Meet the candidates for Pa. House District 20 Emily Kinkead vs. Matthew Kruth
The Post-Gazette submitted a series of three questions to candidates running for state office in Western Pennsylvania.
1. Q: Who are you and why are you qualified to run for state House?
Kinkead: My name is Emily Kinkead and I am the current state representative for Pennsylvania House District 20. Before I was elected, I worked as an attorney and so I am a trained advocate. I spent eight years working on policy advocacy on topics ranging from disability rights to good government reform to equal rights protections. After law school, I clerked for the Commonwealth Court, which gave me a unique perspective on how government agencies run and the rules and regulations that control them. In short, I have more than 15 years of experience working on developing policy and advocating for those who need it most and I bring all of that to my work as state representative.
Kruth: I am a husband, father of two children, and a City of Pittsburgh Public School teacher for the last 20 years. Being a family man and an educator provides me with a unique understanding of the issues and difficulties that individuals, families, and our children are facing. Over the last few years, I have been involved in community and local issues, which has given me a unique insight on what our state government in Harrisburg can do to help the people in our area. In addition, I have spent my career as a teacher listening to the needs of students and acting quickly and effectively to provide a meaningful solution that will help be successful. I want to take those skills and utilize them on a larger scale to help the residents in our district.
2. Q: Why are you running for state House?
Kinkead: I ran for state House initially because I believed that my district needed a strong and vocal advocate to get the kinds of investments that would help all of my constituents to thrive. I chose to run for state House because the state Legislature is the level of government that controls many of the issues that I wanted to impact from combating gun violence to protecting reproductive rights to investing in development that invests in our communities. I am running for re-election because that work is not close to done.
Kruth: We need new and bold leadership in our district. The state government plays a central role in the day-to-day public issues we face including crime and policing, education, taxation, and economic development. We must dramatically reduce the overreach of government by reducing the regulatory requirements placed on small businesses and our constituents including reducing taxes and wasteful government spending. More government is not the answer to our problems. People need and want to be able to create a future for themselves and their families without the government creating roadblocks to achieving their goals. Residents also want safe communities and schools so their children can thrive and be able to enjoy their time growing up and becoming productive citizens. We must support our law enforcement and reduce drugs and crime so that our schools and communities can grow and prosper. This is just one of the reasons that I have been privileged to earn the endorsement of the Fraternal-Order of Police Lodges 1 and 91.
3. Q: Why should voters pay attention to this race?
Kinkead: Because of redistricting, voters should be paying attention to all of the races as the lines for their representation are shifting dramatically. In District 20, Ross Township has been reunited into one House District for the first time in 30 years! I certainly have a bias, but I believe that it is more important for people to pay attention to who their state and local officials are because those are the elected officials that you will have the most opportunity to interact with and whose decisions will impact your life most directly.
Kruth: I don’t believe there has ever been a starker contrast between two candidates for this House seat. The most fundamental decisions that impact our daily lives are made at the state level, and the voters of the 20th District have a clear choice. I stand for less government, growing small businesses in our community, providing safe neighborhoods, giving parents control over their child’s educational opportunities, and reducing wasteful government spending. The decisions that are being made for the residents of our district andthe Commonwealth will affect us for many years to come. This race is important because of the clear contrast between the two candidates and our very different visions of the policies Pennsylvania needs.