What’s at stake: Freshman Republican state Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa is running for re-election in the 51st state House District against Fayette County Democratic Party chair George “Huck” Rattay. The 51st district in rural southwestern Pennsylvania shares its southern border with both Maryland and West Virginia. It includes the Fayette County seat of Uniontown, nine townships and five boroughs including Smithfield. Democrats account for 42% of registered voters in the 51st; Republicans, 47%; Independents, 8%. The GOP started winning elections in Fayette several years ago, even before the registration reflected a Republican majority in the county.
District map:
Charity Grimm Krupa
State Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa sits on the state House Human Services, Children & Youth, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, and Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness committees. Krupa grew up on a farm and now runs one with her husband and their children in Fayette County. Krupa won her statehouse seat two years ago as a late-stage GOP appointment to replace former state Rep. Matthew Dowling, who quit his re-election campaign after being arrested for driving under the influence.
Party: Republican
Place of residence: Smithfield, Fayette County
Education: B.A., Pennsylvania State University; J.D., West Virginia University College of Law
Current occupation: Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2023–present); attorney
Related experience: Albert Gallatin School District Board of Education (2017-2020); lawyer in solo practice (May 2006 –present); assistant Fayette County public defender (2012–2014)
Supporters/endorsements: None provided by candidate
Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Total fundraising (reported as of 9/30/24):
Total raised (2024): $1,852.05 (2023 ending cash balance: $16,914.08)
Total spent (2024): $4,484.91
WESA Candidate Survey
Krupa did not respond to the WESA Candidate Survey.
George “Huck” Rattay
Huck Rattay grew up in a neighborhood in the Edenborn section of German Township where nearly everyone’s father was a coal miner. Rattay was drafted into the U.S. Army after high school and served in the Vietnam War, earning two Purple Heart recognitions. He later joined Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 354 and rose through the labor union’s leadership ranks. He says he had the opportunity to run for this seat back then and did not, but he has remained involved in politics and is stepping up now in lieu of interest from other potential candidates and proactive leadership in Harrisburg.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Uniontown, Fayette County
Education: German Township High School
Current occupation: Retired; current chair of the Fayette County Democratic Party
Related experience: Fayette County Democratic Party chair (2018–present); business manager of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 354 (1979–2004); U.S. Army, 101st Airborne (1966–1968)
Supporters/endorsements: United Mine Workers of America; Pennsylvania State Education Association PSEA Southwestern Region; Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; and local trade unions including Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 354 and Steamfitters Local 449
Links: Facebook
Total fundraising (reported as of 9/30/24):
Total raised (2024): $18,500
Total spent (2024): $2,848.39
Further reading: “Fayette County Democratic Party chairman announces candidacy for 51st District seat” (Herald Standard)
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?
House District 51 and all of Fayette County have an expansive and growing transportation network. The region has second-to-none natural attractions. Underutilized business parks exist. All are advantageous for business/economic development. If elected to represent House District 51, I’ll work with any entity, public or private, any political group, no matter their affiliation, any business that wants to expand operations here or come to the region with the intent of making House District 51 a better place to live and work.
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?
Education funding has become a political football. Rather than seek a solution, political parties try to score points. No party has a monopoly on good ideas, of what will work to end what everyone agrees is a problem in desperate need of a fix. Voting against a budget that allocates money to fix some deeply ingrained education problems while disagreeing with aspects of the budget process is not a step forward. Bipartisanship is required. I am willing to work with anyone, no matter what side of the political aisle, to resolve this issue.
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?
Pennsylvania allows medical marijuana use that is regulated and controlled. Recreational use done under state-licensed facilities and requiring individuals to obtain a state-issued, yearly-limited permit with time and amount limits on purchasing would be possible and would increase tax revenues.
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?
Independent voters, those not affiliated with either of the two major political parties, should be able to vote in primary elections. There is little verifiable evidence that voting by mail leads to fraud. Federal law restricts voting by non-U.S. citizens. A lack of a photo ID or even confusion about ID requirements only suppresses voter turnout. According to the 2022 census, 99.2% of the population of Fayette County were U.S. citizens. Voter participation in Fayette County is 59.3% compared with 66% nationwide. More needs to be done to get people in Fayette County to vote, not restrict them.
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?
Every woman chooses her career path, whom she loves, what religion to follow, the exercise routine that is best for her, where and how to spend the money she earns, and many other decisions that she wants and are best for her. That includes health care and reproduction choices. Her choice about the family she wants and the health care options best and safe for her are decisions rightfully left for her. Government — state, federal or local — has no legitimate right to meddle in a woman’s most personal decision.
