By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com
HARRISBURG — A public policy advocate said Tuesday she will challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Holden in a Democratic primary this year, saying the longtime 17th District incumbent’s “no” vote on health care last year shows he no longer is in touch with the needs of many of his constituents.
“I’ve thought long and hard about this,” said Sheila Dow-Ford, who runs a small consulting firm in the city. “I’m in.”
The news was first reported by the Pennsylvania Progressive.
Dow-Ford’s candidacy isn’t great for Holden, who learned earlier this month he will likely face Republican state Senator Dave Argall in the fall. The matchup is expected to be one of the most competitive races in the state.
Speculation since Argall’s announcement has focused on whether Holden was conservative enough for the right-learning district, but Dow-Ford’s criticism came from the opposite ideological spectrum.
“Tim needs to be challenged on his credentials as a Democrat,” she told PoliticsPA during an interview in the Capitol.
His opposition to health care reform clearly sparked Dow-Ford’s motivation to run against Holden.
“I think Tim Holden seems to have lost his way,” she said. “We have people in the 17th District who need real representation on issues that confront them.”
Dow-Ford is a member of the state board of education and former chief counsel to PHEAA. She said she would officially declare her candidacy “soon.”
