CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Andrew Harbaugh, a recently elected Clarion Borough councilmember and member of the Clarion County Democratic Committee, announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania’s 63rd State House District.
Harbaugh said his campaign will center on affordability, healthcare access, and public education funding. He pledged to focus on providing living wages, addressing rising utility costs attributed to data centers, and securing more consistent funding for schools and rural medical services.
The district is currently represented by Republican Josh Bashline.
In a statement announcing his run, Harbaugh said he is tired of seeing families struggle. “I am tired of surviving when we should be thriving,” he said. “We need someone who will fight for what we deserve and should have, and I will be that person for my community.”
Harbaugh’s campaign officially launched on December 5. He emphasized that his family’s personal experiences with hardship have motivated him to seek office. “His family is paramount to his motivation to run for this seat,” his campaign said in a release, “as he does not want other families to face the same hardship as his family has had to deal with recently on various fronts.”
A graduate of Clarion University, now known as Penn West Clarion, Harbaugh moved to Clarion after high school. He met his wife during college, and they are now raising two children in the borough. He works full time in sports media, covering the NFL, after years as a freelancer.
Harbaugh said he plans to meet directly with residents throughout the campaign. The 63rd House District includes Clarion, Knox, Foxburg, Limestone, Redbank, Shippenville, Rimersburg, New Bethlehem, Dayton, and Kittanning.