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LEWISTOWN -- Democratic candidates for two state offices took part in the Mifflin County Farm Bureau's annual Measure the Candidates Night at Mifflin County High School Wednesday.
Due to redistricting in the wake of the 2020 federal census, most of Mifflin County is guaranteed to have new representation in the state house and senate, and in the federal House of Representatives.
Candidates seeking legislative office, including unopposed candidates for Congress and one state house seat, were invited to take part in the event, held in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.
Only Democrat Robert Zeigler, who is challenging incumbent state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Bellefonte) in the 171st Legislative District, and Democrat Carol Taylor, battling incumbent state Sen. Judy Ward (R-Blair) in the 30th Senatorial district, took part in the sparsely attended event.
Several other candidates who were seeking office were invited but did not attend.
Zeigler has more than
20 years of management and job training experience in food service, hospitality and retail. He also has more than three years of local governing experience and believes that Americans need to strive for what is the impossible and "I'm a guy who tries to figure out how things work and make them better, and fix problems," he said.
Zeigler is running for office because he believes that "smaller rural municipalities are neglected or taken for granted by the state legislature. I want to change that," he said.
He considers economic justice -- the need to increase minimum wage and workers' rights; environmental justice -- clean water, air and reducing carbon footprint; and election and campaign reform -- a gift ban and ending corporate PAC money -- as issues he would address if elected.
Taylor is a drug addictions counselor in Williamsburg who believes "our region's best days are ahead of us. The focus of my campaign has been with concern for our communities in addressing the problems of addiction."
She is running for office to represent those who suffer from chronic illness, those whose medical bills jeopardize their security; and those who have endured discrimination or lost their employment or business.
The two candidates agreed on most policies and platforms of the Democratic party.
They support property tax reform when it comes to funding local schools.
"If the schools were properly funded to begin with by the state the way they should be" many would be in a surplus position, Zeigler said. "They also need more capabilities to raise funds and cut costs to be efficient and with the same standards."
Both offered solutions for alternative forms of energy, such as solar and other climate-friendly approaches, and want to curb fracking.
"There are a lot of initiatives, but we're not working on solutions to these problems," Taylor said.
Zeigler also felt companies should be held accountable for abandoning mines and not capping gas wells.
"They need to clean their messes up and make things better for communities," he said.
They also stood together on the issue of a woman's right to choose.
"It's not the state's place to tell a woman what she can do with her body," Zeigler said.
He would also advocate on behalf of women and work with advocacy groups to ensure that a woman's reproductive health rights are protected.
Both viewed the state's drug problem as a top public health issue.
"What we're lacking is an effective plan to deal with our addiction crisis. We have rehabs, but we don't have enough care and no after care," Taylor said.
They also agreed that tougher gun laws are needed to curb the violence that results in unnecessary bloodshed across the country. School safety continues to make headlines.
"We teach children what to do when there is a shooter in the school," Taylor said. "I feel like that is something we shouldn't have to have a conversation about" with children.
When it comes to Pennsylvania farmers, both support legislation to provide necessary assistance with the preservation of farmland and purchasing equipment.
"Government imposes regulations and leaves farmers footing the bill," Zeigler said.
Both agreed it was important to have an office in Mifflin County, if elected. Taylor, who has an office in Altoona, visited the area three or four times recently while canvassing "to pay attention to the needs of the folks in this area," she said.
Zeigler said he would have offices in Bellefonte and Mifflin County. He and his staff would try to attend meetings in municipalities are much as possible to become connected to the communities.
A video of the Measure the Candidates Night is available on Mifflin County TV's YouTube channel.