3 candidates vie to fill vacancy in 59th district special election
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Ligonier Democrat Mariah Fisher, Unity Republican Leslie Baum Rossi and Ligonier Libertarian Robb Luther will square off Tuesday in a special election to fill the vacancy in the 59th Legislative District created by the Jan. 2 death of state Rep. Mike Reese.
Reese, a 42-year-old Republican rising star from Mt. Pleasant, was elected to a seventh term with no opposition last fall. He died unexpectedly Jan. 2 of an apparent brain aneurysm.
Party committee members in the 59th District, which includes 42 precincts in eastern Westmoreland County and 10 in western Somerset County, selected Fisher and Rossi from a slate of candidates who sought to represent their parties in the special election.
The position pays $90,000 a year.
Fisher, 39, a Ligonier Council member, and Rossi, 50, the creator of the Trump House, have been active in local politics in the district.
Unlike the ballot in the closed primary May 18, which is limited to party members, all registered voters in the 59th Legislative District may cast ballots in the special election.
Fisher was elected to council in 2017. The Ligonier Valley native and self-employed wedding photographer is a graduate of Dickinson College. She worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer, serving at-risk youth, and later as a paralegal before transitioning to photography so she could be home for her sons, 8 and 11.
Her experience on council includes overseeing the public safety committee and helping initiate Ligonier’s first National Night Out, a collaboration with the police department and local volunteer fire companies. She said she’s also gained experience balancing a budget, both as a small businesswoman and chair of the borough finance committee.
As a lawmaker, she said her priorities would include working to support public schools and affordable health care, promoting the region’s natural beauty and investing in public infrastructure, especially rural broadband.
“Getting better internet access for our rural communities is important. With the pandemic, we came to realize how we need to be connected to each other on a broader scale,” Fisher said. “I have heard families with children drove to our library and used our library connection and the connection in our Diamond, which is wired for Wi-Fi. We need to make sure all citizens have broadband access.”
Rossi came on the political scene in 2016 when she created the Trump House. Last year, she reprised her role at the red, white and blue landmark on Route 982, near Youngstown, where she helped register voters and promote Donald Trump’s reelection campaign with the thousands of visitors who trekked to the house with the giant cutout of Trump outside. She also served as a delegate to the Republican National Committee.
The mother of eight is a Westmoreland County native. She works beside her husband in her family’s development business, renovating homes in the Latrobe area.
Like Fisher, she spent the spring knocking on doors, campaigning and visiting with voters throughout the area. She touts her pro-business bona fides, a pro-life stand and support for the Second Amendment.
“I’m a strong conservative. I’m not in the middle. I’m far right. I wear my colors on my sleeve. I feel like I’m the voice of the people,” she said.
Rossi is among those who hope voters will vote yes on two constitutional amendments to limit the governor’s power to unilaterally declare a state of emergency to 21 days.
Luther, 46, is a political newcomer on the third-party ticket. The ninth-generation Ligonier Valley native is a partner in a Pittsburgh digital marketing firm and the owner of a hobby farmstead in Ligonier Township.
The Waterford resident said he is running to bring a different approach to Harrisburg, one focused on reducing taxes and cutting spending.
“My primary goal is property tax reform,” Luther said, with the goal of cutting the reliance on real estate taxes to fund local government and public schools.
He said wants to maximize school choice by placing money for education directly into the hands of teachers and families. He said he favors raising revenue by legalizing marijuana and taxing cannabis products.
He favors setting spending limits, then prioritizing spending to determine which expenditures would be cut. He also is in favor of having a part-time General Assembly, as a way of reducing costs.
“I know I face an uphill battle,” Luther said. “The Republican and Democrat have a machine behind them.”
He said he had been a Republican but said he “felt disenfranchised” by the party before the 2020 presidential election because of its spending during President Trump’s administration.
Luther, who is married with four children, said his campaign is running on a shoestring budget and he expects to spend less than $5,000.