Feb 11, 2014 2 min read

A South Strabane Township police officer will challenge a Republican incumbent for a state House seat with a reconfigured district that takes in an swath of western Washington County.

Officer John Bruner announced his candidacy Tuesday as a Democrat in the race to represent the reconfigured 15th District against Jim Christiana of Beaver County, who is in his third term in the House. Under redistricting, the 15th District takes in some Washington County communities that previously were represented by other state representatives.

“Under Corbett, these last four years have been a missed opportunity,” Bruner stated in a news release regarding the state’s Marcellus Shale natural gas impact fees set in Act 13. Bruner noted that he has a gas lease with Range Resources.

“Let’s re-examine Act 13 gas and investigate if a responsible severance tax will better fund our school districts, infrastructure needs and distressed municipalities in a more sustainable long-term manner while allowing the (state Department of Environmental Protection) the freedom to do their job.”

The new district includes nine municipalities in Southwestern Beaver County and 16 in Washington County. The local municipalities are Hanover, Independence, Cross Creek, Jefferson, Blaine, Hopewell, Buffalo, Donegal, East and West Finley, Morris, South Franklin and Amwell townships and the boroughs of Claysville, West Middletown and Green Hills.

Bruner said he will, if elected, issue a “50-plus promise” to attend or send a representative from his office to 50 municipal or school board meetings a year.

“This is the core of my representation, to understand the residents’ problems while preventing any disconnect from taking place.”

Bruner also said he wants to re-examine the way charter schools are funded to ensure more money is aimed at students rather than for-profit companies.

Bruner, a Buffalo Township resident, is also a hostage negotiator for the Washington Regional SWAT team with 20 years of law enforcement experience.