State Rep. Mahoney announces bid for fifth term
State Rep. Timothy S. Mahoney, D-South Union Township, announced on Thursday that he is pursuing a fifth term representing the 51st Legislative District.
Mahoney said he is energized and looking forward to a vigorous campaign, with the goal of convincing voters to again put their trust and confidence in him.
“I have never been one to quit a job before it’s done, especially when it comes to doing what is best for the public and the people I serve,” Mahoney said, noting that he was approached by high-level party operatives to run for the 32nd Senate District seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, but decided against it.
“Being a state legislator or being a senator — it’s not about an ego or a title, it’s about trying to help people,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney said that while he’s matched or exceeded the performance of other area state representatives over the years in terms of acquiring state aid for schools and economic development, he’s also set himself apart from the pack by being outspoken when it comes to public and taxpayer interests.
“I’ve not been afraid to stick my neck out, from being the prime sponsor of the House version of the Open Records Law, to using that law to find out how many state police troopers are stationed at Uniontown, to starting a dialogue on cost savings from administrative consolidation of school districts,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee. He said his legislative priorities include: reforming property taxes, providing for senior citizens, improving education and increasing job opportunities and economic development projects for Fayette and Somerset counties.
Mahoney said in his fifth term, he wants to concentrate on the projects he’s started, and also continue to find ways to address some of Fayette County’s major issues.
“My main concern is drugs,” said Mahoney. “There’s not enough law enforcement, there’s not enough prevention, there’s not enough rehab.” He said he believes education is the key and that reaching young people when they’re younger is the best way to divert them from a path toward drug abuse.
Another key component of his strategy is fighting to increase the presence and effectiveness of state police, he said, who are currently understaffed while being tasked as the sole providers of public safety in many communities.
“If we ever want to change for the better, we can’t continue employing elected leadership that’s content to just go with the flow. I do what I think is right — not what I think is going to be popular.”
Along those lines, Mahoney said he voted to reduce the size of the Legislature and in favor of House Bill 76, a measure that would eliminate school property taxes and replace that revenue with slight increases in the sales and income taxes.
Mahoney, a Democrat, said he favored the Republican-sponsored bill because it represents forward movement.
“It’s not about party; it’s about accomplishing something meaningful,” Mahoney said. “In my view, whatever the issue, I prefer paddling upstream as opposed to paddling in circles. We’ve had way too much of that, haven’t we?”
Mahoney, a former United Mine Workers union member and lifelong resident of Fayette County, was first elected to represent the 51st Legislative District in 2006, on a platform of revamping the state Open Records Law to make it binding on the legislature for the first time. He said he is proud of following through on that promise.
Prior to his election to the state House, Mahoney served five years as a Fayette County jury commissioner, a position to which he was elected in 2001. He also served several years as an unpaid member of the Fayette County Airport Authority board of directors.
As a state representative, Mahoney said he has annually awarded $1000 in college scholarships to graduating seniors at each of the senior high schools in the 51st District (Albert Gallatin Area, Connellsville Area, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area), at his own expense.
Mahoney said he has also sponsored and personally footed the bill for an annual fourth-grader coloring contest and awards banquet, as well as a yearly Christmas dinner for those who would otherwise dine alone.