Former DA seeks Mon Valley seat in state House
The former elected district attorney of Washington County is making a bid for the seat currently occupied by GOP state Rep. Bud Cook.
Steven Toprani, 39, of Monongahela, said Sunday he plans to run in the May 15 primary as a Democrat. The district he’s seeking to represent straddles the Monongahela River and includes portions of Washington and Fayette counties.
“I want to show the citizens of the 49th District that they have a trusted partner in government who will advocate for their interests,” Toprani said.
He is planning a “campaign kickoff” event for Saturday at Ripepi Winery in Carroll Township.
The former Republican switched his registration to the Democratic Party in the fall. If he’s successful in gaining the nomination, that move will allow him to face Cook, a freshman lawmaker from Daisytown, in the November general election.
Cook replaced longtime representative Pete Daley, a Democrat who didn’t run for another term in 2016.
Toprani was admitted to the state bar in 2004.
In 2007, Toprani, then a Republican, beat controversial 24-year incumbent John Pettit to become Washington County’s chief prosecutor. He served a single term from 2008 to 2012.
He is now an attorney for the firm Dodaro, Matta & Cambest – where his job includes representing a number of local government entities in the area – and the board chairman of the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County.
The former Ringgold School Board member and married father of three said if elected he would pursue policies including community revitalization and reform of the state’s pension systems and property tax structure.
He also described criminal justice reform as a priority. Amid the epidemic of overdose deaths stemming from opioids, Toprani also said he wanted to see “appropriate funds” going toward proven ways of treating addiction.
“Primarily what I’d like to see are treatment options, readily available to people who need them,” he added.