Incumbent Scialabba faces Vigue in rematch for 12th District seat
The race for the 12th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will feature a rematch, pitting Republican incumbent Stephenie Scialabba against familiar challenger and Democratic candidate Robert Vigue.
Scialabba was elected to public office after defeating Vigue in the 2022 general election by more than 8,000 votes. Both candidates ran unopposed on the way to winning their respective primary elections on April 23.
In addition to her work in the state House, Scialabba is an attorney who resides in Cranberry Township with her husband and son.
During her first term, she served as secretary of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and was a proponent of keeping taxpayer dollars in the county for various initiatives, such as transportation and stormwater.
“I will continue to represent our area at a state level, focusing on transportation and infrastructure needs, scaling back the overly burdensome reach of the government that so effectively dulls our bright young minds and entrepreneurial spirit, and bringing transparency to the government,” Scialabba told the Butler Eagle.
Her campaign is centered on responsible government spending, securing necessary infrastructure funding, limiting government overreach and keeping the community safe.
“We need to start living within our means and stop taxing the life out of our residents,” she said. “When we spend more than we can afford, we stifle business and the free market and we drive out the younger generation. We also get into the unenviable position that we are in now where our state pension systems are in billions of dollars of debt.
“If we continue to overspend to the point that our seniors don’t get their benefits — as already happened with funding for the Area Agency on Aging — then shame on us. The only way to avoid such a disaster is to stop wasting money. Harrisburg treats the budget as a budget in name only, with limitless spending that recklessly siphons and diverts funds that should be used to support our infrastructure, police and students.”
Her opponent is a longtime resident of Butler County. Vigue graduated from Mars Area High School in 1975 before joining the U.S. Air Force and spending 20 years on active duty as an avionics communication and navigation technician.
After retiring and moving back to Valencia, he has taken on multiple leadership positions, including the president of Valencia Borough Council for the last nine years and the president of the Butler County Boroughs Association.
Vigue is running on infrastructure development, making housing affordable, strengthening community involvement, and upholding fairness and equity in all areas of life.
“I feel that I am really tuned in to the community’s needs, especially with the rapid growth in our area,” Vigue told the Butler Eagle. “Balancing development with infrastructure improvements and support for public schools is key to sustainable growth. I have been, and want to continue being, a part of the answer.”
Much like Scialabba, one of the most important issues for Vigue is maintaining a safe community, while supporting the public school system that includes two of the largest public school districts in the county — Mars and Seneca Valley.
“I am a huge advocate for the public school system,” he said. “Both Seneca and Mars have been recognized as two of the best public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. I want to work with the school boards and the teachers to ensure we have quality systems while encouraging parental involvement, which can help maintain the highest standard of education.
“We need to invest in our teachers and give them the fair pay they deserve. This should include professional development opportunities as well as giving teachers the tools in the classroom to do their job effectively.”
After being redistricted following the 2022 general election, the 12th District includes the townships of Cranberry, Adams and Jackson, along with the boroughs of Zelienople, Harmony, Evans City, Seven Fields, Callery, Mars and Valencia.
