Marci Mustello

Jennifer Steele

Republican voters in the 11th District will choose between two candidates for the state House of Representatives in the primary election May 17.

They are incumbent Marci Mustello of Butler Township and political newcomer Jennifer Steele of Summit Township. No Democrats filed to run in the district, which means the victor of the primary will run unopposed in the general election, although write-in campaigns are possible.

After the 2022 redistricting of state legislature boundaries, the 11th District consists of Butler City; the townships of Buffalo, Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Donegal, Jefferson, Oakland, Summit and Winfield; and the boroughs of Chicora, East Butler and Saxonburg.

New to the district are Buffalo, Clinton and Winfield townships.

Some municipalities have moved to other restructured districts, including Connoquenessing and Fairview townships, as well as Connoquenessing, Fairview, Karns City, Petrolia and Prospect boroughs.

Mustello first assumed her seat in the House after winning a special election in May 2019. She was reelected in 2020.

Mustello said she is seeking another term to finish legislative initiatives she started in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. She plans to prioritize fixing election laws and making sure the state maintains energy independence.

“After coming off the past couple years of this pandemic, we've seen a lot of businesses closed that are not going to come back, so making sure that some of those employees are trained for employment, whatever field they want to go into, and making sure new businesses have what they need to succeed,” Mustello said.

Her opponent, Steele said she has never held public office or run in an election, but wanted to run this year because state officials have not tackled the important issues, such as mandates arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you want change and nobody is fighting for your change, you have to do it for yourself,” Steele said. “That's probably my biggest passion. I don't think anyone should be forced to wear (a mask,) and I have been working with Health Freedom Pennsylvania against vaccines. I am against those mandates.”

Steele also said she wants to fight for election integrity by getting rid of electronic voting machines and returning to hand-counted paper ballots, with no allowance of mail-in ballots. She said the 2020 election motivated her to disavow electronic machines and mail-in ballots.

“We want to go back to paper ballots with everyone getting some form of receipt — this is the number of my ballot and I can prove my ballot was counted,” Steele said. “There should be absolutely no mail-in ballots with the exception of absentee. You have to prove and write down your driver's license number for the absentee.”

Mustello also said she thinks election reform is one of the biggest challenges facing the state legislature now, and she would like to make changes to the voting process should she be elected to another term.

“No. 1 with the election reform is instituting voter ID, signature verification and the elimination of drop boxes,” Mustello said.

Mustello also said she believes promoting the energy industry is key to driving business and revenue to the state. She said adjusting the state corporate net income tax is on the table for the Senate, and she would like to see more initiatives taken to improve the economy.

“It's not just handing over money to them. It is allowing them to succeed with maybe waiving of regulations,” Mustello said. “Whether it's the gas and oil wells that we have in the northern part of our county, the deep wells services, any of these gas and oil producers, all of those that we can keep functioning because it's helping Pennsylvania, and frankly it's going to help the world.”

Steele said she previously owned an aerobics business, and if elected, she would like to promote small business through tax reform.

“I think anything that has to do with getting small businesses back,” Steele said. “Especially offering tax breaks for new small business owners or people who want to reopen a new business I definitely want to do something to help small businesses.”

Mustello’s other top issues include school choice, where she wants to make it easier for parents to hold charter schools to the same standards as public schools, and streamlining entry for healthcare professionals in their field, seeing that some hospitals and agencies are struggling with staffing.

Mustello said her experience in the legislature and knowledge of Butler County have helped her make positive change for the region and state, and she would like continue with an additional term.

“I'm from Butler County. I've lived here for 51 years, and I think it's great to have the experience I have and the knowledge I have for this county and really to be their voice in Harrisburg,” Mustello said. “A full-time representative is really what this district needs to be there for them in Harrisburg.”

Steele also said she wants to promote vocational and technical education, in part because her children all assumed service jobs out of school rather than attending college, and she would like to reform property taxes and some of the regulations in place for land and home ownership.

Steele said her priority is to be an advocate for small government and to push for governmental reform if elected to the House of Representatives.

“I think government needs to stay out of people's business more,” Steele said. “Local business owners, they should have the right to their business and I think the government needs a little bit of an overhaul, they need to change.”