Eric DiTullio

CRANBERRY TWP — Eric DiTullio, who serves as Seneca Valley’s school board president, will run for the state House of Representatives this fall.

DiTullio, a Republican, will challenge incumbent state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-47th, in the newly redrawn state electoral maps.

In announcing his candidacy, DiTullio cited his experience on the Seneca Valley board, on the Public School Employees’ Retirement System board and with various religious organizations as illustrative of his history of service.

DiTullio said he wishes to “do the right thing” should he be elected, adding his experience with other governmental bodies show his “proven skills in consensus-building,” a skill he believes would be useful in the General Assembly.

The board president explained he believes in, and will defend, the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the state constitution’s corollary section defending the right to bear arms. The Seneca board president also noted he practices Catholicism, adding, “I choose life.”

“We need a conservative that can use facts, logic and patience to bring consensus to the legislature to move conservative, American and Pennsylvanian beliefs forward,” DiTullio said.

DiTullio said he understands the “challenges of working families with conservative values,” saying he’s worked in the industrial construction industry for 30 years. Such an understanding, DiTullio said, would help guide his policy beliefs in Harrisburg.

“I am a person who believes in America, the American Dream and family,” he said. “I know that we have to go to work, be smart with our money and guide our children to become productive members of society.”

As a school board member, DiTullio added, he’s also familiar with the challenges posed to local government by state lawmakers.

“I will be a representative in Harrisburg that will not agree with passing unfunded mandates and costs to the local municipalities and school boards and make them do the ‘dirty work’ to raise taxes to pay for them,” DiTullio said.

The new 8th District includes parts of Butler and Lawrence counties, including Butler, Center, Clay, Connoquenessing, Forward, Franklin, Lancaster, Middlesex, Muddycreek, Penn and Worth townships, as well as Connoquenessing, Portersville, Prospect, West Liberty and West Sunbury in Butler County. DiTullio is a resident of Lancaster Township.

Bernstine, the incument representative in the new 8th District, announced in February he will run for a fourth term in the state House.