Theresa Santai-Gaffney, a Republican from Friedensburg, is running for the 125th Legislative District seat currently held by Mike Tobash, who recently announced his retirement.

“At the urging of so many of the same concerned citizens who asked me in 2011 to help clean up the county courthouse, I am answering the call to help protect Pennsylvania from the reckless agenda of liberal Tom Wolf,” Gaffney said. “For far too long, Pennsylvania has failed to recapture the economic greatness of our bygone days as America’s keystone.”

“President Trump is getting the job done in Washington with fearless leadership, and I refuse to sit by and watch this governor continue to fail our taxpayers, senior citizens, veterans, farmers and job creators.”

Gaffney noted with deep concern that Pennsylvanians bear one of the heavier per-capita state and local property tax burdens in the country. The tax load is especially heavy on the commonwealth’s small businesses and homeowners — many of whom are senior citizens on fixed incomes. Also very distressing to her is Wolf’s endless assault upon American values, particularly the Second Amendment, religious freedom and unborn children.

At 22, Gaffney enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and served six years as a combat medic. A highly devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she has made time her entire adult life to help civic causes, including the American Legion, St. Patrick’s Church, the Salvation Army, the Schuylkill County Fair, Servants To All Homeless Shelter, Kiwanis, Schuylkill County Sportsmen Association, Schuylkill County Friends of NRA, and Catholic War Vets.

Gaffney’s stewardship of the Register of Wills office has been impeccable. She modernized and streamlined her office, which has enabled her to come in under budget every year and return significant savings to the taxpayers.

In 2014, Gaffney earned the Power of One Award from the Pennsylvania Family Institute after she courageously defended Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act. When the Trump campaign needed historic turnout in the Coal Region to carry Pennsylvania, Gaffney was tapped to be his campaign chairman for Schuylkill County.