CEO of women’s organization to be nominated for 37th race
The chief executive officer of the Women and Girls Foundation, Heather Arnet, is poised to be named the Democratic challenger to GOP nominee Guy Reschenthaler in the special election Senate race in the 37th District. The 41-year-old former Pittsburgh Public Schools director will be formally nominated today at 10 a.m. at the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building after she was the only person to file her nomination by the July 24 deadline.
“She has the credentials to represent this district well. She’s an activist in this community and has proven she cares about the interests this community cares about,” said Allegheny County Democratic Committee spokeswoman Megan Winters, “and especially because she’s showed commitment to giving young girls and women a voice in politics, she will do that herself as a state senator.”
“I’ve been a strong advocate for fair representation of government my whole career,” the 12-year CEO said.
“Sen. (Matt) Smith was a wonderful representative for our region. He’s a close friend, and I look forward to continuing the work he was doing in Harrisburg on behalf of working families. At the Foundation, I have worked to help pass local and state laws to support the economic security of families, like paid sick days in Pittsburgh that we’ve been advocating for recently, and increasing resources for domestic violence victims,” she said.
Arnet, a Mt. Lebanon resident, will face off Nov. 3 against former district judge Guy Reschenthaler, 32, for the 37th District seat, which includes part of Peters Township in Washington County, along with portions of Bridgeville and South Fayette. The special election comes after former Sen. Matt Smith, a Democrat, resigned June 21 for a position with the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.