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Solomon jumps into 37th District Senate race

2 min read
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An emergency room physician from North Fayette Township has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the state Senate seat being vacated by Congressman-elect Guy Reschenthaler.

Bob Solomon, who also competed for the Democratic nomination in the 14th Congressional District in the spring, said in a statement that his background as a physician makes him “uniquely qualified” to tackle issues like opioid addiction and health care. He is the first Democrat to formally declare his intentions in the 37th state Senate district. Other potential candidates include Olivia Benson, the community engagement director for the Women and Girls Foundation, and Mike Crossey, the onetime president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

Solomon, 60, is currently employed at Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, W.Va., and has previously worked at Allegheny General Hospital, the Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and at Weirton Medical Center in West Virginia. He has written more than 35 articles and given close to 50 lectures on topics related to insurance and health care policy. Solomon also founded a political action committee designed to boost candidates who support universal health care coverage.

Solomon came in third in the Democratic congressional primary in May. The winner, former Ford Motor Co. executive Bibiana Boerio, was defeated by Reschenthaler last month. Reschenthaler is expected to formally resign from the state Senate seat shortly before he is sworn in to Congress.

Whoever wins the state Senate seat in a special election will serve out the remainder of Reschenthaler’s term, which will expire at the end of 2020. The 37th district includes Peters Township in Washington County, along with such Allegheny County communities as Upper St. Clair, Bridgeville, Mt. Lebanon, South Fayette and Sewickley.

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