Harrisburg-area activist Gene Stilp announces run for Pennsylvania General Assembly

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Local citizen activist Gene Stilp has announced his intentions to run for the 125th seat of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Stilp, a Harrisburg-area activist and former congressional candidate, released a campaign announcement Monday highlighting his key accomplishments which include winning a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case to stop a controversial legislative pay raise in 2005; and winning a case against the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission overturning a gag rule and allowing Pennsylvanians to file ethics complaints without retaliation.

Stilp has also been active recently, filing a lawsuit earlier this month calling for the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court to remove Republican U.S. House Representative Scott Perry from the 2024 ballot ahead of the spring’s 10th Congressional District primary, due to the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.

Lawsuit seeks to remove Scott Perry from Pennsylvania ballot using 14th amendment

Stilp is also known for the creation of the Susquehanna Lady Liberty statue located in the Susquehanna River and for his inflatable pink protest pig which he used to call out Capitol lawmakers for wasting money.

Pennsylvania’s 125th district seat includes parts of Dauphin County including the townships of Halifax, Jackson, Jefferson, parts of Lower Paxton, Lykens, Middle Paxton, Mifflin, Reed, Rush, Upper Paxton, Washington, Wayne, West Hanover, Wiconisco and Williams and the boroughs of Berrysburg, Dauphin, Elizabethville, Gratz, Halifax, Lykens, Millersburg, Pillow and Williamstown.

How the Mini Statue of Liberty came to be

The 125th district seat is currently held by Republican Joe Kerwin, who is seeking re-election. He has been a member of the house since 2021.

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