Last week, Butler County Democrats convened to select their nominee for the state’s 11th House District.

Sam Doctor, a steelworker, was awarded the nomination.

Two weeks ago, state Rep. Brian Ellis (R-Butler) resigned from office in the midst of an ongoing sexual assault investigation. Ellis represented the district since 2005.

The 28 year-old Democratic candidate highlighted combating corruption in the state legislature as a top priority.

“What matters to me is finding common ground and bipartisan support to address corruption in the state legislature,” Doctor said.

Doctor ran in 2018 against Ellis as an Independent candidate. Although he’s running as a Democrat in this election, he says his campaign focus remains the same from his run last year.

“I’m running on the exact same platform that I ran on last year,” Doctor said. “Nothing about me has changed. I’m still a person with an Independent mind and I’m still willing to work with anyone.”

His campaign’s Facebook account’s pinned post lays out a series of positions he’d advocate for if elected include a gift ban, paid parental leave, Sunday hunting, legalize and tax marijuana, raise the minimum wage, protecting the 1st and 2nd Amendments, right to recall elected officials, and more.

The Republican Party has selected Marci Mustello, district scheduler for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Butler), as their nominee. She previously made a bid for the 11th House District in 2004, but lost to Ellis in the primary.

The special election will take place on May 21, the same day as the Pennsylvania primary.