Election 2022 Kephart ready to serve in 73rd state House District

Nov. 9—HOUTZDALE, Pa. — A first-time candidate and Clearfield County resident was elected to represent the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' 73rd District on Tuesday night.

Dallas Kephart, of Decatur Township, topped challengers John Sobel and Derek Walker in the Republican primary in May for the seat currently held by Republican state Rep. Tommy Sankey, who decided to not run for reelection.

Kephart did not face a Democratic challenger and unofficial election results show a lack of enough votes for any opposing candidate to win.

Kephart said it felt "great" to win his first election.

"It's just relieving to know that the people support you and are just overwhelmingly supportive," he said. "People are just excited for me to get going. ... I'm very grateful."

Kephart, who will be 27 years old shortly after he is sworn in, said he welcomes the responsibility of representing the district.

"It's kind of cool to think that I'm going to be the one of the younger ones in the House," he said. "It's a big responsibility, but I'm grateful that the people chose me to be their representative and I fully appreciate the responsibility that I'm taking on as well."

Kephart said that he believes his age will aid him in the state House.

"I think a lot of people have told me that they want a new perspective," he said. "In my lifetime when I talked to older people, I've said, 'You've got to realize I don't remember 9/11.'

"So it's just a different perspective on the world, everything I've known not relevant to state issues, it's post-terrorism."

He added that he grew up during the recession.

"The world looks very different," Kephart said. "I'm a student of history, so I understand the past, but it's definitely my perspective is different, given the world we live in compared to people that have lived longer and remember the world before 9/11 and all that, but also, I know that politics, I've only lived in a divisive politics era. Since I can remember, politics have become more more bitter."

Kephart said he would hear stories of how Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill used to spend leisure time together.

"Well, I don't know how much Biden and congressional Republicans are going to be drinking," he said, adding that it's also a generational difference. "I think that's also a difference. I think people my age are principally conservative or liberal, but I don't know how partisan my generation is. Definitely people are still Republican or Democrat or whatever, but you know, a lot of people think they're independent conservatives or independently liberal. They're not really satisfied with the status quo."

The district includes Barr, East Carroll, Elder, Susquehanna and West Carroll townships in northwestern Cambria County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State website.

To the north, it also covers a large area in southern and eastern Clearfield County that includes the boroughs of Brisbin, Burnside, Chester Hill, Clearfield, Coalport, Glen Hope, Houtzdale, Irvona, Osceola Mills, Ramey, Wallaceton and Westover.

Kephart has been a coal miner and a law clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Reform, as well as a clerk for a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge and an intern for U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson.