Two hot state House races to watch in the county
166th PA HOUSE RACE
Greg Vitali, Democrat
Age: 62 Location: Havertown Job: State legislator Why Running: Vitali, who is in his 26th year serving the district, said it has been his life mission to protect the environment, and he’s been able to develop a niche in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
“I think climate change is the most import longterm problem facing the plant. He said Pennsylvania is a serious greenhouse gas polluter, and he feels that he plays an important role in environment policy in Pennsylvania.
A 1981 graduate of Villanova Law School, he practiced law for 12 years. In
1993, he was elected to the House as the first Democratic legislator from the
166th district.
Vitali lost a Democratic primary bid for the 5th District congressional seat in May of this year. He was one of 10 Democrats seeking the party’s nod to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, who did not seek re-election and then resigned his seat after being accused of harassing a staffer. Redistricting then created the
5th District covering all of Delaware County, replacing the gerrymandered 7th District.
Quote: “I work very hard at what I do. I like to think I am a very good legislator. I would like to continue to serve the residents of the district.
Baltazar Rubio, Republican Age: 47 Location: Havertown Job: Delaware County public defender
Why Running: Rubio, who describes himself as a moderate Republican, said it might sound corny, but his decision to enter the race was spurred by an encounter with Common Pleas judge in a Delaware County courtroom in October of 2017. Rubio was representing an individual with a heroin addiction who, as a result of a probation violation, was sentenced to serve two years in prison.
While his client violated his probation, Rubio had argued that his primary problem was addiction. His client had exhausted every available resource and was asking the court for help, Rubio said.
“He was asking for treatment for a very long time,” Rubio said. Not one to give up on his clients, Rubio said he appealed to the judge to help this individual. In rendering his decision, Rubio said the judge announced, “I am going to keep you sober and put you in prison.”
Rubio said the anger he felt when he left the courtroom stayed with him for weeks. After his repeated complaints about the disappointing outcome to his wife, Rubio said she reminded him that when they met he was an elected officer. She told him that he wanted to take care of a government problem he should join the government.
In going door-to-door, Rubio said he is finding people who want to discuss President Trump, pro and con.
Residents have also questioned why Rubio’s GOP affiliation is not on his literature. Rubio counters that it is intentional because he was people to hear his message without focus to his party.
Rubio, who previously sought the 159th legislative seat when he was a resident of Chester, is a former elected school board director for the Chester Upland School District and former assistant solicitor for the city. He previously worked for a small law firm in Chester, and prior to that owned a building company.
He and his wife have two children.
Quote: “People before politics: We have to get out of the partisan grind.”
168th PA HOUSE RACE
Kristin Seale, Democrat
Age: 45 Location: Media Borough
Job: Director of operations of Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance Fund, Pennsylvania energy nonprofit
WHY RUNNING: Seale, a Rose Tree Media School Board director, lists school funding, health care, clean energy and the Mariner East II pipeline project among her campaign issues.
“I’m running because Pennsylvania ranks 49th in nation when it
Comes to fair funding of schools. I intend to fight to increase state funding of public education both to improve equity and to hold the line on property taxes. I’m running because I believe healthcare is a human right and that it’s unacceptable that countless families are one medical emergency away from financial disaster. I will fight to expand Medicare, reduce prescription drug costs, and make in-home care more affordable for seniors and family caregivers,” she said.
In her job, Seale said she helps run a statewide energy efficient nonprofit, which has helped grow the clean energy industry in Pennsylvania to 85,000 jobs and saved customers $6 billion. “We absolutely can and should help Pennsylvania become the leader in clean energy that it has the potential to be.”
Lastly, Seale said, “I’m running because much of our community is currently under threat of a hazardous natural gas liquids pipeline project that has claimed residents’ property and put schools playgrounds, and senior housing in grave danger. I’ve been involved in the local, grassroots fight against the Mariner East II pipeline since 2016, and I am committed to taking that fight to Harrisburg.”
Seale was elected to serve as a Rose Tree Media School Board director in November 2017. She was a delegate pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
She and her husband have two daughters.
Quote: “If elected, one thing I’d work tirelessly to achieve is equal protections under the law for all Pennsylvanians. If elected, one thing I’d never vote for is tax cuts for the wealthy.” Chris Quinn, Republican
Age: 51 Location: Middletown Job: Small business owner
WHY RUNNING: Quinn first won the seat in a July 2016 special election and was reelected the following November.
“I’m running because I’m tired of the partisanship in politics and the influence of special interests,” he said. “I think we need more people in office who are willing to work on a bipartisan basis to get things done. I want to champion the values of local residents in Harrisburg on issues like common sense gun laws, increasing funding for public education, as well as being a good steward of both our environment and taxpayer money.
“My focus is on building bridges and finding areas of agreement, not divisiveness. Both parties need to work together, not against one another. Divisiveness and partisanship mean that the people are not being properly represented,” he said.
Quinn said he is backed by a diverse range of organizations because they recognize that he has been a consensus builder during his first two years in the legislature.
“That’s why I have the support of the teachers in the Pennsylvania State Education Association and animal rights advocates in Humane PA. It’s why I have the support of Delco United for Sensible Gun Policy and the Fraternal Order of Police,” he said. “It’s why I have earned praise from the Environmental Defense Action Fund for standing up to the oil and gas industry and a 92 percent rating from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. It’s why I have the endorsement of both the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce and unions. “
He worked in the electronics industry before starting an independent insurance agency. He and his wife have three daughters.
QUOTE: “I don’t build walls. I build bridges. I want to go back to Harrisburg so I can continue to do that.