Davanzo, Bach square off for state House seat in 58th District

Oct. 30—The candidates running to represent voters in the state House 58th District offer clear differences that fall in line with the partisan divide in Harrisburg.

Incumbent Republican Eric Davanzo, an anti-abortion candidate who favors elimination of mail-in voting and opposes strict gun control, is seeking his second full two-year term in office. He is being challenged by Democrat Ken Bach, an automotive repair shop owner from Smithton who said he's in favor of abortion rights and favors a targeted effort to remove some dangerous weapons from streets.

Davanzo, 47, a union carpenter from Smithton, was elected during a special election in 2020 and won a full two-year term later that year.

Bach, 55, served 14 years on the Yough School Board and is a Navy veteran. He ran as a libertarian in the 2020 special election for the state House seat against Davanzo after not being selected as the Democratic candidate to run in that race.

The district includes Monessen, East Huntingdon, Sewickley, South Huntingdon, North Belle Vernon, Rostraver, Scottdale, Smithton, Sutersville, West Newton and parts of Mt. Pleasant Township and North Huntingdon.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, 41% of voters in district are registered Democrats and 11% are third-party and nonpartisan voters. Republicans account for about 48% of registered voters in the reconfigured district.

It is one of two contested seats up for grabs throughout much of Westmoreland County this election season. Other incumbents, state Reps. George Dunbar, R-Penn Township; Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield; and Leslie Rossi, R-Unity, are unopposed.

Davanzo said voters he has met are most concerned about the economy and inflation as well as what he says in an ongoing problem of increased crime. He said his focus in Harrisburg is ensuring his district takes advantage federal money awarded to the state for coronavirus relief and infrastructure programs.

"There's a lot of federal money out there and I'm all about lobbying to get it back to Westmoreland County," Davanzo said.

He suggested those funds can be used to help secure more manufacturing jobs with a specific focus on the national gas industry that he said could be used to fuel economic growth in the county.

Bach said his top issue is a revamping of the state's tax code and more specifically replacing the property tax system that is used to subsidize local school districts. He said he favors a plan that would tap income and sales taxes to fund education in the state.

"It's my main issue. I feel strongly we can get bipartisan support to make this happen," Bach said.

Both candidates have staked out other positions that line up with their political base, including GOP efforts to ban abortion in Pennsylvania.

Davanzo voted in favor of the a bill that passed both the state House and Senate that would have banned abortion and said he backs legislation that includes three exceptions: cases when a mother's life is at risk, and for incest and rape victims.

He also supported Republican-sponsored legislation to rescind a state law requiring gun owners to have a permit to carry concealed weapons and to eliminate mail-in voting.

"We need to get rid of all mail-in ballots. It's got to be trustworthy and now people don't trust the process," Davanzo said.

Bach said he is a proponent of mail-in balloting and has already cast his votes for the upcoming Nov. 8 election using the system state lawmakers put in place in 2019.

He indicated he would oppose legislation to ban abortion and supports Second Amendment issues while also suggesting he would support an assault weapons ban for anyone under the age of 21.

"Everyone has a right to protect their home and family, but I believe we have to work together and find a way to stop kids from being killed in schools," Bach said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .