48th Legislative District profiles
Timothy O’Neal
Political Party: Republican
Office: State Representative for the 48th Legislative District
Age: 39
Home municipality: South Strabane
Occupation: Legislator
Education: Associate of Applied Science degree in mining technology from Penn State University; Bachelor of Arts in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh
Q. “How would you tame COVID-19 while rebuilding the economy?”
A. “Taming Covid means first and foremost not allowing it to shape every aspect of our lives. Pennsylvanians need to work toward a restored normal and the government needs to trust citizens to understand risks and make sound judgments. This virus is real and it is dangerous, but we cannot allow it to kill our spirit of enterprise and personal independence. Yes, let’s follow the safety guidelines, but let’s also plan toward a time when this trouble has passed and reach that moment prepared to restart Pennsylvania.”
Harlan Shober
Political Party: Democratic
Office: State Representative for the 48th Legislative District
Age: 75
Home municipality: Chartiers Township
Occupation: Retired, AT&T, Shober Homes Inc., and Washington County commissioner
Education: Two years of college and training in the communications and computer fields.
Q. “How would you tame COVID-19 while rebuilding the economy?”
A. “First, I would lay out the following state mandates: Masks in public would be mandatory. Social distancing rules would be enforced. Stores, restaurants, sporting events and all other gatherings will follow the same guidelines with no percentage being placed on them. This means that if a school district has a football game, the number of spectators would be based on following the rules and enforcement. Students would be tested before they enter through new technology that is available. Testing results would be made available immediately. I would track the number of cases, with those hospitalized and deaths versus just positive cases, and continue contact tracing.”