Central Pennsylvania has long been celebrated for its commitment to hard-work – the local region is home to many of the descendants of the coal-mining families who have provided energy for our nation for generations. We look today to the banks of the Susquehanna and the state capitol, Harrisburg, as we profile the exciting race in Pennsylvania’s 17th district. In recent years the district has garnered positive national and international attention for its medical facilities at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
This district is currently represented by Tim Holden, a loyal and partisan Democrat who is running for a tenth term despite the conservative nature of this R+6 district. Holden first won election in the 17th after redistricting pitted him against another incumbent. The district has supported Republicans for president: Bush won here with 58% of the vote, and McCain claimed victory despite Obama winning the state. Holden has continued to win re-election by claiming to be a conservative Blue Dog when he is at home. When he’s in Washington, though, his record indicates that he can’t wait to line up next to his liberal colleagues. In fact, he’s voted with Nancy Pelosi 95.5% of the time. Contrary to his professed devotion to fiscal responsibility, he supported the stimulus bill, which cost taxpayers millions and allowed AIG executives to collect huge bonuses.
Holden is no stranger to the pay-to-play record that his Democrat colleagues have amassed. He supported card-check legislation, taking away a worker’s right to a secret ballot – but only after taking over $2 million in campaign contributions from labor unions. And he’s joined his fellow Pennsylvanians mired in ethical problems as mounting evidence shows that he offered his primary opponent job opportunities as a tool to force her out of the race. Sound familiar?
Fortunately, Republicans have a candidate who will more accurately represent the district and fight for job creation, lower taxes and responsible government. State Senator Dave Argall has served local Pennsylvanians for years and knows that fiscal discipline is an issue where voters want leadership, not more pandering. Dave is passionate about the same issues that the voters in Pennsylvania’s 17th are. He’s a defender of the Second Amendment, and he supports stronger regulations to secure the borders. This area of Pennsylvania has one of the oldest populations in the region, and Dave is committed to properly providing care for our seniors, including strengthening Medicare and fighting Obamacare.
I hope you’ll help Dave in his fight to unseat Tim Holden. You can learn more about Dave’s campaign on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter or view his campaign profile on Facebook.
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