With the Iowa caucuses behind us and the New Hampshire primary happening today, things are heating up in the Keystone State. The stakes are high; the primary election enables registered voters to select who they believe should be a political party’s candidate to run in the general election for state and national office. Pennsylvania’s primary is April 28, 2020.
Of Pennsylvania’s 50 State Senate seats, 25 are up for election in 2020. Both the 9th and 19th Districts – which encompass parts of Chester County – are fielding competitive races on the Democratic ballot; candidates are hoping for a party endorsement heading into the primary following the Chester County Democratic Committee’s Nomination Convention on February 13, 2020.
The 9th and 19th District contests for State Senate are fluid and, as of press time, candidates were still entering or dropping out of the race.
Candidates for the 9th Senatorial District – a seat that straddles Delaware and Chester counties (including the Borough of Kennett Square and Kennett, Pennsbury and Pocopson Townships part of KAD) and which has been held by a Republican since just after the Civil War – are Brett Burman, John Kane and Robert McKinstrey.
Brett Burman is a former health care executive and Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee member. Burman is invested in rooting out corruption in Big Pharma, protecting the environment, pushing for higher regulatory standards and oversight of the Mariner East pipeline, and advocating for common-sense gun reform. He is involved with the Delaware County Coalition for Prison Reform and the Delaware County Historical Society. If successful, Burman would be the first LGBTQ candidate elected to the State Senate. For more information about Brett Burman, visit https://www.voteburman.com/.
John Kane, now a resident of Birmingham, Chester County, spent much of his career in Delaware County fighting for working families. Kane’s platform reflects his priorities as a recent cancer survivor and life-long labor leader, focusing on quality and affordable healthcare and eliminating the gender wage gap. In addition, Kane believes in investing in quality education and job training, defending women’s reproductive rights, and ending inaction on climate change. For more information about John Kane, visit https://kane4senate.com.
Robert “Bobby” McKinstry is a nationally recognized environmental lawyer ready to put his expertise and long history of public service to work in Harrisburg. Under the current Republican leadership, the General Assembly has defunded and blocked efforts to protect the environment. McKinstry is looking to reverse that trend by enacting impactful legislation to build a greener future. Other platform issues include promoting free and fair elections, protecting Pennsylvanians’ fundamental rights, and dispelling the smoke and mirrors around the Commonwealth’s fiscal and tax policies. In 2017, McKinstry was elected a Township Supervisor in East Marlborough, one of the first two Democrats ever elected there. For more information about Bobby McKinstry, visit https://mckinstryforsenate.org/.
Learn about the Candidates for the Pennsylvania 19th Senatorial District
For more information on municipalities within Chester County’s Pennsylvania House and Senate districts, please visit https://chescodems.org/pa-house-and-senate-districts/. Keep an eye on https://chescodems.org/2020-candidates/ for updated information on the 2020 candidates.
