North Hills Man Files To Run For President In New Hampshire Primary
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Move over Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio.
There's another candidate for president in the New Hampshire primary -- and he's from Pittsburgh.
"It's better than therapy. It's on my bucket list," the North Hills candidate told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Friday.
No, it's not Rick Santorum, who lives most of the time in Virginia.
This candidate is former North Hills county councilman Matt Drozd who says he's very serious.
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"I would hope that people wouldn't look at this and laugh. It's a serious time in our nation," says Drozd.
Drozd says he's watched the candidates in the Republican debates and concluded he's just as qualified, if not more so.
"I'm a moderate overall, a fiscal conservative, but I'm a moderate overall, just like most Americans," he said.
Drozd admits he's not been to New Hampshire in a while and will go there two weeks before the February 9th primary.
Drozd filed his candidacy by mail -- a simple process, says New Hampshire's deputy secretary of state David Scanlan.
"It's easy," notes Scanlan. "A candidate simply has to fill out a declaration of candidacy where they swear under penalties of perjury that they meet the requirements of the U.S. Constitution to be president, and then they pay a $1,000 filing fee."
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No petitions -- no signatures from supporters – but still, a thousand dollars?
Delano: "Is that a waste of money when you know you're not going to win?"
Drozd: "Not at all. My family even said, well, give it to me."
Drozd says it's worth it to fulfill his dream of a presidential run -- and he's not alone. Thirty mostly unknown Republicans have filed with him.
"The great thing about the New Hampshire primary," says Scanlan, "is that it's that place where anybody who has that dream of growing up and becoming president can actually run."
Of course, there is the obligatory question.
Delano: "Aren't you really running for vice president?"
Drozd: "No. Depending on the presidential candidate, I really seriously would consider it."