Ciarrocchi kicks off bid for 157th state House seat

Republican Guy Ciarrocchi officially kicked off his campaign for the 157th District state House seat over the weekend, telling supporters he wants to lower state business taxes, preserve open spaces and bring down health care costs, according to The Daily Local News in West Chester.

The former chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach wants to fill the seat being vacated by state Rep. Carole Rubley, who has served in the House since 1993.

Ciarrocchi, who lives in Tredyffrin, told supporters he's ready to roll up his sleeve and get some real work done in Harrisburg, contrasting his agenda with that of the current state legislature, which he said has unnecessarily increased the size of government and lost touch with concerns of Pennsylvanians, according to the Daily Local News.

"You get a sense that the legislature is voting on things that don't matter to us," Ciarrocchi said. "Many people feel like they cannot understand what’s going on."

Ciarrocchi has an impressive resume. A lawyer, Ciarrocchi served as the Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic States for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. From 1996 until the start of 2004, he served as the Director of Public Affairs for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Prior to joining the Archdiocese, Ciarrocchi served as Chief of Staff to then-state Sen. Melissa Hart. He also served during that time as Executive Director of the Senate Finance Committee, which was chaired by Sen. Hart. After graduating from Villanova Law School, Ciarrocchi was appointed as a Deputy Attorney General for Pennsylvania working in the Criminal Appeals section as a criminal prosecutor.

The 157th District includes Tredyffrin, Schuylkill Township and Phoenixville in Chester County and Lower Providence and East Norriton in Montgomery County.

Ciarrocchi's opponent in November is Paul Drucker of Tredyffrin, a labor lawyer and liberal activist. Neither candidate faced opposition in the April 22 primary.

For more on Ciarrocchi, visit his campaign Web site, http://www.guyforpa.org/