Re-elect Snyder in 50th
When Pam Snyder became the representative in Harrisburg in 2013 for the 50th Legislative District, she inevitably had to toil for a time in the shadow of Bill DeWeese, who held the seat for 35 years, had briefly been speaker of the state House of Representatives and enjoyed a reputation as one of the commonwealth’s most colorful and canny power brokers. But DeWeese’s long and lively tenure ended in ignominy when he was convicted in 2012 on charges of misusing state employees and resources for political purposes and was sentenced to a short prison term.
Snyder, who had previously been a Greene County commissioner and a senior aide to Congressman Frank Mascara, may not have DeWeese’s flamboyance or knack for generating headlines, but she has managed to carve out her own niche as a committed and astute public servant. After four years as a state representative, she has made the seat her own and deserves re-election.
Snyder recently demonstrated what an asset she is to the 50th District by co-sponsoring a bill allowing all state corrections officers to be equipped with pepper spray. Snyder also wants to see parts of her district that do not yet have high-speed internet connections, or even cellphone service, join the 21st century, and acknowledges how the fight against opioid addiction must be carried out on multiple fronts.
Perhaps owing to the shifting political tides that have seen traditional loyalties to the Democratic Party erode in recent years, Snyder is facing a stiff challenge from Republican Betsy Rohanna McClure, a school nurse in Trinity Area School District who has not held public office before, but says her background in health care shows she has a history of caring about people. But McClure’s stands on some issues are vague. Snyder is simply better equipped to help nudge the 50th District forward.
The 50th Legislative District includes all of Greene County, portions of Fayette County and East Bethlehem Township and Centerville.