Letter to the Editor: Why Tim Kearney should be in the state Senate
POSTED: 05/08/18, 8:54 PM EDT | UPDATED: ON 05/08/2018
To the Times:
Mayor Tim Kearney
Democrat and Republican mayors agree, Mayor Tim Kearney is the only choice for state Senate in the 26th District.
Last minute changes to Pennsylvania’s congressional map has given voters an outsized look at the candidates jockeying for those seats. Millions of dollars have been raised and spent on these seats in anticipation of a referendum on the abhorrent policies of the current administration. But we cannot lose sight of the fact that there are other, equally as important races taking place right here in Delaware and Chester counties.
In the PA 26th, Mayor Tim Kearney is a Democratic candidate who has established himself as a progressive leader here in Delaware County. Tim has brought positive change to Swarthmore as a two-term mayor and he is running for state Senate to do the same for the people of the 26th and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A resident of Delaware County for more than 20 years, Tim, along with his wife and business partner, Claudia, raised their two children here, sending them to public schools while building a small business together. Tim has always been driven to step up and lead when others have been unable or unwilling. He chaired the borough planning commission for seven years prior to being elected mayor. As mayor he has built upon the hard work of others (and himself) to achieve highly-regarded, much needed, and well-received improvements for the borough. The Swarthmore Inn brought jobs and entertainment to the borough; the Chester Road roundabout took a dangerous and congested intersection and made it safer for pedestrians and easier for drivers; and continued pedestrian improvements now make for safer routes to school.
As an architect, Tim brings a unique point of view to public office. He has the ability to master the details while never losing sight of the big picture. He is a thoughtful leader, a good listener, and a trusted friend. And as an architect, he knows how to get things done on time and on budget.
For more than three years we have been represented by a senator who has been part of a caucus that has undermined public education, abandoned the working-class family, forsaken the environment, and has been beholden to wealthy corporate donors and special interests such as the NRA. With Mayor Tim Kearney as our nominee, in November we will have a choice between a progressive leader with bold ideas to better the commonwealth and a loyal partisan soldier to a Pennsylvania and Delaware County GOP leadership tragically out of touch with this district and this state.
Only one candidate in this race is proposing the needed solutions to improve our public schools. Only one candidate is proposing the needed solutions to make the state income tax system work for every Pennsylvanian, not just the wealthiest 1 percent. Only one candidate is a small-business owner, a public school parent, and a leader with a history of progressive achievement to build on in the state Senate. That candidate is Tim Kearney, and that is why current and former mayors of the district from both parties are supporting Mayor Tim Kearney for state Senate.
Kevin Cunningham, Mayor, Rutledge; John Dukes Jr, Mayor, East Lansdowne; Mike Hess, Mayor, Brookhaven; Anthony P Campuzano, Mayor, Lansdowne; Bill Cumby, Former Mayor of Swarthmore; Elric C. Gerner, Former Mayor of Swarthmore; Rick Lowe, Former Mayor of Swarthmore; G. Guy Smith, Esq., Former Mayor of Swarthmore