Four more candidates announce bids for Rep. John Peterson’s position
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LOCK HAVEN — Mayor Richard P. Vilello Jr. says he will make a formal announcement this week that he is running for Congress.
A Democrat, he is making a bid for U.S. Rep. John Peterson’s seat. The incumbent has announced he will not run again.
Vilello has just begun his third four-year term as mayor of the city, and he served on council for two years before that.
Legislators on both the state and federal levels pass laws dealing with the same issues, he said, and what’s needed is a local voice where it will count.
“It’s time to send someone with local government experience to Congress because we must deal with what Congress does, with rural airports, the Army Corps of Engineers, the highways, the USDA...” he said. “I see the end results, and I’m frustrated by that.”
With the incumbent stepping down, the seat is “open” for other candidates, Vilello said.
“I think it’s time to send someone with local experience and quit wasting money,” he said. “Every day in the paper you read about millions and billions of dollars for this and that project, for fixing infrastructure all around the world, and we’re not fixing our own infrastructure.
“The local schools get stuck with No Child Left Behind, and the people who pass laws have never been in a school except when they sat behind a desk.
“The health care system is a mess and rural health care always gets the short end of the stick,” he added.
“I think I could do a very good job,” he said.
“When I ran for mayor against Al Hoberman, I tried to knock on every door in Lock Haven. I know that’s not possible in the Fifth District. It’s 10,000 square miles, more than a fifth of the state geographically,” Vilello said. “I am going to visit every county and try to hit every county seat, every fire hall, every post office.”
Vilello said he will continue to serve the city as mayor during his campaign.
Councilman Alan Black was elected vice president of council last week, but according to Vilello, that position does not mean he will automatically become mayor should Vilello win the Congressional seat. Anyone on council would be given the chance to submit a letter of interest in the position, and council would then have to elect a new mayor.
Democrat Keith Bierly of Centre County has decided not to enter the Congressional race, according to Vilello, something he said helped him decide to throw his hat into the ring.
State College native Bill Cahir, also a Democrat, made an informal announcement Monday that he will run.
On the Republican side, Matt Shaner and Chris Exarchos have announced their candidacies for the seat.
The primary election is April 22.
Bill Cahir
STATE COLLEGE — State College native and Iraq War veteran Bill Cahir has announced he is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by retiring Republican U.S. Rep. John Peterson.
Cahir, 39, who resigned Monday from his job as Washington correspondent for The Express-Times of Easton, said he is moving back to his birthplace - Bellefonte — to fulfil his dream of running for Congress.
“It’s a Republican seat and the odds are long,” said Cahir. “But the chance of winning diminishes a bit further if I don’t run.
“I have to be candid, I’m moving back to my hometown in hopes of representing my home district and at the most critical time in our nation’s history.
“I think as an Iraq veteran, I offer a unique perspective,” he said. “As a journalist, I’ve covered federal education, transportation and health care issues in detail, and I’m opposed to the tolling of I-80. I want to stop the tolling of interstates in Pennsylvania and across the country.
“On a personal note, this is something I’m energized about and I would be honored to be my party’s nominee,” Cahir continued.
Cahir enters the race with strong State College roots. His father, John Cahir was vice provost and dean of undergraduate education at Penn State from 1993 to 2002. His mother, Mary Anne Cahir, was the university’s chief fund-raiser in the Philadelphia region.
He also has knowledge and experience on Capitol Hill. Before his career in journalism he worked as a staff assistant to Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee from 1990 to 1993 and as a staff assistant on health care issued for former U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford, D-Pa. from August 1993 until he left office in January 1995.
Cahir was part of Sen. Edward Kennedy’s labor and economic policy team that helped pass the Family Medical Leave Act and other laws, and says he is well versed in federal education issues including No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Act from three years writing for Education Daily.
A graduate of State College Area High School, Cahir graduated cum laude from Penn State in 1990 with a degree in English. He has worked as a writer for the Lebanon Daily News, Hanover Evening Sun, York Dispatch and newspapers in New Jersey and New York.
