Darragh and White Battle for the Pa. 170th House Dist.

by Eldon Graham

Two individuals are duking it out for a seat in the Pennsylvania House’s 170th Legislative Dist. in Northeast Philadelphia, one of the few competitive urban districts in a general election. They are Democrat Matt Darragh and Republican State Rep. Martina White.

One hopes to keep her seat and continue to try to make the 170th Dist. better for the people that have lived in the community for generations, while the other believes things need to change and he is the man to make it happen.

The 170th Dist. includes the communities of Bustleton, Somerton and Parkwood. They both come from the same area, with similar backgrounds, but follow different political paths. Darragh, the challenger, was raised in Northeast Philadelphia in a “union household.” White, who is also a lifelong resident of Northeast Philadelphia, comes from “a family of job creators.”

The battle for this seat is critical for Pennsylvania. Only one Democrat has held that seat in the past 47 years. State Rep. Brendan F. Boyle held it for seven years, until he resigned in January 2015 to become a member of the US House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 13th Dist. Before Boyle, that seat belonged to Republican George T. Kenney, who held it for 23 years.

The 170th Dist. seat will be important with this upcoming election as it will help shape the Pennsylvania House for the next two years.

White, who has been the incumbent for a little over a year, is still somewhat a freshman in these parts. White won a special election in March 2015, with a 14% margin over Democratic candidate Sarah Del Ricci, who was the handpicked candidate by Lt. Gov. Mike Stack to take the seat.

Earlier this year, White made headlines after she was seen and heard arguing with several immigration activists in her Harrisburg office. When the activists entered her office, a discussion turned argument resulted in White becoming verbally upset and saying, “Well … this is what the benefit of being in America is. It’s that you have the freedom of speech. Please leave my office now. I’m not going to be harassed in my own office.” Capitol security then escorted the immigration activists out of the building.

STATE REP. Martina White

In August, White condemned Philadelphia’s sanctuary-city policy after a request by US Immigration & Customs Enforcement that the city turn over an illegal immigrant charged with raping a child in Philadelphia.

In the past, Darragh proclaims, “Elected officials must find common ground and build consensus to be effective. I’m not going to Harrisburg to push a liberal agenda or a conservative agenda, but to pursue policies that will make a difference in our community.”

He plans to push agendas for women’s rights and family planning, tax relief for seniors, equal pay for equal work, workers’ rights and family-sustaining jobs, more crime prevention and increased education funding.

Darragh’s plan for the Northeast also echoes the same approach Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has in mind for the country if she is elected president. “Pennsylvania companies should always have the first crack at state contracts to ensure our tax dollars create jobs here; not in China or Mexico,” he says.

White wants to focus on more jobs, better pay, fair taxes, strong and effective schools, and a better quality of life.

Republicans and Democrats are often at odds but one platform that they can both relate to is doing what is best for the communities that helped them get elected.

White wants to be reelected and believes she can be. She has 20 groups, most of them union-affiliated, at her back ready to endorse her again for state rep. She is particularly noted for her strong allegiance to public-safety unions – a voting bloc that matters in her district – and has carried water for them in Harrisburg.

Both candidates’ experience comes from being heavily involved in their communities and working to help individuals as well as families. White found success as a financial advisor. She guided families and small business owners on how to best accomplish their financial goals. During that time, she saw the challenges of raising children, and dealing with the high cost of education and health care.

CHALLENGER Matthew Darragh

Darragh began his career shortly after college with the Pennsylvania Dept. of the Auditor General. He described his time working there as it helped shape his career path: “The Auditor General is the chief fiscal watchdog of the commonwealth and is tasked with ensuring that tax payer dollars are spent responsibly. I’ve spent eight productive years working toward that goal. Over the last three years, I’ve served as a regional manager with a hand in personnel supervision, audit review, and procedure development.”

The 30 year-old Darragh first bested 25-year-old Fran Nelms, a staffer for Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-Phila.), in the April primary.

A win for the Republicans herewould help them maintain their hammerlock on the House. A win for the Democrats would chip away at the grip Republicans have had on it for the past few years. Notoriously a Republican seat, you can expect White and the GOP will do their best to keep one of the few big-city seats now held by a Republican.

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