DV Journal

Democrat Melissa Cerrato gave a victory tweet Wednesday, declaring that she won the 151st District House seat over longtime Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens.

“I’ve spent months reminding voters of the importance of their votes & assuring them that EVERY SINGLE VOTE MATTERS. Now that the count has officially turned in our favor, it is my great honor to step forward as the next State Representative of Pennsylvania’s 151st House District,” Cerrato tweeted.

Cerrato won by 37 votes.

Stephens conceded on Thursday.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime representing the people of the 151st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the last 12 years,” said Stephens. He noted that the new district was drawn with only 36 percent Republicans and that the top of the 2022 ticket had a gubernatorial candidate who received only 29 percent of the vote.

” I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Melissa Cerrato on being elected state representative for the 151st District. I look forward to working with her in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

“Though I am disappointed that I won’t be returning to Harrisburg to serve the community where I was born, raised and am raising my family, I am proud of my accomplishments including creating a program to ensure we have safe, clean drinking water, improving our child protection laws, vaccinating thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing record-setting education funding for our schools without raising taxes and writing the most comprehensive animal protection law in the country. I’ll certainly look back at my time as your state representative with pride,” Stephens said.

In Bucks County, Republican Joseph Hogan defeated Democrat Mark Moffa in the race to fill newly-elected GOP state Sen. Frank Farry’s seat. However, the close contest might be headed to court and control of the state House is still up in the air.

The Bucks County election website had Hogan at 15,418 votes to Moffa’s 15,394 on Wednesday.

“In the normal course of ensuring the results of last week’s election are accurate and complete, Board of Elections staff discovered Friday that some in-person votes–including some ballots cast in a voting precinct within the 142nd Pennsylvania House District–were not included in the county’s reported unofficial election results,” said Bucks County spokesman James O’Malley.

While neither Hogan nor Moffa responded to requests for comment, a spokesman for the House Republicans said it was still too soon to call the race because the Bucks County Democrats want ballots without signatures and dates to be included, so a judge will likely decide. Bucks County officials are also facing criticism for permitting ballot harvesting from nursing homes.

The majority is 102 seats,” said Republican spokesman David Foster. “If Stephens ultimately loses, but Hogan wins, we’re at 101 to 101 with the seat of the late Democratic Rep. DeLuca being the deciding vote. But that election won’t happen until March at the earliest, May at the latest. If Stephens and Hogan pull it out, we’re ahead 102-101.”

“That’s why we delayed our leadership election until next week,” Foster said.

However, Democrats are not hesitating.

They have already declared victory and elected Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) as the new House Speaker.

While it appears that Bucks County Republican Joseph Hogan has bested Democrat Mark Moffa for the 142nd state House district, the seat vacated by Frank Farry, who was just elected to the state Senate, the close contest might be headed to court.

And control of the state House remains up in the air.

The Bucks County website had Hogan at 15,418 votes to Moffa’s 15,394 on Wednesday.

Bucks County spokesman James O’Malley said, “In the normal course of ensuring the results of last week’s election are accurate and complete, Board of Elections staff discovered Friday that some in-person votes – including some ballots cast in a voting precinct within the 142nd Pennsylvania House District – were not included in the county’s reported unofficial election results.”

Bucks officials have also faced criticism for permitting ballots “harvested” from nursing homes to be included in the count.

While neither Hogan nor Moffa responded to requests for comment, a spokesman for the House Republicans said it was still too soon to call the race because the Bucks County Democrats want ballots without signatures and dates to be included so a judge will likely decide.

In neighboring Montgomery County, Democratic challenger Melissa Cerrato has edged ahead of longtime Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens by 37 votes, but more votes remain to be counted in this razor-thin contest.

Kelly Cofrancisco, a spokeswoman for Montgomery County, said, “Fifty-nine provisional ballots that are subject to the hearing scheduled for Friday.”

“The majority is 102 seats,” said Republican spokesman David Foster.  “If Stephens ultimately loses, but Hogan wins, we’re at 101 to 101 with the seat of the late Democratic Rep. DeLuca being the deciding vote.  But that election won’t happen until March at the earliest, May at the latest.  If Stephens and Hogan pull it out, we’re ahead 102-101.”

“That’s why we delayed our leadership election until next week,” Foster said.

However, Democrats are not that shy.

They have already declared victory and elected Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) the House Speaker.

