Rep. Kuzman faces Altemara in 39th state House race
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of stories featuring key races in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
Two-term incumbent Republican state Rep. Andrew Kuzman of Elizabeth Township is facing a challenge in the Nov. 3 general election from Democratic candidate Dylan A. Altemara of Elizabeth Township.
The 39th State House District includes several Mon Valley communities in Washington and Allegheny counties.
We asked two questions to each of the candidates and asked them to respond with written answers.
Question 1: What are the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvania, and how would you address them?
Question 2: What is your position on the development of data centers, and what role should the state play in regulating them?
Their responses, which we asked to keep under 200 words, are below.
Name: Andrew Kuzma
Age: 30
Residence: Elizabeth Township
Occupation: State representative, attorney
Party: Republican
Question 1: Pennsylvania needs lower costs, good-paying jobs and safer communities. I introduced a back-to-school sales tax holiday to help families afford school supplies and computers, and legislation banning tianeptine, known as “gas station heroin,” to protect our communities. My economic priorities include responsible Nippon/U.S. Steel investment, Century III Mall redevelopment, and productive reuse of the Mitchell Power Station site in Union Township. I would pursue infrastructure and cleanup funding, workforce training, and predictable permitting without weakening environmental protections. Disciplined budgeting and affordable energy should support that growth, rather than higher taxes on working families and seniors.
Question 2: I will not give data-center developers a blank check at residents’ expense. I oppose projects that threaten reliable electricity, strain water supplies or disrupt neighborhoods. Developers must pay their own infrastructure costs, not shift them onto families and small businesses. The state should require public disclosure of energy and water use, enforceable noise and environmental protections, and meaningful public input before approval. Municipalities must retain zoning authority and the ability to pause applications while updating ordinances. If developers cannot demonstrate that a project protects residents and pays its own way, it should not proceed.
Name: Dylan A. Altemara
Age: 33
Residence: Elizabeth
Occupation: Educator, workforce development professional and doctoral student
Party: Democrat
Question 1: Pennsylvania is facing an affordability crisis. Working families and seniors are being squeezed by rising property taxes, high gasoline taxes, rising utility bills, and wages that haven’t kept pace with the cost of living.
Growing up in the Mon Valley and being raised by a single mother who taught special education students, I understand these challenges firsthand.
My priorities include increasing the state’s share of public education funding to reduce property taxes, expanding property tax relief for seniors and working families, providing relief from Pennsylvania’s gasoline tax, and strengthening oversight of utility companies to protect consumers from unreasonable rate increases.
We must also invest in workforce development, expand apprenticeships and career and technical education, and establish a statewide infrastructure program to rebuild our roads, bridges, and water systems. Utilizing project labor agreements will strengthen our building trades, create family-sustaining union jobs, and ensure quality artistry.
Pennsylvania also needs greater government accountability, including stronger ethics laws and restrictions on outside employment for legislators.
Our focus must be simple: lower costs, create good-paying jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, and make Pennsylvania affordable for working families again.
Question 2: I support responsible economic development, but Pennsylvania must ensure data centers benefit our communities rather than burden taxpayers, strain infrastructure, or displace workers.
The proposed development in Elizabeth Township highlights the need for transparency, community involvement, and stronger statewide regulations addressing electricity consumption, water usage, environmental impacts, and infrastructure costs. We must also protect residential neighborhoods, preserve property values, and prevent industrial development from negatively impacting residents’ quality of life.
As artificial intelligence reshapes our economy, we must confront potential job displacement by investing in workforce retraining, apprenticeships, and career pathways for emerging industries.
I support project labor agreements that create family-sustaining union construction jobs while ensuring employment opportunities extend beyond initial development.
Data centers should incorporate renewable energy as part of Pennsylvania’s all-of-the-above energy economy, utilizing natural gas, nuclear, and renewable resources while protecting residential ratepayers from increased utility costs.
We must ensure developers pay their fair share, generate meaningful local tax revenue, and do not receive excessive tax incentives at the expense of schools and municipalities.
Economic development must create lasting community benefits, protect existing jobs, and give residents a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their future.