While his challenger maintains that living-wage jobs are scarce in the new 15th Congressional District, incumbent Glen “G.T.” Thompson said the lack of trained workers for the plethora of available jobs is the problem.

Thompson, the Republican congressman who will go up against Democratic newcomer Susan Boser for the newly created district, was first elected to the 5th District in 2008.

The 15th District reaches south from north-central Pennsylvania and includes eastern Butler County.

Thompson names the district's workforce as a top issue in the coming years, and vows to close the “skills gap” caused by a lack of workers for the jobs available in the region.

“I find the No. 1 need of businesses and manufacturers is qualified and trained workers,” Thompson said.

He said a meeting with area business owners and manufacturers in late October in Cabot produced complaints of lack of qualified workers.

“It just reinforces what I've been seeing,” Thompson said. “These are significant jobs that are available.”

He said he will press school districts to encourage students to be aware of the job opportunities in the region that do not require a college degree so that young people remain in the district to raise their families.

The plight of the district's dairy farmers is another concern of Thompson's.

“The dairy farmers are in a crisis situation,” he said.

The school nutrition standards put in place during the Obama administration required schools to offer only skim milk products, which he said are thrown away by students.

“They took away both flavor and nutrition when they removed the milk fat,” Thompson said, “and the financial decline of the dairy industry tracks with the nutrition standards of the Democrats.”

Now, Thompson said, schools can apply to the state Department of Agriculture for a waiver to the skim milk standard, which allows them to use the more palatable 1 percent milk.

“Where schools are serving 1 percent milk products, I have seen anecdotal evidence that milk consumption is up,” he said.

He said children who drink milk in school may urge their parents to include it on the grocery shopping list “instead of sugary drinks that promote childhood obesity.”

Another key concern of Thompson's is the limited choices and cost of health care.

Thompson said one way to alleviate the health care burden is telemedicine, in which patients talk to doctors and specialists on video phone calls to describe their symptoms.

“It's a growing thing and it has been very effective,” he said.

A particular group that has found success with telemedicine, Thompson said, is veterans who are hesitant to enter a brick-and-mortar mental health facility.

“It isn't for everyone, but it can be useful,” Thompson said.

Regarding making adjustments as a result of switching from the 5th to the 15th District, Thompson said the only difference is that the new district includes sections of the Allegheny River where commercial cargo is transported.

He said he has worked with U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly to learn about the situation, but the districts are basically the same aside from river cargo. Kelly represented eastern Butler County before those voters were put into Thompson's district.

“(The new district) is contiguous with the existing district and the needs are very similar,” he said.

Thompson said he looks forward to continuing as the representative in the 15th District.

“I'm looking to work closely with President Trump to keep America great,” Thompson said. “I love how the families that I represent and serve are benefiting here.”