Live election results:
What’s at stake? This district in Pittsburgh’s South Hills suburbs has belonged to Democrat Dan Miller since he won a special election in 2013. A Republican last held the district from 1997 to 2006. Miller earned more than two-thirds of the vote in his past two re-election campaigns. Now he’s challenged by Republican Joseph Leckenby, who is completing his law degree at Duquesne University. The district includes Dormont, Castle Shannon, Mt. Lebanon and Baldwin Township plus the northern part of Upper St. Clair.
District map:
Joseph Leckenby
Leckenby ran a write-in primary campaign to challenge Miller. His campaign website says he’s focused on legislation to support school choice, pro-life policies, reduction in government spending and Second Amendment protections. He told potential voters in a YouTube video that he opposes the “hyper-partisan” politics of the age: “I will never only listen to one side. I understand that my constituency is diverse.” In another video, he talked about his faith and his experience at the July 13 rally in Butler where former President Donald Trump was shot. His LinkedIn page says he’s involved in “the local nonprofit sector” and likes to engage with public policy.
Party: Republican
Place of residence: Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County
Education: B.A., political science and philosophy, Duquesne University; also planning to complete a law degree at Duquesne University in 2025
Current occupation: Law student
Related experience: Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee (2023 - present); an academic concentration in law and politics; law firm internships
Supporters/endorsements: Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC)
Links: Website | X | LinkedIn | YouTube
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): None reported
WESA Candidate Survey
State policies can help determine the health of the local economy – by adjusting tax rates, imposing or relaxing regulations, and so on. What policies do you think Harrisburg should pursue to improve the state’s economic performance?
Like other states and entities, Pennsylvania should pass a low-profit limited liability company (L3C) statute. I believe that this will incentivize persons to invest in community-based enterprises without shoehorning philanthropy into just the strictly nonprofit sector. This will help the economy and increase investment into good causes. I also believe in reducing burdensome regulations. Businesses should thrive; red tape often creates confusion, hampers innovation, and discourages investment.
Pennsylvania’s approach to education funding, which relies heavily on local property taxes, has long been criticized for burdening homeowners and for creating gaps between rich and poor communities. What should the legislature do to address those concerns, and are there other reforms you think are needed to improve the education students receive?
To address these concerns, Pennsylvania needs to look at both public- and private-sector solutions. Teachers’ unions should support teachers––not hamper students’ educations. Children are diverse. A one-size-fits-all approach to education is ill-informed. I also advocate civic, art, and physical education. Children need to learn how to take care of their minds, communities, and bodies. A good public is physically strong and healthy, not overweight; knows what good government does; and can enjoy and engage in cultured entertainment. For example, I think that jazz music provider kids with critical and creative thinking skills.
Nearby states have legalized the adult recreational use of marijuana, and there have been proposals to do so in Pennsylvania, possibly through new distributors or through existing state stores or medical-marijuana dispensaries. Do you support legalization, and if so, who should be allowed to sell the product?
Regardless of my personal views about legalization, I think that if this state does legalize marijuana, we must let kids know that this is a product intended for adults only. We need to give kids and the public good facts, so that they know what they are putting in their bodies. Appropriate regulation and licensing needs to happen. However, I do not think that the state needs to have a liquor store–like monopoly on legalized cannabis. We can trust appropriately regulated businesses to safely sell cannabis.
Arguments over voting provisions – such as mail-in balloting, “drop boxes” and voter verification requirements – have become a part of the electoral landscape. How well do you think our election systems work now, and what if any changes to our state voting laws would you support?
No system, including our electoral system, is perfect. I would support constitutional Voter I.D. laws, so long as there is no risk of mass-disenfranchisement. We tried this in the past under Governor Corbett; it failed due to legal hold-ups. However, putting our heads together, I am sure that we could do so fairly. I support making the position of Secretary of the Commonwealth who oversees elections into an elected position. This will increase voter transparency and confidence, even if the Secretary must perform their duties in a nonpartisan manner.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, there have been discussions in state capitals across the country about whether to limit abortion access or expand it. What changes, if any, would you favor to the state's current abortion laws?
Dobbs (overturning Roe) placed abortion back into the hands of the states. A life-supporting culture is good for Pennsylvania. We must enact pro-family policies ensuring that families feel as comfortable as possible with having children. Then, any limits on abortion on which we decide will cause the least burden possible on women. Any changes on abortion law will be discussed and debated in all three branches of Commonwealth government. However, at least we now can decide as a state what is best for Pennsylvania.
