Western Montco State Rep. Announces Candidacy For 24th Sen. Dist.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A state representative from western Montgomery County has announced her candidacy for the 24th Senatorial District seat currently held by retiring State Sen. Bob Mensch.

State Rep. Tracy Pennycuick, a Republican representing various municipalities in the western part of Montgomery County, has only been in her seat since January 2021, but she now has her sights set on the state Senate.

Pennycuick said that she has already won the endorsement of Mensch, a fellow Republican who announced this past fall that he was giving up his Senate seat after 16 years working in state government.

"I'm excited by the opportunity to expand my service to our communities in the State Senate," Pennycuick said in a statement. "The outpour of support thus far has been humbling, and I look forward to campaigning for every vote this year."

Pennycuick said since becoming a state representative last year, she has focused on providing front-line workers, seniors, families and small businesses with various support during the COVID-19 pandemic by pushing for "important legislation that protects some of our most vulnerable populations and vital government reform.

"Additionally, we've made sure our schools have the resources they need to provide excellent education, so our students succeed despite the adversity presented by the pandemic," she said in her statement.

Mensch, in his own statement, praised Pennycuick for her dedication to the communities she represents in the state House, calling her a "fighter," and saying that her years of service in both the U.S. Military and the private sector have "prepared her for this job which is why she has been so successful in the State House.

"I'm happy to lend my support to her for State Senate," Mensch stated.

According to Pennycuick's office, the representative has focused on various issues since first being elected to the House of Representatives in late 2020, including working to help disabled veterans, workers and victims of violence.

"Representative Pennycuick has worked tirelessly to support our community through excellent and responsive constituent services," her office said in a statement. "Tracy Pennycuick is excited at the opportunity to continue her work and carry-on the legacy of excellent service delivered by our retiring State Senator Bob Mensch."

Her office said that Pennycuick is a U.S. Army combat veteran who initially enlisted in the armed services as a medic, and later served as a Blackhawk pilot, putting in three tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and during Operation Desert Storm, where she was awarded the Bronze Star.

Pennycuick retired as a lieutenant colonel after 26 years of service.

Following her time in the military, Pennycuick formed a small business in the aviation services industry, and she also served as the Director of Veterans Affairs for Montgomery County for three years. She continues to serve on various veteran nonprofit boards of directors.

Pennycuick is married with four children. She lives with her husband, Rick, also a combat veteran, in Harleysville, Montgomery County.

Patch previously reported that Skippack Township Supervisor Nick Fountain, another Republican, also announced that he is running for Mensch's Senate seat.

This article originally appeared on the Perkiomen Valley Patch