Jul 2, 2022 4 min read

The day after drunken driving charges were filed against him, state Rep. Matthew Dowling said he will remove his name from the November ballot and retire at the end of his term.

“My recent auto accident and subsequent treatment that I voluntarily sought drove me to deeply reflect on my life and make some hard decisions,” Dowling, R-Uniontown, said in a prepared statement on Friday. “One of those was to leave my seat in the state House of Representatives so that I can better spend time focusing on family and my personal journey to wellness.”

On Thursday, Dowling, 37, of Uniontown, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and cited for other traffic violations.

Police said his blood-alcohol content was .272, more than three times the legal limit for driving, when he hit the bumper of a truck at New Salem Road and Matthew Drive in South Union Township around 1:40 p.m. on June 4.

Police said Dowling’s Mini Cooper hit the back of the truck a second time after he and the other driver moved their vehicles off the main road. While he was receiving treatment inside an ambulance, Dowling reportedly told emergency responders he had two shots of vodka around noon.

According to state law, the county Republican Party will have to choose a replacement for Dowling in the Nov. 8 election to face Democrat Richard Ringer. A call made to the Fayette County Republican Party to determine when and how that person will be chosen was not returned on Friday.

Marybeth Kuznik, director of the Fayette County Election Bureau, said because Dowling is a state representative, paperwork to remove him from the ballot will go through the Pennsylvania Department of State, which will inform the county election bureau of the next steps to take.

She said ballots for the November election will not be printed until after Aug. 1, the deadline for independent or minor party candidates to file nomination petitions.

The June 4 crash was the second in eight months for Dowling.

On Oct. 6, he said he experienced a diabetic emergency that led to his vehicle going off a Lancaster County road and hitting a tree. He was hospitalized for several weeks and returned to his legislative duties in February. State police said Dowling had his license restored the day before the most recent crash.

When Dowling spoke to police on June 4, he reportedly told them he takes insulin to control his diabetes. A trooper asked him if alcohol would interfere with the medication, and Dowling said it likely would, according to court paperwork.

The other driver involved in the crash, Richard A. Hoch, 54, of Greensburg, was not injured.

In his statement, Dowling said he anticipated DUI charges would be filed.

“I am forever thankful that I live in a nation with a fair and impartial justice system and will remain transparent with the public as this case progresses,” he said.

Dowling also wrote about his personal challenges, and encouraged others to seek help.

“While it is never easy to go through a situation like I face today in the public eye, I hope that my challenge helps others seek treatment and reduces the stigma of addiction in our society,” he said.

It was easy, Dowling said, to come to the realization that he had to stop drinking due to the health consequences he could face in the future.

“It was harder to admit that my mind works differently from those who can drink socially and that I will have to be constantly vigilant,” he said.

Dowling was first elected to the state House in 2016 after defeating incumbent Timothy Mahoney. During his tenure, he said he is proud of the things he was able to accomplish, citing his support of the Second Amendment and increased school funding.

While his current term expires Nov. 30, Dowling said he will continue to fully represent the district until then, and his offices in Uniontown and Meyersdale will remain open.

“While it has been my greatest honor and privilege to represent the people of the 51st District, I believe it is time for someone else to continue this important work,” he said.