PA House Majority Whip Dan Miller, Rep. Aerion Abney, Mayor Dwan Walker, and other local elected officials rallied outside of a locally-owned pharmacy in Aliquippa to highlight the need to keep the Democratic majority in the PA House — "The People’s Majority" — and continue the region’s comeback by sending Rep. Matzie back to Harrisburg.

ALIQUIPPA, PA. – Rep. Rob Matzie was joined by state and local elected officials outside of Hoffman’s Drug Store to highlight his work in the People’s Majority to support Aliquippa and Beaver County’s comeback. Local officials emphasized how Rep. Matzie is a fighter for schools, businesses, and the people in Aliquippa and Beaver County. They called on their constituents to show up for him in November.

“Rob was there. He knows. He understands. I don’t gotta preach to Rob about what Aliquippa is facing. He knows. So at the end of the day I want you to understand who you are voting for. You are voting for a man with a heart. You are voting for a man who’s on the cornerstone of the renaissance not just for Aliquippa, but Beaver County.” - Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker

List of Speakers:

• PA House Majority Whip Dan Miller (HD 42, Allegheny County)

• PA State Rep. Rob Matzie - Chair, House Consumer Protection, Technology, & Utilities Committee (HD 16, Beaver County)

• PA State Rep. Aerion Abney (HD 19, Allegheny County)

• Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker

• City of Aliquippa School Board President Tina Price Genes

• Borough of Ambridge Council Member Mary Jane Jones Gilliam

• Emanuel Panos, Pharmacist and owner of Hoffman’s Drug Store

The full livestream of today’s press conference is available here.

Press Conference Highlights:

Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker

“We are in the middle of a renaissance, and the renaissance can’t happen without the people. Rob Matzie is one of the people who stands in the gap. I don’t just know Rob Matzie the last twelve years I’ve been in this chair, I’ve known Rob Matzie since I graduated college in 94.”

[Quote timestamps: 21:08-21:22]

“These downtowns, our best days are ahead of us. Renaissance doesn’t mean resurrection… We have never been dead. None of our communities have ever been dead and Rob speaks to that… I’m telling you the man will do anything to make sure this city survives and this county survives. That’s what you need.”

[Quote timestamps 21:52-22:11]

State Rep. Rob Matzie

“We want to make sure everyone in this city recognizes how important this election is. The people’s majority this past term passed 399 bills… Those bills help people… We have to help people before polarizing politics because public policy that helps people is what we are all about. Because if you are not our brother’s keeper or your sister’s keeper, why are you there, why are you taking the oath of office in Harrisburg to represent the 60,000 plus people in your district?”

[Quote timestamps 6:10-7:07]

State Rep. Aerion Abney

“Chairman Matzie is the type of leader that inspires trust and reliability, especially in times of uncertainty. Rob Matzie is a voice of reason in Harrisburg… and a man of good judgment.”

[Quote timestamps 1:25-1:55]

“Things like this recent budget we just passed, we saw $2.3 million dollars in new funding for Aliquippa School District to help improve the educational outcomes for our young people… Just a few months back in April of this year, the good Chairman Matzie was able to help bring back a $700,000 dollar grant from PHFA to help transform the former Saint Joseph’s School into residential units and retail space. And the list goes on and on and on… and so while Chairman Matzie is not an official member of the PA Black Caucus, I consider him to be an honorary member of the Black Caucus.”

[Quote timestamps: 4:13-5:00]

“I am a proud member of the PA Legislative Black Caucus and my office gets calls from folks from up and down Western Pennsylvania who are seeking help… One of the themes that cuts across is that many of those Black and Brown residents don’t feel as though the person who is in office represents them and their issues… But we don’t receive those calls from Rob Matzie’s district. That is a testament to the people in Aliquippa and the 16th District who know that Rob Matzie has their back.”

[Quote timestamps 3:00-4:09]

Aliquippa School Board President Tina Price-Genes

“The one thing I can say about Representative Matzie is that representation matters… he represents our district very well. And not just our district, but our community. Anytime we ask him to come, he is there… he has fought so hard for us to succeed in Aliquippa in particular. And it is very, very important when we see underserved communities, sometimes forgotten about, sometimes not mentioned, or sometimes negatively spoken about, to have someone with such great integrity, such great honor, such great love to represent a community that has a heart for people, I am excited and I will NOT stand down because we need Rob Matzie back in Harrisburg.”

[Quote timestamps: 11:37-12:31]

PA House Majority Whip Dan Miller

“Listen to what [Rob Matzie’s] words were. He never said ‘I’... he said ‘we’. There is a key difference with that. Listen to the man’s words and watch his vote. You’ll see the difference he makes.”

[Quote timestamps: 26:13-26:29]

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About PA HDCC

The Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee is the official campaign arm of Pennsylvania House Democrats. PA HDCC supports the second-largest legislative chamber in the country by protecting incumbents and recruiting and training challengers to grow Democratic representation in Harrisburg.

Contact: Marshall Miller

Local Press Specialist

Phone: 717-951-0795

Email: Marshall@pahdcc.com