Congressional Newsletter: Pennsylvania 12

This week our Congressional Newsletter analyses Pennsylvania's 12th district, an area once dominated by the coal industry now seeking new avenues for economic development. This seat has been dominated by democrats since the New Deal, but John McCain narrowly won this district in the 2008 Presidential Election.







Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District


District Background (CQPolitics)

“The oddly contorted 12th hop scotches across nine southwestern Pennsylvania counties, eight of which are shared with other districts. Once a booming center of coal, steel and iron production, this area is attempting to diversify in order to escape economic distress and industrial loss.

“Johnstown, the district’s most populous city, was once an industrial center, but floods, recession, coal and steel industry decline, and scarce opportunities in manufacturing left the region with skyrocketing unemployment by the late 1980s. The city and district have partly bounced back by attracting new biomedical research and health care companies, such as specialized care provider Conemaugh Health System, and a number of defense and research firms, such as KDH Defense Systems. Capitalizing on past hardships, the Johnstown Flood Museum also draws tourists to the area, and tourism now contributes nearly $150 million to the region each year. Despite these new industries, recent nationwide economic downturns have forced local businesses to cut jobs.

“On the other side of the district in the state’s southwestern corner, residents of rural Greene County — which borders West Virginia to its west and south and is the only county entirely within the 12th — continue to suffer. Just north of Greene, Washington County’s city of Washington took a hit in 2009 when a bankrupt title insurance company left its namesake office building at the center of a $100 million downtown revitalization project that included a new amphitheater, a hotel and a parking garage. The district also includes Washington and Jefferson College and has a small agriculture industry, producing corn, wheat and cattle.

“The 12th has been a Democratic stronghold since the New Deal. Like other Pennsylvania towns with an industrial past and aging residents, Johnstown is more socially conservative than the national Democratic Party and wants federal help. At the presidential level, Republican candidates can compete, and John McCain won the district with 49 percent of its vote in 2008.”[1]

Electoral History & the 2010 Elections

Representative John Murtha (D-PA) won a special election to represent this district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, and held the office until his death at age 77 on February 8, 2010. He died of complications of gallbladder surgery. During his tenure, Murtha was one of the most power members of Congress, and served on the Subcommittee on Defense. Murtha had faced a primary challenger this year in Ryan Bucchianeri, but since Murtha’s death, the electoral process has become more complicated.[2]

The special election to finish the rest of Murtha’s term is scheduled for May 18, the same day as the primary elections for the state. So on the same day, voters will vote in the special election to decide who will serve the last eight months of Murtha’s term, and in the primary election to decide which candidate of each party will face off in the general election in November.[3] Mark Critz, Murtha’s district director, is the nominee for the Democratic Party in the special election, and Tim Burns, a businessman, had secured the nomination for the Republican Party. Whoever wins – Critz or Burns – will serve the remainder of Murtha’s term.[4]

Before Murtha’s death, the 12th District was listed as “likely Democratic” by the Cook Political Report, but has now been moved to a “tossup.” The Rothenberg Political Report now considers the 12th District one of the most competitive in the country.3

Candidates

Special Election (May 18) – determines who will serve remainder of Murtha’s term
Mark Critz (D) – Most recently served as Murtha’s district director, and was awarded the Patrick Henry Award by the National Guard Association of the United States.[5]
Tim Burns (R) – He has owned his own pharmacy technology company, been active in economic development projects, and has volunteered his time helping flood victims.[6]

Primary Elections (May 18) – determines which candidate of each party will face off in the General Election in November
Democrats
Mark Critz – (see above)
Ryan Bucchianeri – He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1997 and served on active duty for several years. He went onto study public policy with concentrations in international security, political economy, and human rights at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He then worked as a manager for Lockheed Martin.[7]
Ron Mackell, Jr. – He enlisted and served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, worked as a news and feature reporter at The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat for many years, and went onto become an attorney at law in Texas before deciding to run for public office.
Republicans
Tim Burns – (see above)
William Russell – Russell began his military career at West Point and went on to serve the U.S. Army for 28 years. He came the closest anyone has come to defeating Murtha in 2008 with 44% of the vote.[8]


The Issues

Mark Critz (D) –
“Will continue to fight for better highways and improved infrastructure which are key components to accomplishing his greatest goal – creating jobs and improving our economy.”
Supporter of 2nd Amendment rights
Believes in strong national defense and small businesses

Ryan Bucchianeri (D) –
Education – Education is critically important to our well-being as a nation and economy, and Bucchianeri believes in reforming education to include longer school days, community projects on Saturdays, including a more global perspective in curricula, fair pay for educators, etc.[9]
Regional Economy – The trend of economic decline in this district needs to be turned around. What is needed is a well-trained and well-educated workforce, infrastructure development, and job creation.[10]

Ron Mackell, Jr. (D) –
Change – It is time to see the end of politics as usual and elect a “trustworthy, credible, energetic, and well-educated hometown candidate” and not a political insider. After the passing of “an American Hero,” Rep. Murtha, the district needs someone who will not be a “no vote” in Washington.[11]

Tim Burns (R) –
Health Care – Congress just passed a health care bill which will “raise taxes, kill jobs, and bury our children in debt.” He will vote to repeal the bill and work on reform that will improve health care without hurting the economy.
Energy – Southwestern Pennsylvania relies on its coal and natural gas resources. He will vote down harmful legislation like cap and trade and work to bring energy jobs into the district.[12]

William Russell (R) –
Family Security – Russell is committed to pro-life, family-security legislation and wants an amendment to the Constitution recognizing the personhood of unborn children. He supports 2nd Amendment rights and the traditional definition of marriage.
Economic Security – Economic development does not happen when it is spearheaded by Washington, so there should be tax cuts, spending cuts, and legal reform. He supports a permanent ban on earmarks and the elimination of wasteful subsidies for companies.[13]
[1] “Politics in America District Profile” CQPolitics - http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-2010-PA-12#past_election
[2] “Rep. Murtha Dies,” Real Clear Politics - http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2010/02/08/rep-murtha-dies/
[3] “Murtha’s Special Election Seat,” Politico - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33100.html
[4] “Pennsylvania – 12th District,” CQPolitics - http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-2010-PA-12#past_election
[5] “About Mark,” Mark Critz for Congress - http://www.critzforcongress.com/aboutmark.htm
[6] “Meet Tim Burns,” Tim Burns for Congress - http://www.timburnsforcongress.com/html/Meet_Tim_Burns.html
[7] “Meet Ryan Bucchianeri,” Ryan Bucchianeri for Congress - http://ryan2010.com/about.php
[8] “William Russell for Congress” - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60332095257
[9] “Education,” Ryan Bucchianeri for Congress - http://ryan2010.com/issues/education.php
[10] “Regional Economy,” Ryan Bucchianeri for Congress - http://ryan2010.com/issues/regional_economy.php
[11] “Ron Mackell, Jr.” - http://www.ronmackell.com/default.asp
[12] “Time Burns on the Issues” - http://www.timburnsforcongress.com/html/issues.html
[13] “Issues,” Russell Brigade - http://russellbrigade.com/issues/