Philipsburg resident announces plans to run for state representative in 77th District
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- Zach Womer announced a 2026 bid for Pennsylvania's 77th House District seat.
- Womer cited federal benefit cuts as a driver for seeking state-level office.
- Incumbent Rep. Scott Conklin has not yet declared reelection intentions.
A Philipsburg resident who ran for a seat in Congress during the last election announced his intentions Thursday to seek the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s 77th House District next year.
Zach Womer made his announcement following the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and made note of cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that he said will “shift responsibility for our social safety net to state legislatures.”
“Whether the decisions were made in Washington D.C. or Harrisburg, I have watched a decades long tragedy of the wealth of our nation transferring from the poor and working class to people who have never swung a hammer, never milked a cow, but hold a large portion of our nation’s wealth,” he said in a written statement.
The 77th House District has been represented by state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, since 2007. Conklin won reelection in November to another two-year term and said Saturday that he plans to run again.
In November’s election, Womer ran as a political newcomer against U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, who won by more than a 40-point margin.
Womer is also running in this year’s election for Philipsburg mayor against Republican incumbent John Streno.
“We now sit at a greater disparity in wealth than in the gilded age,” Womer said in the written statement. “As a state legislator, I will fight to the greatest extent I am able to ensure that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represents the interests of the working men and women that call it home.”
House District 77 includes part of State College borough, along with Port Matilda and Patton, Ferguson, Rush, Huston and Worth townships.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM.
