State House Speaker Mike Turzai has long given Democrats heartburn, and this summer was no different when the Republican from Marshall blew up negotiations over the state budget. But first-time candidate Emily Skopov, who plans to challenge Mr. Turzai in his North Hills 28th Legislative District, might give her party a chance to return the favor.

“He’s one of the main reasons we have a hard time finding bipartisan solutions,” Ms. Skopov said. “There is a real disenchantment with Harrisburg, and people associate him with that. … I want to show my kids that politics can work differently.”

Formerly a screenwriter and director in Los Angeles, Ms. Skopov moved to Marshall with her husband and two children in 2010. From there she launched a nonprofit, No Crayon Left Behind, that collected partly-used crayons from restaurants with kids’ menus, recycling them for use by children in low-income communities.

But though she’s a political novice in a Republican stronghold, she’s shaping up as more than a protest vote in 2018. Already she is knocking on doors, attending community meetings, assembling a fundraising team and hosting a campaign website.

“She’s new, but she’s learning fast about the opportunities she can take advantage of,” said Linda Bishop, a North Hills political activist.

Among those opportunities: a newfound political zeal, spawned by a backlash to the 2016 elections, among newly minted activists like Ms. Bishop.

“There’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the Democratic side since the presidential election,” she said.

Roughly 20 Democratic activist groups have emerged since 2016 in the 12th Congressional District, which includes Mr. Turzai’s turf.

“A lot of people wish they’d done more last year to make a difference. Now it’s like, ‘We’re going to turn this around,’ ” Ms. Bishop said.

Ms. Skopov’s candidacy will also test what Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman Marcel Groen has called a “67 county strategy” — an effort to compete even in districts Democrats previously ignored after years of seeing their influence wane at every level of government.

“It’s incumbent on us to tell voters, ‘Hey, those problems you’re seeing in Harrisburg, that’s the guy responsible,’ ” said Mitch Kates, the state Democrats’ political director. “If you have a candidate with a strong message, a good organization and momentum, anything can happen.”

This summer, Mr. Turzai threw a wrench in negotiations over the state’s $32 billion budget, rejecting potential tax increases for a mix of borrowing, gambling expansion and one-time revenue sources. While even many Republicans have shown little enthusiasm for his approach, it prevented passage of a budget by the July 1 deadline. A previous impasse in 2015, in which Mr. Turzai also played a prominent role, strained schools and social-service organizations that depend on state revenue.

Still, Republicans outnumber Democrats by 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 margins in 28th District communities like Pine, Marshall, Franklin Park and McCandless. And while Harrisburg officials may have gnashed their teeth at Mr. Turzai during the 2015 impasse, he was welcomed as a conqueror at Republican gatherings long afterward.

“Among the folks I talk with, Mike Turzai is a hero,” said Charlie Gerow, a longtime Republican political consultant. “He’s standing between them and a massive tax increase, and they applaud it.”

That posture, Mr. Gerow said, proves Mr. Turzai is no insider but “an independent, hard-working conservative legislator who’s attentive to his own district. Whoever this Democratic candidate is, she’s barking up the wrong tree.”

Democrats hoped to challenge Mr. Turzai in 2016, when he faced Democrat John Craig Hammond. But Mr. Turzai spent $5.80 for every dollar Mr. Hammond spent and won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. A previous challenger lost by 3-to-1 in 2010.

“It’s incredibly difficult to defeat an incumbent, and he had tremendous resources,” Mr. Hammond said.

Ms. Skopov’s political views are squarely Democratic: She supports abortion rights and a tax on natural gas drilling, for example.

Still, she said, “One thing that motivated me to run is that I don’t like the rhetoric between Democrats and Republicans. I’m running for the whole district. The foundation of this district is where people go to school — and we all have that in common.”

While “everybody wants lower taxes,” she said, “people are concerned about the environment, and want to make sure public education stays strong.”

Ms. Skopov’s Hollywood connections could help with fundraising, and she has the advantage of time. Mr. Hammond launched his bid with a write-in campaign just weeks before the 2016 Democratic primary.

Supporters also say, as they did during Mr. Hammond’s run, that an influx of younger residents is shifting the district away from Mr. Turzai’s conservatism.

Ms. Skopov’s Hollywood background, and her visible tattoo and piercings, may mean “a certain segment of the population will be turned off by her,” Mr. Hammond said. “But a lot of younger voters will like her, and she’s meeting people constantly to get out in front of the narrative Turzai will try to create.”

“I hear sometimes the ear piercings may be an issue,” Ms. Skopov said lightly. “But I’ve shown up at the doors of Republicans of all ages, and have excellent conversations. I’ve been very encouraged.”

Chris Potter: cpotter@post-gazette.com

First Published: August 7, 2017, 10:30 a.m.