Voters across Pennsylvania head to the polls Tuesday for Primary Election Day, with multiple races on the ballot. In the local coverage area, the only contested Senate race is in the 32nd Senatorial District, which includes parts of Westmoreland County and all of Bedford, Fayette and Somerset counties.
Republican Sen. Pat Stefano is seeking a fourth term after serving the district for more than 11 years. He is being challenged by former state Rep. Harry Young Cochran, who served in the Pennsylvania House from 1978 to 1982. Cochran served most of his previous term as a Democrat but now describes himself as a MAGA conservative.
Stefano said he is running again to continue work he has been involved in for the past decade.
“My work is not completed. We still have many battles ahead of us. And I have a great relationship with the people in the 32nd district, I feel that I’m the most qualified person to represent them in Harrisburg.”
Cochran said he decided to run after hearing concerns from residents who want different representation.
“I started to talk to people in Somerset County and they said we need somebody up here. We’re not represented properly Now it’s up to the constituents. The constituents are the sovereign. I’m going to be a public servant,”
When asked about the biggest issues facing the district, Cochran pointed to state spending.
“We have a spending problem in Harrisburg. I see the governor down there and I see this fellow that I’m running against. He’s a lapdog for the for the governor,”
Stefano said utility affordability and the housing crisis are top concerns. He said work has already been done with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to help reduce costs for residential customers.
“We’ve already worked with the PUC creating a large load rate class that will help separate our large industrial users from residential, helping to lower our costs,”
On housing, Stefano said, “My legislation is to work on tax abatement to refurbish old homes in the downtown areas or buildings that will be refurbished with residential areas.”
When asked what sets the two candidates apart, Stefano pointed to his business and nonprofit background.
No Democrats filed to run in this election.