Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Incumbent challenged in redrawn 152nd Dist.
A reshaped 152nd Pennsylvania House District will see an incumbent Democrat square off against a Republican challenger on the Nov. 8 ballot.
State Rep. Nancy Guenst, D-152nd, is being opposed by Republican John Weinrich for a seat in Harrisburg. The district currently contains Upper Moreland and Lower Moreland townships, Hatboro and Bryn Athyn boroughs, part of Upper Dublin, and part of northeast Philadelphia; new state house maps add part of Abington Township and remove the Upper Dublin and Philadelphia portions of the current district.
Both candidates were asked the following questions, and below are their answers:
GUENST Why should voters elect you and not your opponent?
Before being elected to the State House, I served as Mayor of Hatboro and prior to that I served two terms as a member of Council. My mother raised me to always give back to my country and my community, that is what good citizenship is all about. I served three years in the U.S. Army as a communications analyst and German translator at Field Station Berlin. I owned my own small business for 23 years before having to shelter it due to Covid-19 and truly understand the hardship this has caused for many small businesses and the families that went through this ordeal. I have the experience it takes to serve my constituents in Harrisburg, to understand their needs and to work across the aisle, while standing firm on my agenda. I choose not to answer the question why voters shouldn’t vote for my opponent.
Assuming your victory, choose a single issue you would prioritize in the coming term — name it and describe what you want to accomplish.
There are many issues we need to prioritize, so this is difficult to answer. Looking at polls on a daily basis, the issue most concerning to our constituency is protecting a woman’s right to choose and having continued access to medical treatment and birth control. Forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy to term regardless of rape or incest is not acceptable on any level. I will fight very loudly to protect this basic right.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade now leaves the decision about how to regulate abortions up to individual states. Describe the abortion legislation that you would like to see enacted in Pennsylvania?
I would leave it right where it is. In case our constituency is not fully aware of this law concerning state funding, I have included the following from the office of Attorney General, as a lot of misinformation is being put out there: “In Pennsylvania, the following restrictions on abortion were in effect as of June 28, 2022: A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. Health plans offered in the state’s health exchange under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment, or in cases of rape or incest, unless individuals purchase an optional rider at an additional cost. Abortion is covered in insurance policies for public employees only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. The parent of a minor must consent before an abortion is provided. Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. An abortion may be performed at 24 or more weeks after the last menstrual period only in cases of life or health endangerment. The state prohibits abortions performed for the purpose of sex selection.”
Pennsylvania, like the rest of the nation, is suffering through a period of severe inflation. What specific steps do you believe need to be taken to address this issue?