Jeff Pyle

State Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-60th, said he will seek re-election to represent the district comprised of portions of Armstrong, Butler and Indiana counties.

“I feel I’ve been a good rep for the folks of the 60th District. I’ve done my best to protect and preserve our way of life and never lost sight of where I was born and raised,” he said in a news release. “I make it my charge every day to try to work as hard as the people who live here do.”

First elected in 2004, Pyle said he is recognized as a leading conservative and cited his effective vocal opposition to tax hikes proposed by Govs. Ed Rendell and Tom Wolf as proof.

“When all those budgets ran so far past deadline, it was because those governors wanted to jack up our taxes in ways that would have hurt our area.

“If re-elected, that’s not going to change and with the current governor, the 60th District needs someone who isn’t afraid to stand up and say ‘No’ and do it in a way that stops them. There’s been a lot of times other reps wouldn’t stand up to hold the line. That’s never been a problem for me,” Pyle said.

He said he has been instrumental in the passage of many laws including Castle Doctrine, medical marijuana, the veterans trust fund and is the only representative to maintain an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association for 10 straight years.

He said his work on the Transportation Bill allowed the reopening of locks on the Allegheny River and established a national model for rivers while reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges statewide by over half.

His position on the Appropriations Committee, which recently ended with his naming as chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, contributed to eight straight years of no increases to income or sales taxes, he said.

Pyle said he has voted for every property tax reduction/elimination plan he’s had a chance to vote on and he has opposed a severance tax on natural gas.

He said he has been endorsed repeatedly by many anti-abortion and pro-business groups. In 2010, he was chosen as the Western Pennsylvania Volunteer Firemen Legislator of the Year.

Pyle, 53, lives in Ford City with his wife, Michele, and two daughters, Katie and Lauren, both students at Penn State.