What's at stake: After being redrawn in the 2020 Census, the 20th District’s political center of gravity shifted from Pittsburgh to Ross Township, as neighborhoods such as Lawrenceville were dropped and only a sliver of the North Side remained. First-term incumbent and Brighton Heights resident Emily Kinkead faces a challenger from Ross Township, write-in candidate and teacher Matt Kruth. Kinkead has been part of a new generation of more progressive, female Democrats. In a strong Democratic area, Kruth is running as a fresh-faced Republican who has questioned Kinkead’s voting record.
Emily Kinkead
First elected in 2020, Kinkead already has been a visible presence in a number of state House floor and committee debates regarding key issues, including an emotional discussion of her own experiences with childhood abuse during a debate over an anti-transgender bill she said was itself abusive. An avowed progressive on social and economic issues, she has had to buck more conservative elements within her own party. While she faces re-election in a district with different contours than the one that first elected her, she easily brushed back a challenger from Ross in the spring primary.
Party: Democratic
Experience: Pennsylvania House of Representatives – 20th District (2021 – present)
Education: Bloomsburg University (B.S., B.A.), University of Pittsburgh School of Law (J.D.)
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey; League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: Backed by a broad swath of labor groups and progressive causes including Steel City Stonewall Democrats and the Sierra Club; more here.
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021–2022): $169,138.69
Total expenditures (2021–2022): $160,105.01
Worth reading: "Facing a new political landscape, Kinkead draws challenger in 20th state House district" (Chris Potter, WESA)
"Incumbents Kinkead and Benham win primaries in Pennsylvania 20th and 36th House Districts" (Sarah Boden, WESA)
Matt Kruth
Kruth won his spot on the Republican ballot as a write-in candidate, and it marks his second run for office: He ran unsuccessfully for Ross Township commissioner last year. He lacks Kinkead’s financial resources and the advantages of incumbency, but he has criticized some votes she and other progressives have made, as well as supporting “responsible development” of natural gas: Kinkead has opposed large tax breaks for the petrochemical industry and is backed by environmental groups.
Party: Republican
Experience: Teacher, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Education: Grove City College (B.A.), Duquesne University
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey; League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021–2022): $210.87
Total expenditures (2021-2022): $8.31
Worth reading: Mostly Politics with Bob and Sherry
