4 Republican state lawmakers from Westmoreland County seeking re-election

Four Republican state lawmakers representing Westmoreland County this week announced their joint candidacy for their respective seats.

Reps. George Dunbar, Eric Nelson and Mike Reese and state Sen. Kim Ward are seeking re-election.

Dunbar, 59, of Penn Township, represents the 56th District, which includes Penn Township, North Huntingdon, Trafford, Irwin, Manor and North Irwin. He was first elected in 2010.

Dunbar, who is a certified public accountant, is a member of the leadership on the House’s appropriations committee and has been involved in creating state budgets.

“The implementation of outcomebased measurements is already providing taxpayers benefits as proven by last fiscal year budget surplus,” he said in a statement. “Taxpayers can feel secure that with me serving on the appropriations committee and performance-based budgeting board, they will have a strong voice during the budget process for Westmoreland County.”

Nelson, 50, of Hempfield, represents the 57th District, which includes Delmont, Greensburg, South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, Youngwood, New Stanton, Hunker and parts of Salem and Hempfield. He won a special election in 2016 to fill a vacant seat.

Nelson is a retired Marine who said he will support citizens’ right to bear arms, the independence of senior citizens and opposition to abortions.

“As a business owner, I have felt the frustration of excessive taxes and introduced legislation to level the playing field for small employers,” he said in the statement. “As a husband and father of six, I’m proud of our gains in fighting the opioid epidemic and shall continue to work hard for families.”

Reese, 41, of Mt. Pleasant Township, represents the 59th District, which includes Bolivar, Donegal borough and township, Laurel Mountain, Ligonier borough and township, New Florence, Seward, Cook, Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant Township, St. Clair and portions of Hempfield and Unity. He is in his sixth term and previously worked as the assistant director of financial administration for Westmoreland County.

“When we ran for office, each one of us pledged to put taxpayers first in Harrisburg, to legislate with common sense ideals that prioritize our families and to protect the conservative values we each hold dear,” Reese said in the statement. “Bills that I have authored and became law work with state agencies to increase efficiency and uphold our commitment to the men and women who serve our country by assisting their loved ones during their deployments.”

Ward, 63, of Hempfield, represents the 39th District, which includes Jeannette, Greensburg, Latrobe, Cook, Derry borough and township, Donegal borough and township, Fairfield, Hempfield, Ligonier Township, Mt. Pleasant Township, North Huntingdon, Penn borough and township, Salem, Sewickley, South Huntingdon, St. Clair, Unity, Adamsburg, Arona, Bolivar, Delmont, Hunker, Irwin, Laurel Mountain, Madison, Manor, New Alexandria, New Florence, New Stanton, North Irwin, Seward, Smithton, South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, Sutersville, Trafford, West Newton and Youngwood. She was elected to the Senate in 2008 after previously serving as Hempfield supervisor and Westmoreland County commissioner.

“As the first woman to serve as the Senate transportation chair, as well as the first woman to serve in leadership from Westmoreland County, I am in a great position to get things done, and I do,” Ward said in the statement. “The bills I have prime sponsored and were then signed into law run the gamut from protecting kids to middle income college grants to e-verify to expanding law enforcement benefits to grants for fire companies to fighting overdose deaths to helping communities with blight.”