Three candidates running for different offices pitched their cases to voters Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Baptist Church of West Chester ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
State Rep. Chris Pielli (D-156th), Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Ken Krawchuk and Republican congressional candidate Marty Young each gave short stump speeches and then circulated through the church meeting room to talk with voters one-on-one, according to the Daily Local News. The League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Fund for Women and Girls and the American Association of University Women organized the event.
Pielli: data centers, minimum wage, school funding
Pielli, a former West Goshen Township supervisor now in his second term representing the 156th District, focused on affordability, housing and health care. He said six of his bills have passed.
He highlighted his push to keep data centers from gaining public utility status, a move he said would let developers bypass local zoning. His bill, House Bill 2674, cleared the House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee unanimously on Sept. 30 and awaits a full House vote, as we reported Oct. 2.
"We need to place guardrails on this issue and ensure that Pennsylvanians have a voice in where these data centers are developed," Pielli said in a Sept. 29 statement announcing the committee vote.
Pielli also called for raising the state minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, saying 50,000 Pennsylvanians earn that rate and many hold two or three jobs. He supports equal per-student education funding statewide regardless of local tax revenue.
Young: health care, housing, college completion
Young, a West Chester native and West Chester East graduate, is a first-time candidate challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan in Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District. A West Point graduate and Army chaplain, he served as chief restructuring officer of IAP, then the second-largest temporary power company in the world, according to the Reading Eagle.
He told the forum that families are leaving Chester County because of economics and that Congress is the body that can fix broken policies. He proposed three solutions: a national health care system modeled on TRICARE that he said costs one-quarter of private coverage, zero-percent home mortgage loans, and better college completion rates. He noted that 70 percent of high school graduates go to college but only 60 percent finish within six years.
In an Oct. 1 written response to the Reading Eagle, Young said his plan would start with universal coverage for every child, young adult and expectant mother using the TRICARE model.
Krawchuk: school choice, campaign funding
Krawchuk, an information technology professional running for governor as a Libertarian for the fourth time, faces incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican Stacy Garrity.
"I'm mad and I'm not going to take it anymore," Krawchuk told the audience. "There's stuff going on in Pennsylvania that most people aren't talking about."
He focused on education, saying many students perform below grade level in math and English. His solution: give each student $11,000 to attend the school of their choice. He acknowledged the funding gap between his campaign and his opponents, saying his message is strong but getting it across is difficult when they have millions and he has thousands.
What voters need to know
The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 19. Mail-in or absentee ballot applications are due by Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. Completed ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Chester County voter services are open at the Government Services Center, 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 2.
