First-term state legislator Jill Cooper will face a primary challenge from a fellow Murrysville Republican this month.

Cooper, 62, elected in 2022, will compete for the 55th District seat against Jamie Lingg, 50, who is in her first term on Murrysville Council.

“There’s just some fundamental things that we’re not doing as Republicans,” said Lingg, owner of graphic design business Three Little Fishies. “Commonsense things dealing with the economy, ethics, education, election integrity and other areas.”

Cooper said she wants to continue working for the voters in her district.

“I ran on getting things done and reforming, and I think I delivered on those promises,” she said. “I was able to get a bill passed, which is not easy for a first-time legislator, and I tried to undertake some reform with the ‘no budget, no pay’ bill (that would have suspended pay for state officials if a Pennsylvania budget is not passed before July 1).”

Lingg said she felt her conservative values were not being represented well in Harrisburg.

“I’m not going to compromise my values,” she said. “I believe in life starting at conception. We have veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom, and I think we should be prioritizing them over people from other countries.”

Lingg said she also would like to focus on education.

“We’re behind the national average,” she said. “I see parents in meetings fighting against a lot of programs being put through by the state, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators, which are promoting a lot of social-emotional learning. A lot of parents are not fans of these. With the state below the national average in reading and math, they want more of a focus on traditional education.”

Cooper said she has no plans to go against her values, but recognized through her work with the House’s Bipartisan Committee that results require consensus.

“People want the government to work for them and get things done,” Cooper said. “People want you to be involved in things that are meaningful, and they want you to reach across the aisle to get those things done. You can’t waiver on the values you hold dear, but there are a lot of things we can agree on about making Pennsylvania better.”

Cooper said she’s been able to achieve results.

“My relationships with our municipalities have been very good, and I feel I’m better positioned to get things done,” she said. “I have a conservative record, and I hope voters will choose me to represent them.”

Lingg said she hopes voters will send her to Harrisburg to work on what she called “the four E’s” of her campaign — economy, ethics, education and election integrity.

“I don’t know that one outweighs the others,” she said. “If you had a Venn diagram, they’re all overlapping with ‘the economy’ in the center section.”

No Democrats filed to compete for the 55th District seat. The primary election is April 23.

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