Election 2016: State House 81st District

CNET hosted candidates for the 2016 general election for interviews conducted by StateCollege.com editor Geoff Rushton. In the days leading up to the Nov. 8 election, we will be sharing the interviews with candidates for Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District, Pennsylvania Auditor General, and the 77th, 76th, 81st, and 171st State House Districts.

THE RACE
Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 81st District, which includes parts of Centre and Mifflin counties and all of Huntingdon County. In Centre County, the district represents Ferguson Township (partial), Patton Township (partial), Halfmoon Township, Port Matilda, Taylor Township and Worth Township

THE INCUMBENT
Republican Rich Irvin of Spruce Creek Township, Huntingdon County, is seeking his second term as representative for the 81st district, having first been elected to the office in 2014. Prior to his election to the state house, Irvin was Huntingdon County treasurer for 18 years. He is a past president and current treasurer of Huntingdon County United Way. Irvin has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He defeated Mary Ann Buckley in the Republican Primary.

THE CHALLENGER
Democrat Rick Rogers of Mount Union, Huntingdon County is seeking office for the first time. He is a retired U.S. Army major and 27-year military veteran. He was an Adjutant, Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Armed Services and served in Vietnam. Rogers also is a substitute teacher and mentor for vocational technical schools and volunteer leader in the VFW and American Legion. He has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State. Rogers ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

THE ISSUES
In their CNET interviews, Irvin and Rogers address steps to take on the heroin and opioid crisis; job creation; public education; income, corporate and natural gas taxes; state pension funding; state gun and drug laws; and bipartisan budgets.

Watch the interviews with Irvin and Rogers below.