Sam Doctor

An AK Steel worker is circulating petitions to challenge state Rep. Brian Ellis as an independent candidate for the 11th District this fall.

Sam Doctor, 27, said he decided to run last year and has been working to circulate petitions to get on the general ballot in November. As an independent, Doctor cannot participate in the spring primary. He has until Aug., 1 to file nomination papers.

Doctor lives in Butler Township with his wife and young daughter and works as a crane operator at AK.

Doctor, in an interview, said that he decided to run as an independent after seeing how divisive the 2016 election was.

He said he doesn’t want preconceived notions about the Republican and Democratic parties affecting his ability to engage with voters.

“The last election was really polarizing. There was a failure of civil discourse between people in our community. Civil discussion about sensitive issues is already rare and it’s even worse now,” he said.

Doctor said he wants to make sure taxes aren’t too high, while supporting policies that are good for the economy and workers.

A union worker at AK Steel, he is in favor of organized labor.

“Stopping Right to Work is the most important thing that legislatures should be focused on right now,” he said.

He said he has ideas about how to make the state government more efficient and more effective.

Too many legislators are influenced by lobbyists and special interests and the state has become corrupt, he said.

He said one of his goals, if elected, would be to work to restore integrity to the government and represent constituents faithfully.

“I want to provide people in Butler with a megaphone to Harrisburg and not the other way around,” he said.

Doctor acknowledged that as an independent he won’t be able to raise as much money for his campaign as Ellis or a Democratic candidate. But he is focusing on campaigning door-to-door and listening to the views of voters in the district.

Ellis, a Republican, has been in office since 2005. Ellis last faced a challenger in 2008 when he defeated Democrat Dave Wilson.

He has already filed his petitions to run this year, though no other candidates have filed.

The 11th district, includes Butler, East Butler, Connoquenessing, Fairview, Karns City, Petrolia, Prospect, Saxonburg and Butler, Clearfield, Connoquenessing, Fairview, Jefferson, Oakland and Summit townships.