A businessman and a former two-term Allegheny County councilman is seeking the Republican nomination for Allegheny County executive.

Matthew J. Drozd, 74, of Pittsburgh, made the announcement Thursday evening.

If he is nominated by the Republicans in the May 21 primary election, he will run against County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who is seeking his third term.

He is a former two-term Allegheny County councilman who in 2015 ran against Donald Trump in the party’s New Hampshire primary.

Drozd told the Tribune-Review on Thursday night he is a “political moderate, but a fiscal conservative.”

Dozd said he cares about people. “But I will be very conservative with the taxpayer’s money,” he said.

According to Drozd’s resume, he served as an Air Force officer, business owner and economic developer.

His announcement said the Drozd Group provides “administrative, sales, marketing and warehousing support for companies that want to expand into international markets.”

Drozd served two terms on county council. Formerly of Ross Township, he represented part of the North Hills.

He lost the GOP nomination for re-election in 2013 and at one point switched his party registration before switching back to Republican.

Drozd was a lieutenant colonel who served six years on active duty and time in the Air Force Reserve.

He believes his military planning experience can help the county look at the complex security threats such as the killing of 11 in the Tree of Life synagogue.

“I helped to craft homeland security plans,” he said.

His resume said Drozd earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Duquesne University and he taught in graduate schools at the University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris University.

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