Beth Hafer hopes to follow her well-known mother, Barbara Hafer, onto the region's ballots.

Ms. Hafer, 35, a former school teacher who now works as a vice president in a government consulting firm owned by her mother, said she plans to run for Congress next year against Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair. She talked about her ambitions for the seat just after listening to Mr. Murphy at a press conference on federal base closing issues in Collier.

She was standing with her mother, the former Allegheny County commissioner, state treasurer and state auditor general. The elder Hafer considered running for Mr. Murphy's 18th District seat herself in the 2006 election cycle. Despite the ardent courting of national and local Democratic leaders, the veteran politician decided against entering the race. Instead, the Democratic nomination went to political novice Chad Kluko. Mr. Murphy, a psychologist and former state senator, cruised to re-election despite the Democratic wave that dominated that election cycle.