JOHNSTOWN —
Keith Rothfus is not willing to surrender Cambria and Somerset counties to his opponent in Pennsylvania’s 12th district U.S. House race, Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown.
The Republican from Allegheny County has actively campaigned in the region, including paying visits to Johnstown, Somerset Borough and Richland Township on Wednesday.
In comparison, Critz’s opponent in this year’s Democratic primary, Rep. Jason Altmire, made only a few low-visibility stops in the area and often spoke as if his victory was a foregone conclusion. Critz eventually captured the party’s nomination by a count of 32,384-30,895. The local congressman beat his fellow incumbent by more than 12,000 votes in Cambria County and 3,000 in Somerset County. Those wins helped Critz overcome Altmire’s advantage in his home territory of Allegheny and Beaver counties.
Rothfus, running unopposed for the GOP spot, received a combined 10,645 votes in Cambria and Somerset, far less than Critz’s total of 17,857 in the two counties.
So, Rothfus certainly understands the need to frequently campaign locally with hopes of trying to chip away at Critz’s edge.
“It’s an important part of the district,” Rothfus said during a meet-and-greet at Valley Pike Manor in Johnstown. “I’m not ceding any part of this territory to anybody because I think we have the right solutions across southwestern Pennsylvania with limited-government solutions and empowering the private sector, empowering families. So I’m here.”
Cambria County Republican Committee Chairwoman Ann Wilson added, “I think that Keith has been a highly successful candidate and made it quite evident the whole 12th district is important to him.”
This is Rothfus’ second attempt to win a House seat.
In 2010, he ran in what was then Pennsylvania’s 4th district against Altmire, losing by less than 4,000 votes.
“You build on what you learn (from past campaigns),” Rothfus said.
Rothfus, Altmire and Critz were all put into the same new 12th district when the state’s congressional map was redrawn following the 2010 U.S. Census.
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