Voters in Pennsylvania’s 160th District, which straddles Chester and Delaware counties, have a choice this November between two-term incumbent Republican Craig Williams and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Moro.
“I’ve knocked on a couple of 1,000 doors already,” said Williams. “That makes well over 10,000 doors knocked in the district since I started running The enthusiasm level is unlike any other election I’ve been in, which has been really constructive.”
“I’m getting a lot of positive responses at the doors relative to my work on the Pennsylvania budget, especially my work on law enforcement and keeping communities safe,” said Williams. Residents also give him high marks for working with PennDOT to get roads repaired, he said.
“I had town hall [recently] with 1,900 people on the phone talking about road projects in the district,” Williams added.
But Williams knows he’s in one of the “top-targeted races in the state as Democrats try to hold onto their majority.” The Democrats won the state House by a one-vote majority in 2022 and are trying to keep and expand it. While conversely, Republicans are trying to regain it.
Moro, a real estate broker, was unavailable for an interview. Previously, she had run for Congress until the district was eliminated. She wrote “The Civil Graces Project” and co-founded Neighbors for Crebilly, seeking to preserve Crebilly Farm.
Elizabeth Moro
Last year, Williams announced that he had secured a $4 million grant to help Westtown acquire Crebilly Farm for preservation.
Williams served in the Marine Corp. for 28 years, flying 56 combat missions, was decorated for valor in battle and retired as a colonel. He served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, was deputy legal counsel to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the War on Terror and served as chief prosecutor with the Marines. He was a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice.
Williams said that his opponent may try to “nationalize” the election, but his constituents know he voted against a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion.
“My district knows that I am the calm voice,” said Williams. “I am the voice of reason. I’m basically the dad of the district, and they trust that I’m doing things right.”
Williams said he’s dedicated to constituent service, fixing roads and helping people with various issues with the state government. One woman told him she usually votes Democratic, but she plans to split her ticket and vote for him because he helped her get unemployment benefits when she was laid off.
“It’s all about local service,” said Williams. “You can spend $1.5 million trying to beat me, but you can’t beat that kind of experience in terms of a lifetime of service and being committed to helping our local community.”
“I’m really their neighbor,” said Williams. “I live here.”
Following a terrible flood from Hurricane Ida, Williams helped residents and businesses secure federal funding and, with Delaware County, established a Disaster Resource Center in Chadds Ford.
Williams said he plans to continue working on the consumer protection committee and “my aggressive work on public safety if reelected. I passed a gun violence task force that would be ramping up efforts to federally prosecute prior convicted felons in possession of guns.”
That passed the House but is stalled in the Senate. But with the U.S. Attorney, state Attorney General and the SEPTA special prosecutor all working together to prosecute convicted felons possessing guns, Philadelphia will be safer, he said.
Junk fees and artificially inflated costs are “impacting consumers grossly right now,” he said.
Williams also wants to secure more funding for Cheney State University, the country’s oldest historically Black college or university. Its “infrastructure is deplorable. We’ve got to do something to help them.”
Asked whether his primary run for state Attorney General, where he lost to York County DA Dave Sunday, hurt him in the state House race, Williams said it had helped.
“As a consequence, people know a lot more about me,” said Williams. “My name recognition in the district is through the roof…They learned about my combat service, my record of convictions and the quality of convictions, both in the military and the Department of Justice, and my having served as ethics counsel.”
“And don’t forget, I ran against the establishment,” he added. “That was popular back home.”
Williams’ wife, Jennifer, is also an attorney. They have four children, and Williams has been a Cub Scout and Boy Scouts volunteer and a local baseball, football and track coach.
Moro and her husband, Vince, are the parents of five children. They are restoring a historic Chadds Ford farmhouse, raising sheep and keeping bees. They have preserved their land for endangered and protected species.
They also own Centreville Place: Café + Market in Delaware.
Please follow DVJournal on social media: X@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal
