty and always keeping one’s word,” he said, adding that even now when the Senate isn’t in session, he’s up at his automotive shop at 6:30 a.m. each day.
He said one of the most frustrating things he’s had to confront in Harrisburg is state programs and policies that aren’t working or that are fundamentally flaws.
“Far too often when I ask why things in state government are done inefficiently or are not working as intended, the response I get from government bureaucrats is, ‘Because that’s the way we’ve always done it,’” McGarrigle said. “That mindset does not go over well with me. So ... I try to fix them.”
After spending time conversing with people in both Delaware and Chester counties, Kearney said he’d use the same approach in public office that had proven successful in his professional and personal life.
“People just want to be able to provide for their families and get ahead and stay ahead - on their monthly bills,” he said.
His method of governing would be maintaining a “view toward the big picture and a keen eye on the details. Whether it’s designing a building, overseeing a police force or balancing our firm’s books, we need to sweat the small stuff, but never lose sight of the big picture.”
Voters will make their choices when they go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 6.
The 26th state Senate district comprises of Aldan, Clifton Heights, East Lansdowne, Glenolden, Marple, Media, Millbourne, Morton, Newtown, Prospect Park, Ridley Park, Ridley Township, Rutledge, Springfield, Swarthmore, Tinicum, Upper Darby and Upper Providence in Delaware County and Easttown and Willistown in Chester County.