What’s at stake: In a state House where Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities, the 44th district is a key Allegheny County battleground. Made up of airport-area suburbs and some Ohio Valley communities, it’s long been held by Republicans, though Democrats have vied for the seat in recent cycles. Activist Hadley Haas announced her challenge a year ago and has assembled an impressive array of support from Democrats and progressive advocacy groups. But three-term incumbent Valerie Gaydos has been adept at turning aside earlier challenges.
District map:
Valerie Gaydos
Gaydos first emerged on the political scene by winning a divided Republican primary and the seat in 2018. She touts herself as an independent, business-minded Republican — one of her legislative initiatives involves reducing the size of the legislature — with little interest in culture-war slugfests. And she recently cosponsored a House bill, signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, that reined in the business practices of pharmacy benefits managers, who some blame for rising medicine costs.
Party: Republican
Place of residence: Sewickley
Education: B.A., Russian Language and Economics, Dickinson College
Current occupation: Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2019–present)
Related experience: Three-term state representative for the 44th District, first elected in 2018; previously a small-business owner and angel investor
Supporters/endorsements: Americans for Prosperity, Forward Party, Laborers union (LIUNA)
Links: Website | Facebook
Total fundraising (reported as of 9/30/24):
Total raised (2024): $ 91,428.00 (2003 ending cash balance: $39,570.11)
Total spent (2024): $89,151.58
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?
Pennsylvania lags behind other states in retaining and attracting job creators, and the economic growth they provide, because of high taxes, uneven and burdensome regulation, and a workforce not fully trained for the future. The result is that future generations are leaving our state instead of coming here. To reverse this, we must make our tax rates competitive with other states; streamline the regulatory process, and ensure our education system is preparing students with the skills employers need. I have worked to address each of these points — and fought against those opposing needed change — and will continue to do so if re-elected.
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?
The current system has vastly improved in many ways over the last decade. However, the laws must be followed equally everywhere. The issue right now is one of compliance with the laws passed by the legislature with bipartisan support. The rules and regulations governing elections are there to protect the sanctity of everyone’s ballot and ensure equal protection under the law for all voters. When they are not followed, voters lose confidence in the system. We simply cannot have different counties treating ballots differently, but that is exactly what has been happening since 2020 when unelected bureaucrats in Harrisburg started overriding the existing laws
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 Council of State Taxation Study on Property Tax Administration rates PA as an “F” and identifies low-cost and no-cost solutions to improve. These should be pursued to equalize funding without a significant impact on property taxes. Some of our most-funded schools fail students year after year, so positive outcomes for students should be the ultimate measure of success. Increased accountability to ensure more funding means results, innovation to drive better outcomes, and Lifeline Scholarships to help students escape consistently failing schools. Whether funding comes from the state or local districts, it is all taxpayers’ money. We need to do a better job ensuring it achieves the goals we all share.
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?
On issues with potential ramifications on the general public, I am following the lead of our law enforcement community, which currently opposes legalization especially without further guardrails. Additionally, further clarification in how the PA Department of Agriculture, which handles hemp, and Department of Health, which handles medical marijuana will coordinate, is also crucial. Other states that have passed legalization have seen significant increases in traffic accidents and deaths caused by driving while impaired, which we should ensure will not be the case in PA.
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?
The current system has vastly improved in many ways over the last decade, however the laws must be followed equally everywhere. The issue right now is one of compliance with the laws passed by the legislature with bipartisan support. The rules and regulations governing elections are there to protect the sanctity of everyone’s ballot and ensure equal protection under the law for all voters. When they are not followed, voters lose confidence in the system. We simply cannot have different counties treating ballots differently, but that is exactly what has been happening since 2020 when unelected bureaucrats in Harrisburg started overriding the existing laws.
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?
Abortions should be rare, safe and legal, and exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and the health and welfare of the mother, including mental health, should remain essential components. Additionally, support should be provided to all aspects of life — prenatal care, adoption, foster care and senior care. Medical decisions should be between a doctor and patient. Thus, I supported a Constitutional Amendment to let voters decide. I have not and will not support a ban on abortion without the standard, widely accepted exceptions. Most importantly, we must focus on issues that help every Pennsylvanian: reducing the cost of living, keeping communities safe, ensuring a quality educational system and growing our economy.
Hadley Haas
Haas was a community advocate focused on gun reform before she launched her first bid for public office over a year ago. She’s brought that issue, along with her convictions on environmental causes and public schools, to her state House campaign. With help from advocacy groups, she’s out-fundraised the incumbent — no easy task for a first-time challenger.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Glen Osborne
Education: B.A. in economics and communications, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Current occupation: Marketing/communications professional, full-time candidate
Related experience: Led the Friends of the Hearing Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for families of children with hearing loss for more than 10 years. Volunteer coordinator at gun-reform advocacy group Moms Demand Action. Volunteer for Quaker Valley schools.
Supporters/endorsements: Gov. Josh Shapiro and Congressman Chris Deluzio, labor groups including the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council, Operating Engineers Local 66, and the Pa. State Education Association, advocacy groups that include the Sierra Club of Pennsylvania, and Planned Parenthood and gun-reform group CeaseFirePA — which is spending $100,000 in outside money to back her bid.
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Total fundraising (reported as of 9/30/24):
Total raised (2024): $117,144.39 (2023 ending cash balance: $77,494.28)
Total spent (2024): $ 57,864.19
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?
This issue is close to my heart. My dad started his career at J&L in Aliquippa, and my family was forced to leave the area in 1979 when the steel industry was declining. I align closely with Governor Shapiro on this issue and admire his collaborative approach to economic development. I believe in streamlining permitting processes and investing in shovel-ready sites to attract business to the region. I strongly support investing in our workforce through apprenticeship programs and connecting Pennsylvania’s universities with businesses to drive innovation and job creation.
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?
My sons were born deaf. They received early access to technology and intense early intervention services. As a result, they were able to mainstream into our local public school, which had resources to support them. I am acutely aware that my children were fortunate and believe all children deserve the same level of education and services. I believe that the 2023-24 state budget made significant progress but that more work needs to be done to ensure equitable school funding without increasing the burden on taxpayers. I oppose voucher programs that send taxpayer money to unaccountable private schools that discriminate against children.
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?
Many states have already legalized marijuana. I believe that we need to move toward legalized adult recreational use of marijuana and that it must be regulated and taxed responsibly. Any proposal should create jobs and invest in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by criminalization. As a new legislator, I will work with stakeholders, carefully study the options and evaluate best practices as well as unintended consequences from other states. We need to ensure that any measures toward legalization put our community’s safety first.
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?
I believe in the integrity of our elections and am grateful for the public servants and volunteers who make it work. There are improvements that can be made, including providing funds to modernize operations and ensure adequate staffing; authorizing pre-canvassing of ballots to streamline administration and reduce voter disenfranchisement due to technical errors; enacting policies to facilitate the curing of ballots with clerical errors and continued improvements in access for every eligible voter, including how/when they are able to cast their ballots. I oppose hurdles to voting, such as unnecessarily restrictive voter ID rules and complicated absentee/mail voting rules.
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?
After my two pregnancies and witnessing the difficult, complex situations of other friends and family members, I have reached the conclusion that pregnancy is too difficult to legislate. I believe in empowering women and their health care providers to make these decisions. I believe that we need to pair protections to abortion with increased funding to contraception, education and improved access to health care. Additionally, with the loss of the national guardrails to abortion access, I would work to propose a state constitutional amendment to protect access. I would favor legislation that would support those goals.
