Democrat candidates for 14th Congressional district discuss views
Adam Sedlock
Candidate Adam Sedlock, a psychologist from Uniontown and former president of his local Kiwanis Club, speaks during the 14th District Democrat forum in held in Delmont Friday.
Mark Soroka
Candidate Tom Prigg speaks during the 14th District Democrat forum in held in Delmont Friday.
Each of the four Democratic candidates vying for a seat representing the newly drawn Pennsylvania 14th Congressional District comes from a different background and has a different approach for fixing Congress.
However, one belief each candidate shares is a desire to bring the U.S. House of Representatives back to a Democratic majority. Bill Marx, a member of the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee, feels that no matter which candidate is selected to represent the party in the upcoming general election, that person will make an imprint on history.
“We have a unique opportunity here in Westmoreland County, because there is no incumbent in this newly formed district,” said Marx, a councilman from Delmont. “This is historic, because we are starting from a blank slate. We have a unique opportunity to turn Westmoreland County a little more blue.”
The newly drawn district will elect someone to represent Fayette, Greene, Washington and most of Westmoreland counties.
Bibiana Boerio, Tom Prigg, Adam Sedlock and Robert Solomon took part in a moderated forum for Democratic candidates at The Lamplighter Restaurant in Delmont. Cory Stinedurf, president of the Young Democrats of Westmoreland County, presented questions to the candidates that were submitted in advance by the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee, along with spontaneous questions submitted on Facebook Live. Here are a few of the topics that were discussed by the candidates during this historic forum.
On the biggest issue facing the PA 14th District
Prigg feels that the voters have jobs topmost on their minds. “The number one issue I’m asked the most is what are you going to do about jobs?” he said. “If we don’t have jobs, we don’t have a good tax base. And if we don’t have a good tax base, we can’t take care of our schools or deal with the opioid crisis or fix the potholes on our roads. First, we have to find a way to bring back jobs to get the economy going.”
Sedlock also believes that jobs are a priority. “Without that, we don’t have a tax base. We need to start looking at job retraining. But if you, my constituents, feel there is a different priority, those need to be placed on the table and dealt with. That’s what I will go ahead and do,” he said.
As a physician, Solomon said health care is perhaps the most important issue for the people in the district. “It’s an important source of jobs for people and that helps the local economy,” he said. “But I also want to point out that the most common reason people file for bankruptcy is health-care debt. We have to change the way we finance health-care in this country because it affects everyone.”
For Boerio, health care and education can help people with an opioid addiction return to the workforce. “Many employers tell me they can’t fill open positions because applicants can’t either pass the drug test or they don’t have the skills,” she said. “We need health care that allows people with an addiction to get the right treatment and the right counseling so they can get into recovery and then to go back and fill those jobs. And we need education to ensure that these people will have those skills.”
On negative campaigning
“I like to tell people that I grew up in Mister Rogers neighborhood,” said Boerio, a businesswoman who grew up in Latrobe. “I want to make this a campaign that Fred Rodgers would be proud of. Because he taught us that it’s the people who make the neighborhood. Civility and love will help us get along.”
Prigg, a research associate at Carnegie Mellon University who grew up in Washington, Pennsylvania, also is against negative campaigning. “I’ve been running for a year and a half and I know negative campaigning. When candidates are weak and when they feel threated, you get whisper campaigns. Eventually those negative campaigns wear themselves them out. If you don’t fall into those traps, it turns back on those people. We need to remember who we are and honor character and integrity,” he said.
For Sedlock, a Fayette County resident, positive campaigning speaks for itself. “Negative reinforcement just doesn’t work,” said Sedlock, a psychologist who grew up near Perryopolis. “I think if we run an ethical and moral campaign, what else can we do other than win?”
Solomon, an emergency room physician from Oakdale, promised to keep his campaign respectful. “The four of us up here are friends,” he said. “There’s no such thing as negative campaigning. But come November, things will be a little bit different. And it’s important for us to remember that although attack ads work, there are other things that work better. When we have the opportunity to tell the people of this district about the record of the other side and what we propose to do different, all of the ones who are sentient beings will vote Democratic.”
On what differentiates each candidate from their opponents
Sedlock said he will work with everyone, regardless of their party affiliation. “I’m a psychologist and I’ve learned to listen to what people say,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my life to helping people from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter who they are. That same dedication I will take to Congress and listen to the voters and cross the aisle so we can get things done. We don’t need to compete in Congress.”
Solomon believes his communication skills will serve him well in Congress. “As an emergency medicine physician, I’ve spent the last 30 years taking care of the people of this district,” he said. “I talk to them on a regular basis and I think I’ve built a connection with them. These are my people. These people look at me as someone who understands their lives and will do everything I can to help make their lives better, once he gets to Capitol Hill.”
Boerio said her work and life experiences set her apart from the other candidates. “I bring a pretty varied resume to this experience and have demonstrated my competence. I’ve proven that I can succeed in different work environments and speak their different languages. And I can speak the language of Capitol Hill. I know how to bring different groups of people together to solve complex problems. I care about them, their families and making their lives better,” she said.
Prigg added that “If you want to change the world, judge the person by their heart and not by their wallet.”
Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District was adopted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court earlier this year after ruling that the original map constituted an illegal partisan gerrymander. The new 14th District includes a plurality of the old 18th District, which was won by Democrat Conor Lamb in a March special election. Because of where he lives, Lamb is now running for re-election in a different congressional district.
Republican candidates for the 14th District include state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler and state Rep. Rick Saccone. The primary election will be held on May 15.