On Nov. 5, the United States will take over the world news cycle by coming together to elect its 47th president. While that election will gobble up international headlines, there are plenty of important elections close to home that will have an impact on day-to-day lives in Centre County.
Pennsylvania Attorney General
An outlier on this year’s ballot, the Pennsylvania Attorney General race is a six-person contest without an incumbent choice. Current Attorney General Michelle Henry was appointed by Josh Shapiro when he stepped down from the position to serve as governor, and she is not running for reelection. The two major party candidates running to succeed Henry are Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday.
DePasquale is a 53-year-old career politician who most recently served as the Pennsylvania Auditor General. As Auditor General, DePasquale’s biggest headlines were his investigations of Pennsylvania’s voter registration system and child abuse hotline. His office revealed that the hotline had missed over 58,000 calls. Throughout his campaign for Attorney General, DePasquale has referenced these reports as well as his personal challenges as reasons why he is the preferable candidate for the people of Pennsylvania. DePasquale’s campaign platform includes his staunch pro-choice stance and his desire to prosecute businesses that violate consumer rights.
Sunday, DePasquale’s Republican opponent, has been the York County District Attorney since 2018. Sunday’s top priorities are public safety and fighting the opioid epidemic. He has gained widespread Republican support, even without taking a strong stance on the issue of gun laws. In a March debate, Sunday argued that failure to enforce legislation regarding illegal possession of firearms is a major cause of crime. He has also voiced opinions against the legalization of recreational marijuana and is in favor of the death penalty for qualifying crimes.
In an August poll, Sunday and DePasquale were nearly even, and none of the third-party candidates, Justin L. Magill, Eric Settle, Richard L. Weiss or Robert Cowburn, received a notable percentage of votes.
Pennsylvania State Treasurer
In the race for Pennsylvania State Treasurer, incumbent Republican Stacy Garrity is running for a second term. Garrity is challenged by Democrat Erin McClelland, Troy Bowman of the Constitution Party, Libertarian Nick Ciesielski and the Forward Party’s Chris Foster.
Garrity, a decorated United States Army veteran, has preached transparency in her bid for reelection. In her first term, Garrity improved public access to the Treasury’s records regarding budget and spending information. Garrity also oversaw the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program. In 2021, she eliminated the minimum deposit to open an account and reduced the minimum contribution to one dollar.
McClelland, Garrity’s main opponent, has never been an elected official but has a long career in substance abuse and mental health counseling along with financial project management. She ran for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 12th District in 2014 and 2016 but lost both times to incumbent Republican Keith Rothfus. In 2024, McClelland took an unexpected victory in the Democratic primary over Ryan Bizzarro, who was backed by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Now, McClelland is focusing on protecting union workers, rebuilding the supply chain and improving the Treasury’s cybersecurity in her campaign against Garrity.
U.S. House of Representatives – 15th Congressional District
This is one of the least competitive races on this year’s ballot. Incumbent Republican Glenn “GT” Thompson is fully expected to retain his seat. Thompson was first elected to the House of Representatives to represent the 5th district in 2009 and was redistricted to the 15th district in 2019. Since 2023, Thompson has served as the chair of the House Agriculture Committee.
Thompson is challenged by Democrat Zach Womer. Womer, a 12th-generation central Pennsylvanian, is running for his first elected office. His main priorities are bringing manufacturing jobs back to central Pennsylvania, reducing corporate influence in the electoral process and increasing workers’ protections. Womer has secured endorsements from the United Mine Workers of America, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Scott Conklin and the Committee to Protect Healthcare.
Pennsylvania State Senate – 25th Senatorial District
In the 25th Senatorial District, incumbent Republican Chris Dush is seeking a second term in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Dush, an Air Force veteran, represented the 66th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2014 to 2020 before running for Senate. In his career as an elected official, Dush has advocated for more power for the legislative branch and aimed to eliminate wasteful government spending.
Dush is challenged by Democrat William McGill who won the Democratic nomination with just 59.2% of the vote. McGill, an Army veteran, was born in Lock Haven and attended Mill Hall schools. McGill runs with strong pro-choice values and a nuanced approach to gun control. In an interview with The Lock Haven Express, McGill emphasized his military and hunting background while advocating for a ban on specifically assault weapons. He proposed “full and complete background checks,” as well as physical and mental health exams and strict punishments for misuse. While McGill has gained traction in recent months, he is still projected to fall short of Dush in the largely Republican district.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives – 82nd District
The Democratic Party currently holds a slim 102-101 majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and there are plenty of seats up in the air in the 2024 election. Democrat Paul Takac currently holds the seat in the 82nd district. Takac defeated Republican Justin Behrens in the 2022 election with just 56.3% of the vote. Before running for State Representative, Takac was a member of the College Township Council and was the chair of the Spring Creek Watershed Commission and the Centre Region Council of Government’s Public Safety Committee. In his second term as a State Representative, Takac intends to focus on funding public education and improving access to renewable energy and healthcare.
Takac is challenged by Republican Therese Hollen, who secured all but 40 votes in the Republican Primary Election. Hollen’s campaign is focused on creating jobs and an economy that promotes economic fairness, funding Pennsylvania’s first responders, improving access to clean energy and protecting the Second Amendment. Hollen has also advocated for rapid access to mental health resources and destigmatizing mental health in the public sphere. On Nov. 2, Hollen secured a notable endorsement from conservative political activist Charlie Kirk who visited and spoke at Penn State on Sept. 19.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives – 77th District
Democrat Scott Conklin has represented the 77th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2006 and is running for reelection again in 2024. Conklin, a Philipsburg native, currently serves as the Democratic Chairman of the House State Government Committee, Treasurer of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee and Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Conklin has faced very little competition for his seat and has not been seriously threatened since he took office in 2006, a trend that is expected to continue this year.
Conklin is being challenged by Republican Marie Librizzi. Librizzi, a Coast Guard veteran, is largely basing her campaign on opposing Conklin’s positions and arguing that she will put the people of District 77 first in ways that Conklin has not. One of Librizzi’s strongest stances is in regard to parental rights. Librizzi wrote on her campaign website, “Schools must not presume to be in a position to override the values of parents. This means that progressive, identity-based policy and curriculum has no place in a public education.” Librizzi also believes in limiting government spending and improving election integrity.
