5 Questions With Your State Rep. Special Election Candidates

A special election to choose a new state representative for Bucks County's 178th Legislative District will be held May 15, the same day as the primary election. Candidates Helen Tai, a Democrat, and Wendi Thomas, a Republican, will face off to represent voters in Northampton, New Hope, Upper Makefield, Wrightstown and Solebury.

The winner will finish out former state Rep. Scott Petri's remaining term for the rest of the year.

Thomas is a Northampton Township resident who served on the Council Rock School Board. You can read Thomas' full bio by clicking here. Tai is the chair of the Solebury Township supervisors. You can read Tai's full bio by clicking here

Patch caught up with both Tai and Thomas, and we asked them the same five questions.

Here are their answers:

Patch: Why do you want to be a state representative in Harrisburg?

Tai: Many of us are frustrated and angered by what’s happening in Harrisburg and Washington. Our legislators aren’t focusing on the very real problems that need fixing. Instead of protecting children from gun violence, they are letting commonsense gun safety bills sit in committee, sometimes for years. Instead of protecting a woman’s right to choose, the PA legislature just passed the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. And instead of ensuring every voter has an equal vote, they drew congressional districts that were so gerrymandered that the state Supreme Court threw them out and redrew them. Harrisburg is broken, and we need change! I can either keep complaining or do something about it. I can either wait for someone else to fix it, or I can be part of the solution. I’ve opted for the latter because I want to ensure ALL Pennsylvanians have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Thomas: I would like to continue serving my community and helping others as I have done as a School Board member, as a volunteer, and in my professional life. I believe my experiences – as a mom, a businesswoman and a local elected official who helped make our schools among the best and safest in PA – will allow me to achieve positive results for everyone in our community.

Patch: What are the three top issues you intend to fight hard for in Harrisburg if elected?

Tai: My priorities are ensuring high quality public education for all, reducing gun violence and eliminating government waste.

Thomas: Supporting stronger schools that prepare kids to succeed and attract employers to our area; Implementing smart fiscal decision making that controls spending and protects taxpayers; Ensuring public safety by combatting the opioid epidemic and taking concrete steps to end gun violence.

Patch: What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective state representative?

Tai: My experience as a business owner and public servant uniquely qualifies me for this role as a state representative. Over the past 30 years, including the last 10 running a process improvement consulting business, I’ve worked with people and companies to achieve their goals. I’ve had the privilege of applying that experience to my work as a Solebury Township supervisor for the last five years and as its current chair. Working together with area residents and community organizations, we’ve been able to solve problems that had been ignored for decades. This experience has inspired me to work even harder to address important local and state issues, such as ensuring high quality public education for all, reducing gun violence, eliminating government waste and ensuring clean and safe air and water.

Thomas: I believe that bringing together people with competing priorities and beliefs to address large budget deficits at Council Rock School District while will improving education, meeting capital needs and protecting taxpayers is the most valuable experience I can bring as State Representative. These experiences mimic many of the challenges our state faces, and having successfully navigated them in the past will help me do so in the future.

Patch: What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

Tai: Research-driven, dedicated, and thoughtful

Thomas: Unifying. Tenacious. Effective.

Patch: How you would describe the current political climate in our country right now? And if you view in a negative light, what steps would you take towards improvement?

Tai: The political climate in our country is divisive. We all need to do more to try to understand the people with whom we disagree and to work together to solve our problems. As a Solebury supervisor, I have worked with fellow supervisors, residents and community partners to forge new alliances and address critical community issues, some of which had been unresolved for years. I believe in using research and data as well as focusing on the facts, not opinions, to understand the underlying causes of issues. I will take the same collaborative approach to Harrisburg and work with my colleagues, regardless of party affiliation, to eliminate government waste, work for gun safety, ensure clean and safe air and water, and invest in public education.

Thomas: I think our country is simply too divided over politics right now; too many people simply have no compassion for anyone they disagree with. I will do what I have proven I can do as a public official: listen to everyone’s opinion, focus on issues, and build consensus to move forward. We can disagree without having to be disagreeable.

Images of Helen Tai and Wendi Thomas, via their campaigns