State rep. Karen Beyer got her start as an aide to State rep. Doug Reichley. She's impressed many with her hard work and willingness to work across the aisle. Her reward? A Democratic challenger. His name is Mike Horton, age 46, according to a news release he distributed yesterday. He's a South Allentown resident, West Point grad and former corporate executive.His goals? Local jobs, tax relief, ethics reform and fiscal accountability in Harrisburg.
“We cannot rely on our overburdened taxpayers and seniors to make up for a lack of fiscal responsibility in Harrisburg. We have to reverse the drain of well-paying manufacturing and corporate jobs from the area. We need to better educate our children, protect our seniors, and maintain a safe environment for everyone. And to do this, we need dedicated leaders with substantial business experience outside the current failed government process to bring innovative solutions and build bi-partisan support for change.”
“Beyer and many in Harrisburg don’t seem to get the message,” said Horton. He claims that at a time when many families and businesses are suffering, Beyer has focused on relatively inconsequential issues, like permitting beer distributors to sell six-packs. “That isn’t leadership,” Horton said. “We need principled leaders who are focused on cleaning up Harrisburg and fixing the serious challenges facing us, not on furthering their own careers and playing partisan politics.”
Since 2003, Horton has also been a state constable, which he claims gives him street cred. “To be truly effective, you must understand at the street level how Harrisburg impacts individuals, families and businesses. I have spent the last seven years on our porch steps and at our kitchen tables doing just that. What makes sense in Harrisburg often looks very different when you actually look into the eyes of the people affected.”
The 131st District is a hodgepodge of Lehigh and Northampton Counties: South Allentown (Wards 12, 16, 19 and 14-1), Coopersburg, Lower Milford and Upper Saucon Townships, Salisbury Township (Wards 2, 3 and 4), Upper Milford Township (Western District) and Lower Saucon Township (Seidersville District).
Horton's webpage is here.
