Rick Telesz

Rick Telesz, of Volant, said he was inspired to run for Congress after Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, challenged the state's mail-in voting law and objected to certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Telesz, a 64-year-old Lawrence County crop and dairy farmer, is seeking the Democratic party nomination to challenge longtime incumbent Kelly, of Butler, to represent the 16th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is his first run at public office.

“What he did after the election inspired me to do something,” Telesz said.

He said Kelly was among the representatives who voted against congressional certification of the presidential election and he filed a state lawsuit to have 2.5 million mail-in ballots thrown out, arguing that the state Legislature lacked authority when it expanded mail-in voting.

Certification of the election results that put President Joe Biden into office was disrupted Jan. 6, 2021, by the riot in the Capitol, but the results eventually were certified.

“He voted to disqualify mail-in votes in Pennsylvania, and he was very vocal supporting what people call 'The Big Lie.' He wanted votes thrown out. His motive was to keep one individual in power. He was sacrificing everybody,” Telesz said. “I'm doing this for the future of my kids and everybody else out there.”

He said he would bring a common-sense approach from the working class to resolving issues in the House.“We need common sense. Me against you is a problem. I understand political parties, but once you're elected you should have a common goal — the country,” he said.“I can't promise jobs, but I'm going down there to hopefully make sure there are opportunities for jobs,” he said.In the district, 25% of high school graduates go on to college, but “what happens to the other 75%?” Telesz said. “Trade schools are good options. That's a win. Not everybody wants to go to college.”Improving access to broadband internet for rural residents is another goal, he said.As a soybean and corn farmer, Telesz said he understands the impact government regulations have on businesses and workers.A member of the Pennsylvania Soybean Board, Telesz said he supports expanding the use of ethanol and biofuels to reduce air pollution from vehicles, but acknowledges that fossil fuels will be around for a long time.“Fossil fuels won't disappear tomorrow. They will be around for centuries. Pennsylvania is the largest consumer of on-road fuel. Biofuel would help clean the air,” he said.

His campaign emphasizes his “family first” approach.“The loss of family structure hurts. Sustainable wages are needed for families. I'm a strong union advocate. Many people forget the role unions played to create the middle class,” he said.Due to his membership on the soybean board, he said was interviewed in 2019 by a television news reporter about the tariffs former President Donald Trump imposed on China that spurred China to respond by putting tariffs on soybean imports from the United States. At the time, China was in the midst of a swine flu outbreak and demand for soybeans bottomed out.“I'm not defending China one bit,” Telesz said. He said he voted for Trump in the 2016 election.

That interview led to an interview on the same subject from CNN, which sent a crew to his farm. That led to Democratic Party officials asking him to speak during their 2020 national convention, which he did remotely with equipment the party brought to his farm.The next day, he was approached by a Biden representative.“She said Hillary (Clinton) lost by one vote in each precinct and they wanted one vote. I agreed to make ads for Biden,” Telesz said. “The ads ran in battleground states. A lot of people told me the ads were very good and helped Biden win. A lady from the Democratic National Committee told me the ads helped win (the 2nd congressional district in) Nebraska for Biden.”Telesz is married and has three adult children and one granddaughter.The 16th Congressional District includes all of Erie, Crawford, Mercer, and Lawrence counties, and part of Butler County.