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State Rep. Todd Stephens is known as the “water guy” among Montgomery County constituents. And not because he carries water for Republicans.

Whether it’s praising some of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s initiatives, supporting red-flag laws in the wake of school massacres across the country, or criticizing GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano’s ties to right-wing social media platform Gab, Stephens says he has proudly maintained his independence since first being elected to represent the 151st House District.

Peers at Hatboro-Horsham High School voted Stephens the “most outspoken” student in his class. And even his mother recognized from an early age that her son was destined for a career in law.

“My mother knew I was going to be an attorney because I loved to debate and argue and speak my mind,” said Stephens, who spent more than a decade as a state and federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania. “It’s a part of my DNA. I don’t ever remember not having that trait where I was unwilling to speak up and run against the grain. It’s always been a part of who I am.”

Saying he was elected “to do what’s best for the people,” Stephens’ approach has worked so far in a left-leaning district that has supported Democratic presidential candidates, including Joe Biden.

But it also means being denounced as a “RINO” – a Republican In Name Only – by some in his party, even as he seeks a seventh term.

Melissa Ceratto

His opponent this November is Democrat Melissa Cerrato, district director for state Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Blue Bell). Cerratto bills herself as a “working mom who knows what it means to serve our community.” She could not find time to talk to Delaware Valley Journal.

Stephens knows what happens when a politician falls out of favor with his party. He watched U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest critics and a key figure in the House investigation of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, badly lose her recent primary to fellow Republican Harriet Hageman two years after winning her last one with nearly 75 percent of the vote.

Much the same way, Stephens has not been shy about hitting out against Republicans at the top of the ticket.

He blasted Mastriano for using Gab, a social media site founded by Andrew Torba that is viewed in some circles as a haven for extremists because it has hosted anti-Semitic commentary.

However, Mastriano has since distanced himself from that social media platform and stated his opposition to antisemitism.

“Andrew Torba doesn’t speak for me or my campaign. I reject antisemitism in any form,” Mastriano said. “Recent smears by the Democrats and the media are blatant attempts to distract Pennsylvanians from suffering inflicted by Democrat policies.”

Stephens tweeted that “nothing short of a total rejection” of Torba’s “offensive and dangerous”  anti-Jewish rhetoric was required. Torba responded with the “RINO” dig and urged supporters to deliver “harsh pushback” against the state lawmaker.

Stephens understands he might lose the support of some Republican voters. He is banking on the support of moderate Republicans and the middle-of-the-road Democrats to keep him in office.

“They split their tickets because they recognize that I don’t vote based on party,” he said, pointing to endorsements from groups such as anti-gun-violence advocate CeaseFirePA. “I’ll stand up to my party if need be, and I’ll be proud to do it.”

Cerrato did not respond to multiple requests for interviews, but she laid out a multifaceted platform also focused on Pennsylvania’s welfare on her website.

She draws from her experience as a mother of four daughters, a one-time Uber driver, and an elderly caretaker who first entered politics when her “dear friend” Hanbidge asked her to run the district office.

“From helping put millions of dollars in unclaimed funds back into people’s pockets to fighting to end a months-long backlog and getting Pennsylvanians long-awaited unemployment assistance, my job was to get results for our community when no one else could. Now I’m answering the call again,” Cerrato wrote on her campaign site.

“I understand what it means to live paycheck to paycheck,” she said, “but also what it means to work hard to build a life for my family that I can be proud of.”

Though a Republican, Stephens was invited to participate in a White House video conference to discuss his pending extreme risk firearms legislation that would allow a judge to take action when a person is deemed a danger to himself or others.

“It was helpful to hear from legislators in Florida and Maryland about the experiences where ERPOs have been implemented, and also from other states where legislation is pending, to brainstorm on how to help advance extreme risk protection orders in Pennsylvania,” Stephens said.

A former prosecutor for the Montgomery District Attorney’s Office and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stephens has pushed legislation to crack down on violent criminals and gun toters. That is in stark contrast to the progressive policies of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

Stephens did not directly answer if he supported impeachment efforts against Krasner but made it clear he views the Philly district attorney as lax on violent crime, citing “spillover” into the suburbs from Philadelphia’s surging crime wave, which led to record homicides in 2021.

He sponsored a bill for the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to investigate the prosecutions and sentences for gun offenders.

“Certainly, it affects all of us when the violence is as rampant as it has been in Philadelphia,” Stephens said.

