Washington Township supervisor running for state Senate
David Moyer has been a Washington Township supervisor for the past decade.
The Republican official said that through that role he has learned about the challenges facing local elected leaders and how crucial it is to have strong partnerships with those who serve at the state level. So when he heard that state Sen. Bob Mensch would not be seeking reelection to the 24th Senatorial District, he decided he would step in to fill that void.
“It’s high time that we support local governments and bring taxpayer dollars back to the community,” he said.
But Moyer is not alone in his quest for the empty seat.
He will face state Rep. Tracy Pennycuick for the Republican nomination in the May 17 primary. The winner of that race will compete against one of the two Democrats — former Boyertown School Board member Jill Dennin and former Pottstown School Board member Emanuel Wilkerson — in the fall election.
Moyer acknowledged he hadn’t really considered running for higher office until he was approached by a few people who thought his background and experience would help propel him to a Senate seat.
“These people have been watching what I’ve done at the township level and feel like I was well qualified,” he said. “They also knew that I would be a sincere candidate who will look out for the interests of the people.”
Moyer said that if voters decide to send him to Harrisburg, he will be an ally for those who are faced with making tough decisions at the municipal level. He promised to work hard to secure funding for infrastructure investments, to listen to the concerns of local officials and support them in whatever way he can.
He said he would also be an advocate for bringing integrity back to elections, restoring accountability in government and promoting transparency in the education system.
When it comes to the issue of elections, Moyer said he would support the elimination of widespread voting by mail and push for the requirement that a person must show some form of identification to vote.
“We can make sure that our elections are safe and secure at whatever cost,” he said. “People need to have trust in the system and, at this point, people are very skeptical of what’s going on to the point where they don’t even want to vote. If that means going back to a paper ballot then that’s what we’ll have to do.”
Moyer said elections are just one area where public trust has eroded.
“People don’t know where their money is going,” he said. “People don’t mind paying for something that they are going to get, but you have to show them where those tax dollars are going in a more direct way.”
He referenced the gas tax increases that came under Act 89, which former Gov. Tom Corbett passed in 2013, as an example of one law that may not be working out the way it was sold to residents. He said it doesn’t make sense that Pennsylvanians are paying more than residents in some other states while our roads are ranked near the worst in the country.
“There are quite a few programs that we need to take a closer look at,” he said. “We should make sure that the taxes we pay are being used for what they said it was going to be used for.”
He said he’s also concerned with what children are being taught in schools.
Moyer said he believes students are being exposed to critical race theory, which examines the impact of systemic racism on American institutions and is taught in some university-level programs. He said he would promote transparency in the school curriculum to ensure that does not happen.
He said he supports a bill Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed in December that would have mandated schools upload their curricula and lists of textbooks online for public access. State law already requires public schools to allow parents and guardians access to their child’s curriculum, academic standards, instructional materials and assessment techniques by request.
“Why should we have to request something that they should he telling us?” Moyer said. “Parents have other obligations besides chasing down what their kids are being taught.”
State senators serve a fouryear term and receive an annual salary of $95,432.