Motivated by the Sept. 11 attacks and war on terror, Cahir joined the Marine Corps reserves at age 34. He has served two tours in Iraq and was decorated for his service in combat. He was recently honored as the non-commissioned officer of the year by the 4th Civil Affairs Group.
As a marine, Cahir marched in Ronald Reagan’s funeral. He is married to Rene Browne, a business litigation lawyer in Washington D.C.
Chris Exarchos
STATE COLLEGE — A former Centre County commissioner is planning to run for an open congressional seat in central Pennsylvania.
Republican Chris Exarchos says he has the go-ahead from county party leaders to run for the seat held by Rep. John Peterson. Peterson recently announced that he will not seek another term and will be retiring at the end of the year.
Exarchos says he’s scouting how the rest of the field shakes out before making a formal announcement.
He’s in the process of forming a campaign committee.
Exarchos was county commissioner for three years before losing in the primary election last year. A write-in campaign also failed.
Centre County businessman Matt Shaner announced last week he was also seeking the GOP nod to succeed Peterson.
Derek Walker
BIGLER — Clearfield County financial consultant Derek Walker has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to replace John Peterson in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District.
“I believe I have the background and a unique perspective as a result of having been born and raised in Bigler, a small mining village in Clearfield County, and having operated a successful business as well as serving on the boards of a number of community and economic development organizations,” said Walker. “I understand the challenges facing the people of this region and with hard work I believe that I can improve our future economic prosperity.
“With the combination of great universities, an industrious population and abundant natural resources, I believe this region has an incredible future with the ability to attract good, family-sustaining jobs,” he continued. “The key, however, is having strong leadership at both the local and national levels who can work together with a shared vision for the future.”
Walker graduated from Clearfield Area High School with high honors and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Bucknell University and a Masters in Business Administration from Penn State University.
In 1997, he founded Walker Financial Services, which specializes in financial and retirement planning.
“I chose that area of business because I wanted to be able to help people plan for financial security in their retirement,” he said. “As a result of my experiences and interaction with customers, I see what happens to senior citizens living on fixed incomes during periods of high energy inflation.”
Walker has been active in a number of civic organizations and currently serves as vice chairman of the Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership. He is a member of the board of directors of WPSU-TV and Bucktail Council, Boy Scouts of America, where he is a Woodbadge instructor.
At the age of 14, Walker earned his Boy Scouts’ highest honor — the
Eagle Scout Award.
Walker organizes an annual golf tournament to raise money to build a field house at the Clearfield High School sports complex. He’s a member of the B.P.O.E., the Pennsylvania Society and the Golden Bison Alumni Association. He serves as treasurer of the Clearfield Bison Education Foundation, is vice president of the Clearfield Chapter of the Second Mile and is a former member of the Second Mile State Board of Directors.
Walker is a life member of the Clearfield Presbyterian Church, where he has served both as a deacon and a trustee.
As a result of being educated in the public schools in the area, Walker said he has a keen interest in education.
“I felt I received a wonderful education in the Clearfield Area School System, but students of the future are going to need different skills and access to new information if they’re going to be successful in the 21st century economy,” he said. “Over the past 10 years I’ve taught mathematics at both the high school and college levels so I understand the challenges facing both the students and the educators. As a nation, we simply can’t afford to let our educational system slip in any way.”
Walker said he agrees with Peterson the most important issues facing the 5th Congressional District are the proposed tolling of Interstate 80, affordable health care and energy independence.
“I will work vigorously to oppose the tolling of I-80, make sure people in rural areas have access to high quality affordable health care and that Congress passes an energy bill which recognizes the importance of producing domestic natural gas and oil, ethanol and biodiesel, wind and solar power, clean coal technology and nuclear energy as keys to energy independence for this county,” he said.
“I believe I can make a difference by representing our region in the U.S. Congress and I remain very optimistic about the future. With the right leadership and coordination of efforts, northcentral Pennsylvania could see a real economic renaissance.”
