DV Journal

The Feb. 13 special election to replace former Rep. John Galloway is now teed up. The Bucks County Democrats selected Jim Prokopiak as their candidate.

Prokopiak will square off against Republican Candace Cabanas.

“We are excited to announce that Jim Prokopiak will be the Democratic nominee for the Special Election in HD-140. Jim is a former Falls Township supervisor and current Pennsbury School Board member who has been a champion of Lower Bucks County his entire career,” the Bucks Democrats said on X (formerly Twitter).

“I’m running because for too many people that live in Lower Bucks County, the American Dream seems to get farther and farther away,” said Prokopiak. “You know, the cost of putting a roof over their head, paying their bills, taking care of their children’s education while trying to save for retirement and have health care. It’s a heavy burden and I think we need to do better, and I think we need to start in Harrisburg with that.”

Prokopiak is a lawyer, who is a solo practitioner. He also works with Jacobs Engineering with site acquisition for leasing and zoning for telecommunications companies. He’s a graduate of West Chester University and Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Prokopiak has been a member of the Pennsbury School Board for the last two-and-a-half years. Before that he served as a supervisor in Falls Township.

Propokiak and his wife, Gail, have three children in the Pennsbury School District, a 16-year-old son, and 14-year-old twin daughters. He’s lived in Levittown for 30 years.

Propokiak hopes to work on education issues if he’s elected to the House.

Propokiak cited a decision by a Commonwealth Court judge that said the state is not funding its public schools unconstitutional.

“The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that we fund public education,” said Propokiak. “And I think over the years, we’ve gotten away from that and we have to look at changing the way we fund public education, in terms of the way we distribute money and that type of stuff. And that’s the Commonwealth Court’s decision that has said that we’re not, Pennsylvania has not constitutionally funded its mandate.”

Propokiak is also interested in helping workers get the right education.

“One of the reasons I’m so pro-education and for lifelong education is…when we create a skilled workforce, it’s easier to attract quality jobs to our community. And certainly, Labor and Industry would be one committee I’d be interested in,” said Propokiak said. “Because good paying jobs in the community create opportunities for people, not just to pay their bills but to have affordable healthcare and a path to retirement. And those are the jobs we’re looking for.”

The 140th District, which includes Falls Township, part of Middletown Township, Morrisville and Tullytown.

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Bucks County Democrat Rep. John Galloway resigned his seat in the 140th District Thursday, just hours after House Democrats used their slim 102-101 majority to push through their fiscal plan. His departure leaves the House evenly split between the parties until a special election can be held on February 13, 2024.

By complete coincidence, House Democrats said, repairs to a leaky roof will prevent any voting sessions until March. In fact, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro will even be forced to deliver his annual budget address in the rotunda rather than to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House of Representatives Chamber.

Galloway was elected to a district justice seat for Falls Township on Nov. 7, so his departure was no surprise. And given the partisan makeup of this district, his replacement will likely be another Democrat, returning the House to a one-vote Democratic majority.

Republicans are crying foul, with sources telling DVJournal the leak was discovered a year ago.

“You see the chaos on the floor. An alleged water leak. I have not seen water drop from the ceiling yet in a year,” said Rep. Seth Grove (R-York).

“I am very tired of them managing to the next election and maintaining power instead of actually governing the commonwealth,” said Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster).

Cutler alluded to a resolution the Democrats passed declaring the state as being in the “Taylor Swift Era” in the midst of work on the budget and various other bills. The popular singer is a Berks County native and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

Governing “is the job of the majority. They are failing,” said Cutler.

Three Democrats are running for Galloway’s former seat: his chief-of-staff Melanie Bidlingmaier, former Eagles cheerleader Donna Petrecco, and Pennsbury School Board Member Jim Pokopiak.

The Bucks County Republican Committee Thursday endorsed Candace Cabanas, who will be on the ballot for the 140th District, which includes Falls Township, part of Middletown Township, Morrisville and Tullytown.

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