While Stephens’ background is law and order, many district voters know him more for his advocacy against dangerous contaminants, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, found in water sources throughout the state.

One of Stephens’ bills diverted millions of dollars in state taxes for grants to water suppliers to help remediate the issue. A wide-ranging study, led by the Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, is also underway to determine long-term health effects for those exposed to the contaminants.

“I don’t think we can take our eye off the ball,” Stephens said. “It’s still a top priority.”

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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf introduced his final state budget plan in February.

He proposed $45.7 billion to increase general fund spending by $4.5 billion—a nearly 11 percent hike. Wolf made the argument that the state should increase spending on education by $1.55 billion, especially in poorer school districts.

His plan includes increasing the minimum wage, workforce development, veterans’ services and suicide prevention, and funding for environmental programs.

Wolf, a Democrat, recently asked the legislature to give Pennsylvanians $2,000 per household.

“The cost of everything from gas to groceries is a little higher right now than it was just a few weeks ago and for Pennsylvanians living paycheck to paycheck even a small increase in expenses can mean painful decisions like paying for food or rent,” said Wolf. “I see that pain in communities across Pennsylvania and I want to talk about solutions. I want to put $2,000 checks into the hands of Pennsylvanians and families that need it.”

However, Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), the nonpartisan financial watchdog, warned Pennsylvania could face as much as a $1.8 billion deficit by June 2024.  And now the U.S. economy may be on the brink of a recession.

The deadline to adopt the budget is midnight June 30. But the issue of whether or how much of the $6 billion surplus and $1.7 billion pandemic relief funds to spend is a sticking point. Negotiations between Wolf and the Republican-led legislature are continuing.

“During the last three weeks of June we hope to finalize the 2022-2023 budget,” said Sen. Bob Mensch (R-Berks/Bucks/Montgomery). “While the governor seems intent to spend the state into debt, I and my Senate Republican caucus are determined to be fiscally responsible and we will fund our next budget without creating future debt, and thus avoid the future tax increases the governor’s proposal definitely create.

“In a time of hyperinflation and a pending recession, it would be irresponsible to create future economic chaos with a spendthrift budget.”

Rep. Chris Quinn (R-Media) agrees with the governor that more needs to be spent on public education.

“We must make another record-setting investment in public education, as we have in each of the last several years,” said Quinn. “There are learning deficits due to the COVID-related school closures that must be addressed if our kids are going to be prepared for success. With families challenged by runaway inflation, increased energy costs, and skyrocketing gas prices, we must craft a budget that does not further burden hardworking taxpayers.

“Finally, I’d like to see Growing Greener III be considered. Sponsored by Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Northumberland/Snyder) and myself. The legislation would invest federal stimulus funds in projects to restore and protect our waterways, preserve open space, and upgrade drinking and wastewater facilities. That targeted investment promotes job growth and activity in tourism and agriculture, our top two industries which are vital to Pennsylvania’s economic well-being.”

Rep. Todd Stephens (R-Montgomeryville) said, “I’m focused on helping restore communities devastated by last year’s tornado, continuing our record-setting investments in our schools and protecting families from the long-term impact of the out-of-control price increases we’re experiencing every day.”

“As always, my top priorities for this budget season are families, education, and economic development,” Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-Paoli). “Our state is currently sitting on an $8.5 billion dollar surplus. It’s time to start investing that money in hard-working Pennsylvanians, and Gov. Wolf has proposed a budget that will do just that. It includes a Child and Dependent Care tax credit, to reduce the financial burden of childcare on working families and would enable parents to rejoin the workforce without worrying about how to pay for expensive care.

“Additionally, the proposed budget includes increased investment in education, which will provide much-needed property tax relief for homeowners, as well as continuing to ensure our graduates are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. Both priorities will holistically improve our state’s economic climate which will spur more business investment and create better-paying jobs,” said Shusterman.

But Rep. Tracy Pennycuick  (R-Gilbertsville) urges caution on spending and recommends adding to the state’s savings account. Pennycuick is running for the Senate to replace Mensch, who is retiring.

“For the 2022-23 state budget, I would like to see priorities placed on additional funding for education and school security. I think we also need to dedicate more dollars to address our mental health crisis. Given the economic climate, it is vitally important we continue to put additional dollars in the state’s Rainy Day Fund to help offset any future economic downturns, as well as support our business community to bring down the cost of doing business and address inflation,” said Pennycuick.

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