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Margie Brown

Margie Brown

Election Day is less than a week away, and one of the more interesting races is the one for the 25th Senatorial District seat held by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, who is retiring.

Over the past several weeks, The Express has reached out to each candidate to find out what makes them tick and why they should get your vote.

Margie Brown, Democrat, a candidate running for the 25th district of the state senate and a University of Pittsburgh at Bradford professor, suspended all fundraising efforts during the pandemic. Brown moved her campaign to conference calls, online meetings and Zoom seminars.

When Pitt-Bradford closed its campus due to the, Brown was forced to instruct her students online. That presented many challenges and hurdles, but she was able to finish another successful semester.

If there was one benefit to the closure, it was the fact that Brown was able to spend more time with her daughter and granddaughter.

Barring something crazy transpiring on Election Day, Brown will be the Democratic candidate on the ballot in November.

THE EXPRESS: Tell us a little more about your background? Who you are, where you are from, practical experience?

BROWN: I’m Margie Brown. I was born in Potter County, I grew up and raised my family mainly in McKean County, and I live in Elk County.

This is actually the most difficult question to answer. In some ways, I think that who I am is the least important factor. This office is for the people, and I am willing to serve them as I have served others. I first worked as a waitress, but I completed three internships to get a part-time job as a reporter in my senior year of college. I worked as a broadcast journalist for a few years before becoming an English teacher. I teach broadcast communications now at Pitt Bradford, and I serve on City Council in Saint Marys. I have been a volunteer throughout the years, either helping to organize fundraisers, student advising, or serving on boards.

THE EXPRESS: Why should voters in the 25th District vote for you?

BROWN: I, like many others in our rural areas, am disappointed that our elected officials have turned out to be followers instead of leaders. They seem to be following money, and quite frankly, the majority of voters in the rural areas don’t have enough money to see their interests served. It’s a plutocracy. I believe in public service. I have always been a volunteer and I have worked to serve the public in many capacities. I find that rural voters are increasingly disenfranchised, and that has led to apathy. I believe that they should at least have a choice. So here I am.

THE EXPRESS: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your campaign?

BROWN: One of the things I most enjoyed about running for office was that I got to go to all of the communities in the district and meet people who were working to make life in rural Pennsylvania work the way it should be working. The last event I was able to attend before the shutdown was a brunch and forum for the Jefferson County Farm Bureau; I found that to be fascinating. Many events have been canceled since then. Only one event has been rescheduled. I can call people, but in-person visits are really not realistic for the most part.

THE EXPRESS: Pennsylvania is facing record unemployment as a result of the pandemic. If elected, what will you do down the road to get Pennsylvania back on track?

BROWN: It has become painfully obvious that Pennsylvania is not very well connected. As an educator, I saw first-hand the challenges students faced by not having access to the internet. All of our textbooks are online and we had Courseweb, but some students had either no access or limited access. It was much easier for those in communities that had internet services to adapt to the shutdown. High speed internet is also important for telemedicine and business.

An important initiative to deliver broadband throughout the state would increase employment opportunities, healthcare and education. It would also result in many jobs for the new and old contracted companies and employees installing the infrastructure. This is similar to the expansion of electrification to rural areas in the early 1900s.

I know it is difficult to imagine now, but I believe there is a great deal of opportunity as we navigate the recovery after the pandemic. I had already been focused on broadband, education, and healthcare reform, as well as looking at legislative solutions to fair taxing, with a focus on ecommerce and anti-trust. Now, there are probably solutions and opportunities I had not even thought of. Honestly, I am a little obsessed with the idea that some manufacturing jobs should be in the US, and I am especially concerned about food processing and distribution as well as medical technology and pharmaceuticals. I don’t use marijuana, but I do think it should be decriminalized, legalized and taxed.

THE EXPRESS: Anything else you want to add or that voters should know about you?

BROWN: I’m very talkative, and I like hearing how things could be made better. I must have grown up with different rules than others because I do like to talk about politics, but I think talking about sex and religion are too personal. I hate reality TV, and I don’t watch TV news talk shows.

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