State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) announced that he is running for Bucks County Commissioner.
DiGirolamo, who is currently in his 13th term in the state House, described it as a really tough decision to seek this office, but believes he’d be a good fit for the job.
“First, it was a really tough decision for me,” he said. “But it just seemed like a really really good fit for me when I looked at [that].”
DiGirolamo cited his experience as chairman of the House Human Services Committee, for now a fifth term, as a benefit of pursuing this position, stating that “three quarters of the county budget” related to Health and Human Service.
He made this decision after the news that longtime Bucks County Commissioner Charley Martin was retiring. DiGirolamo said was courted by a number of people who he respected in Bucks County about pursuing this position and hopes to build on what the county commissioners have accomplished.
Due to the ongoing trend of the Philadelphia suburbs shifting away from the Republican Party, DiGirolamo explained that this race is “no guarantee” for him to win.
“This is going to be a tough election,” he said.
In an interview with the Bucks County Courier Times, he referenced the losses the party suffered in southeast Pennsylvania, although he walked away with a double digit victory in 2018.
“Last year, there were 28 House Republican seats in southeastern Pennsylvania,” DiGirolamo said. “By the time Election Day was over, they were cut in half. There were only 14 left. I think the Republican Party is struggling to connect with Democrats, independents and even some members of our own party, particularly women, and when I look at the issues that are important to them, those are the same issues that I have been focused on in Harrisburg.”
DiGirolamo said he views the role of County Commissioner to provide services to those who are most vulnerable in the county and believes quality of life issues and prioritizing the environment in the county is a focus as well.
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4 Responses
One of the big factors in the struggle for the environment which Gene says he is prioritizing is our private public utility company, PECO. PECO claims in their environmental policy to go beyond compliance. In this respect they are failing miserably. They currently are sourcing less than 1 half of 1% of their energy from solar. While sourcing primatrily from fossil fuels, there are taking $1M dollars a day and sending it to their parent company, Exelon, in Chicage. That profit should require them to help with the most vulnerable in Bucks by providing new green jobs to those in communities in need. Will you join us in making PECOs lack of leadership on the green transition an issue in this election? Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT)
This is big news for Buck County. Also, Fitzpatrick would have to be clueless not to see that switching to Dem would give him a big edge in Bucks for the next election. Bucks in moving like Orange County in Calif from once all red to all blue. It’s happening in Bucks much faster than anyone could ever expect.
If mean-Gene loses in the 2019 Commissioners race he can just run for re-election to his House seat in 2020. Win-win for Geno.
Rob is pretty screwed. However, let us not forget that Diane Marsaglia and BCDC are politically inept so there is still hope for the R’s in Bucks!
He will win but dems will pick up his House seat as Bucks continues to go Blue. Only question is will he be a majority or minority commissioner. But can not blame Gene as he is out of step with the new GOP