Pennsylvania State Senate race for 45th District features 2 relative newcomers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — State Senator Jim Brewster of McKeesport is retiring this year from the 45th District in the state Senate.
The district stretches from Plum and Monroeville in the east suburbs, down through the Mon Valley and west into parts of the South Hills, and the race to replace him features two relative newcomers.
"I'm not a career politician," state Rep. Nick Pisciottano said. "For eight and a half years straight out of college, I worked as a CPA and an auditor for one of the biggest auditing firms in the country."
Four years ago, the 34-year-old Democrat was elected to the state House. Opposing him for the state Senate is Republican Jen Dintini of Plum.
"I am a business owner and a mom," Dintini said. "I own two security guard companies. One is AmGuard that my grandparents founded. And the other one is 3G Security Solutions. It's 100 percent women-owned certified."
Dintini says she's the candidate of change.
"I decided to run for the state Senate because I don't think the status quo has been serving our communities. That's why I'm here," she said.
Pisciottano says he can hit the ground running because he has experience in Harrisburg.
"On day one I go into the Senate ready to fight for my constituents with the experience but also with a fresh perspective to get that done," he said.
Both candidates say the other side is lying about them in campaign ads. Contrary to the negative attacks, the Democrat says it's absurd to suggest he only works 55 days a year as a state rep, while the Republican says current state abortion laws are fine, and she has no desire to jail women for having an abortion.
"It's flat-out lies," Dintini said. "They're unfounded. I've never said anything like it. It's being weaponized against me to win an election."
"I am not trying to restrict or enhance," she added. "I think the way the law is has been working for a very long time."
"Those 55 days of the year, the days that I was away from my family in Harrisburg doing my job, you can check my social media and see that I am also working when I am not in Harrisburg," Pisciottano said. "Actually, that's the bigger part of the job, being present in the community, talking to constituents, hearing about issues, having meetings. All those things that happen when we're not in Harrisburg, and I work 365 days a year."
While this state Senate seat has been traditionally Democratic over the years, with no incumbent running this year, it's wide open.