Voter guide to Pennsylvania State House 16th District election: Matzie v. Perich
What's at stake? This Beaver County district went to incumbent Rob Matzie by 13 points in both 2020 and 2022 , but Republican challenger Michael Perich hopes to take his long-time seat. As a whole, Beaver County solidly backed Donald Trump over Joe Biden for president in 2020, but the 16th District has been blue since Matzie took office. Perich has held many jobs in the community, including bar owner, volunteer firefighter and laborer. The Western Pennsylvania House District contains the following Beaver County municipalities: Aliquippa, Ambridge, Baden, Center Township, Conway, East Rochester, Freedom, Harmony, Hopewell, Monaca, Rochester, Rochester Township and South Heights.
District map:
Further reading: " Pa. election 2024: The state House races to watch as Democrats try to keep the majority " (Stephen Caruso, Spotlight PA)
Rob MatzieMatzie has represented the 16th House District for more than 15 years. It's been a Democratic outpost on the edge of a blue Pittsburgh region surrounded by more rural, Republican-leaning municipalities. According to his campaign website, Matize has never lived outside of the district. He highlights legislative accomplishments in a campaign ad that says he challenged "big corporations and junk fees," voted to lower the cost of prescription drugs and opposed tax increases.
Party: Place of residence: Ambridge, Beaver County Education: Associate degree in technology, Community College of Beaver County; bachelor's degree in journalism, Point Park University Current occupation: Pennsylvania House of Representatives Related experience: Matzie has been a state lawmaker since 2009. He now serves as chair of the House committee on Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities. Supporters/endorsements: Pa. AFL-CIO Website/social media URLs: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): $62,650.00 (2023 ending cash balance: $105,915.40) : $13,164.97 Further reading " Pa. bills to respond to Swiftie ticket woes could have unintended consequences, advocates warn " (Stephen Caruso, Spotlight PA) " Leaders in Aliquippa eagerly await $218 million steel mill that promises 300 jobs " (An-Li Herring, WESA)
WESA Candidate Survey
Michael PerichPerich's political experience is limited to service on a local school board, though his campaign notes he's been heavily involved in the community through business ownership and several public-facing jobs such as postman and volunteer firefighter. Now a Republican, his campaign website says Perich was previously a "conservative Democrat whose party left him, not the other way around." He's a former building trades union member, steel mill worker and air carrier baggage operator. Perich previously owned a bar in Aliquippa and later founded a nonprofit that encourages patriotism and teamwork among youth after the death of his son.
Party: Place of residence: Aliquippa, Beaver County Education: Center Township High School Current occupation:Related experience: Served on the school board, volunteered as a firefighter, delivered mail as a postal worker, owned a bar and worked in a steel mill; founded the nonprofit Crusaders in America to support local youth. Supporters/endorsements: National Rifle Association Website/social media URLs: Website | Facebook Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): $2,026.03 : $1,445.26
Further reading: " Gold star father bikes across country to honor heroes " (Marsha Keefer, Beaver County Times)
WESA Candidate Survey
State policies can help determine the health of the local economy — by adjusting tax rates, imposing or relaxing regulations, and so on. What policies do you think Harrisburg should pursue to improve the state's economic performance?
Growing jobs and increasing business innovation are essential to reviving the fortunes of Beaver County. We need to cut personal and corporate income taxes to attract business investment and stimulate job creation. Eliminating red tape will also be a key to easing the burden on small businesses and entrepreneurs. The general assembly must create targeted incentives to encourage our manufacturing, energy, and agricultural sectors. Additionally, a balanced state budget, coupled with reduced commonwealth debt, will help to stem inflation while helping us to avoid the tax hikes that often drive away population, business and jobs.
We should move to performance-based funding so schools get resources based on results. Expanding school choice, including charter schools and vouchers, will drive competition and innovation. We also must reduce state-level bureaucracy to ensure more funds go directly toward classrooms. Stronger accountability for performance and more flexibility at the local level will help us address the unique challenges facing students and families.
While I personally support the legalization of recreational marijuana, we must recognize that there are more pressing issues we need to face that do not involve government-run state stores. If we are merely looking for ways to subsidize reckless spending, this approach mirrors past claims — such as the promise that casinos would eliminate property taxes. This trend of relying on new revenue sources to cover budgetary shortfalls often leads to more wasteful spending rather than addressing underlying problems. Our priority should be tackling critical issues that genuinely benefit our community, rather than creating new revenue streams that risk being mismanaged.
Arguments over voting provisions — such as mail-in balloting, "drop boxes" and voter verification requirements — have become a part of the electoral landscape. How well do you think our election systems work now, and what, if any, changes to our state voting laws would you support?
I have full faith in our election systems, and I believe we can and should be doing more to ensure every citizen has 100% confidence in our democratic process. One measure, which is supported by a majority of Pennsylvanians and Americans, is voter ID. This simple, practical policy helps to prevent fraud and ensures that every vote is cast by a legitimate voter. We should also do everything we can to support local election workers to ensure they have the resources they need to conduct their work efficiently and without error. By combining support for our current system with thoughtful reforms we can strengthen public confidence in our elections.
