Nazareth Baker Seeks State House Seat

Nazareth may be a small town, but it has no shortage of bakeries. Just in Nazareth proper, there are three. Schubert's is where everyone goes for Moravian sugar cake. The Pie Shop (now on Main St)  has the best pasties in the Lehigh Valley. And then there's Cozze Cakes. It's a shop that specializes in elegant wedding and birthday cakes. Marie Antoinette would say, "Let them eat cake."  Owner Amy Cozze would say, "Let everyone eat cake," but she knows someone has to bake it. She wants to take her baking skills to Harrisburg, and is announcing today that she is a candidate for the State House.

She's running in the 137th Pa legislative district, which was gerrymandered to keep Democrat Rich Grucela out of office. It includes parts of Palmer Township and several slate belt communities.But it also includes Forks Tp, Upper Nazareth and Nazareth. It's designed precisely for someone like Joe Emrick. He is one of the few Lehigh Valley legislators who has refused to endorse any legislative attempt to slay the gerrymander.

What does a baker know about politics? Hopefully, nothing. Cozze is a University of Pittsburgh grad who majored in psychology and minored in business. After several years in the business sector, she opened up a business of her own in 2012. While 90% of startups fail, she has thrived in a community that obviously likes to eat. She understands small business.She'd like to be their advocate in Harrisburg. She'd also like to see positive changes related to healthcare, education and the environment.

Cozze has been a member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber for the past five years, and a board member of the Nazareth Business Council for the last two years. Most recently, she was appointed as liaison for the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee.

She told The Morning Call that state legislators have "catered to the larger corporations and conglomerates and it’s put them out of touch with Main Street America. They don’t seem to have the interests of the middle class in mind any more.”

Why should someone like Joe Emrick care about the middle class? In 2016, he raised $108,000 in cash and in-kind contributions against a weak candidate. He doesn't have to bake cakes. But in case he hasn't noticed, a blue wave is rising in Pennsylvania. It started in last year's municipal races, and has been helped along by Authoritarian Donald Trump.

Cozze knows a good cake starts with good ingredients. So should a state legislature.

On a personal note, she is a wife, mother to two wonderful boys and a breast cancer survivor. She's also Lehigh Valley native.

For more information on where Amy Cozze stands on the issues for Pennsylvania’s 137th District or to support her race, please go to www.amycozzeforstaterep.com.