State Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin) announced that she is a candidate for the Pennsylvania State Senate in the 15th District.

Kim, who has served six terms in the State House, is hoping to make the move across the hall in the State Capitol to represent the District that is comprised of all Dauphin County except municipalities north of Middle Paxton and East Hanover townships.

The district has shifted from a 49.7-47 Trump district when the 15th had Perry County in the mix to a 57-42 Biden district without the rural county after redistricting, making it a key target for state Democrats.

“I am so energized by the opportunity to represent even more citizens and families in this community,” Kim said. “This is my home and this county has shaped my adult life. My kids worked at Hershey Park, my husband and I hike the Stony Valley Rail Trail and I covered news across the county for years while working at a local television station. I know intimately the issues facing my neighbors here because they are the people I live next door to, do community projects with, see at the grocery store, restaurants and worship with.”

A 1995 graduate of Boston College, she began her career in television journalism before winning a seat on the Harrisburg City Council in 2005 and earned a seat in the State House in 2012.

“My public service started in 2005 with a run for Harrisburg City Council when my daughter was just one year old. I wanted to help improve the city she was growing up in,” Kim said. “In 2012, I came to the state House with the opportunity to serve a broader portion of this community. I’ve fought for policies to help working families – raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, providing paid family leave, addressing the rise of gun violence, and expanding access and affordability of healthcare. But under Republican leadership, those bills never even got a vote. This year under new leadership in the House, my proposed legislation has been adopted, but then went on to languish in the Republican-controlled Senate. I’m running to finish the work I’ve started.”

Rep. John DiSanto (R-Dauphin), chair of the House Banking & Insurance Committee, currently holds the 15th District seat. He won a second term in Harrisburg on a conservative platform focused on job creation, reducing government interference with the economy and government reform.

A staunch opponent of any tax increased, he has introduced a constitutional amendment aimed at eliminating school property taxes. In 2016, DiSanto pledged to only serve two four-year terms and has not announced if he plans to extend his time in the Senate.

“Senator DiSanto has failed us with his eight years of low energy, a narrow mind, and no good ideas,” Kim said. “It’s time for Dauphin County to have an energetic champion, and I promise you that’s what I’ll be for all families of this district. This community knows who I am and they’ve seen how I fight for them.”

Kim said she will not seek re-election to her House seat so she can dedicate herself to becoming Dauphin County’s next state senator. She lives in Harrisburg with her husband and son, and her daughter is a student at Temple University.