First-time Democratic state Rep. Brandon Markosek has a challenger going into the general election in November.
John Ritter, 66, a Republican from Monroeville who is a Gateway School Board member, has plans to fill the historically Democratic seat that represents a large chunk of Pittsburgh’s east suburbs.
Markosek, 27, cruised to victory in 2018 after his father, Joe Markosek, retired from a 35-year career representing the 25th State House District.
The district, which comprises East McKeesport, East Pittsburgh, Monroeville, North Versailles, Pitcairn, Allegheny County’s portion of Trafford, Wall, Wilmerding and a portion of Plum, has a population of around 59,000 people, according to Ballotpedia.org.
For the past two years, the freshman lawmaker touts bringing energy and youth to the district, raking in around $5 million in grant money for those areas and running a strong district office in Monroeville with an “open-door policy.”
“I’m just making sure that I’m the best state representative that constituents have asked me to be,” Brandon Markosek said.
He collected 57.5% of the votes cast in the 2018 general election, compared to Steve Schlauch’s 42.4%, according to the Allegheny County Elections Division.
Ritter lost an attempt to unseat former Monroeville Mayor Greg Erosenko in 2013. He then ran unsuccessfully against Joe Markosek in 2014 and 2016.
Ritter won a Gateway School Board seat in the November 2015 election. He was elected for another four-year term in 2019, when he ran unopposed.
He said his opponent this time lacks a clear plan when it comes to rebuilding an economy ravaged by covid-19. With a background in health care, Ritter believes he is the man to lead the district forward.
“I think he’s hoping to just get more money from the federal government. I don’t think that’s effective,” Ritter said. “With that, we’re essentially borrowing from ourselves. That debt will have to be repaid – we’ll have to repay it. It would be better to have a ladder placed into the hole to climb out.”
Ritter acknowledged that it’s a difficult task. He hopes, if elected, to convene summits of local leaders to find solutions.
As the school district’s liaison for the Pennsylvania School Board Association, Ritter said his connections in Harrisburg will go a long way in getting things done. He said he has also cultivated a reputation of stepping up to lead, whether for Gateway or other health care arenas.
For example, Ritter hopes to bring “aggressive leadership” in passing the state’s telehealth bill, which was vetoed in April by Gov. Tom Wolf because it “interferes with women’s health care and the crucial decision making between patients and their physicians.”
Ritter said he believes the bill will bring the type of innovation needed to make student health more effective while schools remain restricted.
“I’ve had a history of stepping forward and volunteering in various stages of life to help meet the need of the moment,” he said.
Markosek said his age is not an indicator of a lack of experience. He pointed to the past two years serving as evidence he can get things done.
He said covid-19 has taken a bite out of his three top priorities — the economy, education and transportation. But he plans to continue building infrastructure through grants and other resources and supporting the school districts. If those are taken care of, he said, businesses will continue to be attracted to the area.
“(Covid-19) has had a big impact. I’m just making sure we can come out of it in a good position,” he said.
