Roman Kozak, chair of the Beaver County Republican Party, is shooting for even bigger things in the New Year as he has announced his candidacy for the 14th Legislative District seat.

The 35-year-old Beaver Falls resident hopes to replace Rep. Jim Marshall who announced earlier in the month his intention to step away from the chamber.

“We are desperately in need of leaders who are optimistic about our future,” said Kozak in a campaign announcement. “We need leaders who believe in better things to come and who will take a stand for truth, virtue, and goodness. We need leaders who believe in and support our small-business owners, who understand that parents know what is best for their child’s education, who support our law enforcement, and who fearlessly fight for the freedoms that so many have sacrificed for. We need leaders who are unashamedly pro-America, pro-2nd amendment, pro-life, and pro-industry.”

Kozak, a 2011 graduate of Geneva College, spent his early career in the transportation industry and got his feet wet in politics as a legislative aide for former Rep. Jim Christiana. After falling short of earning a seat on the Beaver Falls City Council, he was soon appointed to serve on the city’s Planning Commission.

He served as campaign chair for Rep. Aaron Bernstein‘s (R-Lawrence/Butler) successful 2016 run for the House and then moved on to run Rep. Josh Kail‘s (R-Beaver/Washington) 2018 campaign.

Kozak currently works as a high school history and social studies teacher, he said. Right now, he teaches world history at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School based in Midland.

“I am passionate about serving my community and have been doing so in various roles over the last fifteen years,” he said. “It would be a great honor to serve and represent the amazing people of Beaver County and the 14th district in Harrisburg.”

The 14th Legislative District comprises the city of Beaver Falls, Chippewa, Darlington, Daugherty, Franklin, Marion, New Sewickley, North Sewickley, Patterson, Pulaski and White Townships and the boroughs of Big Beaver, Bridgewater, Darlington, Eastvale, Economy, Ellwood City (Beaver County Portion), Fallston, Homewood, Koppel, New Brighton, New Galilee, Patterson Heights and West Mayfield.