Special election on course for state's 8th District seat
Pandemic or not, the special election for the 8th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will take place Tuesday.
Republican Tedd Nesbit represented the 8th District before resigning at the start of this year to begin his new role as a Mercer County Court of Common Pleas judge. The district represents townships in Butler and Mercer counties, including 13 townships in Butler County.
Republican Tim Bonner of Grove City and Democrat Phil Heasley of Center Township are the two candidates on the ballot.
Shari Brewer, director of the Butler County Bureau of Elections, said the special election will be the only vote on the ballot. While President Donald Trump declared the novel coronavirus 2019 pandemic a national emergency Thursday, Brewer said the election will move forward as planned, but reminded people to protect themselves as they go out in public to cast their ballot.
Brewer instructed poll workers to follow good hygiene practices, and urged voters to do the same.
“Take precautions,” Brewer said. “I just tell them to follow what the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and others have been telling us to do.”
Polling places open
The Butler County polling areas included in the 8th District will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Bonner said he planned to visit the county's polling sites throughout the day before returning to Grove City for a watch party.
Heasley said his game plan for election day is to cast his vote at the Center Township polling site before visiting others.Heasley hopes voters will see him as a candidate willing to give them their voice back.“I just want them to remember that this isn't about me. This is about the district,” Heasley said. “I want to make sure that all areas of this district are represented in Harrisburg.”A pro-life, NRA-endorsed candidate, Bonner said he hopes voters will remember his extensive qualifications and experience in the fields of criminal justice, health care, education and the nonprofit sector, among others.“I think I have a background in almost every issue that the state legislature has and will deal with,” Bonner said. “I believe I have the education and the experience necessary to be a strong voice in Harrisburg.”COVID-19 issueWith COVID-19 likely being a commanding issue for both candidates, Bonner said he believes the decisions being made at the top will make things easier at the state level. He said the president has taken swift and strong action that will help support state governments.“We can't underestimate it, and I don't believe we are,” Bonner said. “Our leaders have responded very reasonably in dealing with this crisis.”Heasley called for a collaborative effort in combatting the issue, even down to a local level. He said his poll workers will have hand sanitizer on them to help keep people safe while voting.“We're just keeping an eye on things to see what the experts say,” Heasley said. “We just have to stay vigilant with what's currently happening at the time.”
