The Post-Gazette submitted a series of three questions to candidates running for state office in Western Pennsylvania.
Seat: Pennsylvania’s 28th House District
Candidates: Alison Duncan (D, Pine) vs. Rob Mercuri (R, Pine)
Q. Who are you and why are you qualified to run for PA House District 28?
Duncan: I have been a small business owner for over 20 years and have been watching inaction in Harrisburg for at least the last five years. I know Western Pennsylvanian values of hard work and perseverance because I was raised with them, and I have raised my two sons with them here in Pine-Richland schools.
Too many elected officials are pointing fingers at people who “aren’t like us” as the cause of our economic woes; meanwhile a handful of politicians and their corporate donors are raking in millions of dollars for themselves and their shareholders. I will boldly call out this abuse of power and privilege, while remaining focused on the real issues facing people in our communities: tackling rising inflation, funding essential public services like schools and first-responders, and ensuring that everyone in our community has the freedom to vote — the freedom our democracy was founded on.
Mercuri: I’m state Representative Rob Mercuri, and I currently serve the good people of Pennsylvania’s 28th House District. Since 2020, I have had the privilege of serving these communities where my wife and three children have lived and worked for most of our lives. My commitment to public service started after graduating from Deer Lakes high school at the top of my class and earning an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. I went on to graduate and serve on active duty, deploying twice to Iraq in five years and returning home with the rank of Captain and a bronze star. After beginning my professional career in financial services in New York, I returned home to Western Pennsylvania as a senior vice president and financial risk manager at PNC Bank. My commitment to service and the community is what led my wife Kelsey and me to open our own small business in the heart of our community in Wexford.
Q. Why are you running for PA House District 28?
Duncan: In this community and across our Commonwealth, we value freedom. However, extreme Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms — from banning and criminalizing abortion in Pennsylvania, to selling off essential public services like water authorities and public schools, to allowing politicians to overturn the will of the people.
I know that our rights, benefits, and freedoms are on the ballot. I will protect our freedoms to breathe clean air and drink clean water, to get the affordable healthcare that we need, and to decide whether and when we grow our families. Our community can join together across our differences and together vote for individuals who will stand up for our freedoms.
Mercuri: That same dedication to service is why I first ran for office and why I am seeking re-election this year. People in this part of the country still believe in basic things. We live in the kind of place where we can still trust each other, and work together through tough times, but like most people, I saw our values begin to slide and our dialogues coarsen. I believe there is more work to be done to ensure that the treasures of freedom and prosperity we’ve been handed from our predecessors are kept intact and passed on to our children in years to come.
Q. Why should voters pay attention to this race?
Duncan: Harrisburg sets many policies that affect us — ensuring that our local economy flourishes, how much we pay in taxes (state and local), whether we have well-funded public services (like schools, water, and emergency services), and whether our children are safe from violence through commonsense, bipartisan gun safety measures.
For too long, a handful of politicians have personally benefited from inaction, enriching themselves and a handful of individuals in the top income brackets while the hard-working people in our communities have suffered. This November voters have an opportunity to change the agenda in Harrisburg — by giving a new, independent voice a chance to represent our community. If you feel state government isn’t producing results, you have the power to vote for something different.
Mercuri: It is up to us in this moment to enact important policies that give parents more say in their kids’ schooling, help the responsible expansion of our economy, and do away with over regulation that has been stunting job growth and turning away new businesses. I plan to use my experience working across the aisle to address the problems of rising crime, record inflation, and plummeting performances in our children’s schools. I look forward to joining with members of this community to help deliver those results not just for our region, but for us all.
First Published: October 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m.
