Ligonier councilwoman selected as Democratic nominee for 59th District seat
A Ligonier councilwoman has been nominated by the Westmoreland County Democratic Party to fill an open seat in the state House of Representatives, according to an announcement.
Mariah Fisher was elected in 2017 to borough council.
She is set to be the party’s nominee for the 59th Legislative District in a special election May 18 to fill the seat of Republican State Rep. Mike Reese who died unexpectedly Jan. 2. Reese, 42, of Mt. Pleasant, was to be sworn in to his seventh term days later.
Fisher is a Ligonier native who lived in Colorado for a time and chose to return home to raise a family, according to the announcement. She has been involved with crafting a balanced budget as chairwoman of the finance committee. She is in charge of the public safety committee.
“Her genuine concern for the people and issues in the 59th District, like advocating to improve reliable home internet service and protecting the natural resources that make the Laurel Highlands a desirable place to live and visit, earned her the recommendation from our committee,” chairwoman Tara Yokopenic said.
Fisher’s nomination is pending final approval from the state Democratic Party this weekend.
The county’s Republican Committee has not yet publicly announced who their nominee for Reese’s seat would be.
Several people have expressed interest in being a candidate, including Reese’s wife, Angela. Reese died of an apparent brain aneurysm. Others vying for the Republican nomination include Leslie Baum Rossi, the Unity woman best known for owning the red, white and blue Trump House on Route 982, and Shawn Knepper, a Ligonier Valley police officer.
The 59th District consists of 42 voting precincts in eastern Westmoreland County, including parts of Hempfield and Unity townships as well as Cook, Donegal, Fairfield, Ligonier and Mt. Pleasant townships; and Bolivar, Donegal, Ligonier, Laurel Mountain, New Florence and Seward boroughs.
It also includes 10 rural precincts in western Somerset County.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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