Dan Miller
Miller is the House Majority Whip, tasked with keeping fellow Democrats in line as they hold only a slim majority in the lower chamber. He previously worked as an Allegheny County public defender and commissioner in Mt. Lebanon. A first-generation American, Miller has worked as a public school teacher, county solicitor and AmeriCorps member.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County
Education: B.A., B.S., Western Connecticut State University; J.D., Catholic University of America
Current occupation: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, attorney
Related experience: Five-term state representative (2013-present); House Majority Whip; served on Judiciary, Labor, and Education committees; Mt. Lebanon commissioner
Supporters/endorsements: AFL-CIO and Allegheny County Labor Council, Planned Parenthood, and the Conservation Voters of PA.
Links: Website | Facebook | X
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24):
Total raised (2024): $41,370.36 (2023 ending cash balance: $18,261.59)
Total spent (2024): $7,466.20
Further reading: “Nurses say Western Psych is in crisis as they push for a new contract with UPMC” (Colin Williams, Pittsburgh City Paper)
“Would Shapiro as VP push Democrats over the top — or cause them to splinter?” (Oliver Morrison, WESA)
“State House passes bill making locked-out and striking workers eligible for unemployment compensation” (Bob Batz Jr., Pittsburgh Union Progress)
WESA Candidate Survey
State policies can help determine the health of the local economy — by adjusting tax rates, imposing or relaxing regulations, and so on. What policies do you think Harrisburg should pursue to improve the state’s economic performance?
A good economic policy is one that supports both American businesses and American workers, which our caucus has strived to do as the majority party this term. We have passed the PA Sites program to get more land ready for development and changed the rules for reporting NOL (net operating losses), while also passing a bill to raise the minimum wage and advancing legislation that requires paid leave. Balance is the key for our economy. Good for business and good for labor should not be mutually exclusive terms.
Pennsylvania’s approach to education funding, which relies heavily on local property taxes, has long been criticized for burdening homeowners and for creating gaps between rich and poor communities. What should the legislature do to address those concerns, and are there other reforms you think are needed to improve the education students receive?
The recent Commonwealth Court ruling affirmed what we have been arguing for a decade-plus, that Harrisburg had not been meeting its constitutional obligation to provide for a free and appropriate public education system for all of our kids. This budget, with the leadership of the Shapiro-Davis administration, has begun to address this court ruling by providing more state resources (which are not dependent upon property taxes) while also making sure that no district is negatively impacted. I hope to see more effort to make sure that important issues such as mental health, technology, school lunches and special education costs are also adequately supported by the state.
Nearby states have legalized the adult recreational use of marijuana, and there have been proposals to do so in Pennsylvania, possibly through new distributors or through existing state stores or medical marijuana dispensaries. Do you support legalization, and if so, who should be allowed to sell the product?
Legalization in PA is most likely a question of when, not if (and decriminalization should have already occurred). This term, our Health Committee conducted a thorough review of the issue as to what has worked and not worked in other jurisdictions. It would not surprise me that in the coming months this issue is brought before the House for consideration. I have heard some positive feedback regarding state distribution rather than private (similar to our state store system), but I would want to review the entirety of a bill proposal before committing to any specific singular element. I have previously voted to support medical marijuana and learned that the details of these plans really do matter.
Arguments over voting provisions — such as mail-in balloting, “drop boxes” and voter verification requirements — have become a part of the electoral landscape. How well do you think our election systems work now, and what, if any, changes to our state voting laws would you support?
Voting and registering to vote should be simple, accessible, and free of intrusion or interference and I have voted in favor of measures that support those principles. Thanks to observers and to the freedom of the speech and press, our system in PA has worked fairly well, but there is room for improvement. A bipartisan group of county executives not long ago submitted proposals designed to help our elections run smoother (like expanding pre-canvassing similar to how they do it in FL). I voted in support of their suggestions and it was sent to the Senate for consideration.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, there have been discussions in state capitals across the country about whether to limit abortion access or expand it. What changes, if any, would you favor to the state's current abortion laws?
I believe that if the Republicans were in control of the state House they would have already passed bills that would severely restrict a woman’s right to choose. I believe we should instead codify Roe into PA law.
