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Susan Boser
Susan Boser (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 41. She lost in the special general election on May 21, 2019.
Boser completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Boser was a candidate for Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Boser lost the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on May 15, 2018.
Elections
2019
See also: Pennsylvania state legislative special elections, 2019
General election
Special general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 41
Joe Pittman defeated Susan Boser in the special general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 41 on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joe Pittman (R) | 65.4 | 25,017 |
 | Susan Boser (D)  | 34.6 | 13,219 | |
| Total votes: 38,236 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15
Incumbent Glenn Thompson defeated Susan Boser in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Glenn Thompson (R) | 67.8 | 165,245 |
| Susan Boser (D) | 32.2 | 78,327 | |
| Total votes: 243,572 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15
Susan Boser defeated Wade Jodun in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Boser | 74.6 | 20,411 |
 | Wade Jodun | 25.4 | 6,965 | |
| Total votes: 27,376 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15
Incumbent Glenn Thompson advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 15 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Glenn Thompson | 100.0 | 45,322 |
| Total votes: 45,322 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Susan Boser completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Boser's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My 3 top priorities are: Jobs and the Economy, High Speed Internet, and Public School Funding. Jobs and the Economy: I am committed to legislation that will help families and individuals in rural areas to grow and flourish. This will include advocating for job creation, high-speed broadband internet in rural areas, and support for small businesses. I will create business opportunities through renewable energy, infrastructure maintenance and development, and agricultural cooperatives. I am one of the leaders of the Sustainable Economic Development Task Force of Indiana County. Its goal is to support economic development through renewable energy and other sustainable practices. Based on the results of this group, I would expand opportunities in rural Pennsylvania for businesses to grow in this rapidly developing sector. I also support agricultural cooperatives. To attract businesses to this area, we need up-to-date infrastructure. Over the years, our infrastructure has been neglected. Our roads are crumbling, and our bridges, locks, and dams are deteriorating. These supply lines are critical to the free flow of goods and materials between local businesses and farms and their suppliers and customers. I will work hard to secure the funds to make our transportation infrastructure safe. The actions taken by our elected officials are leaving rural areas in Pennsylvania behind. Seeking to attract large businesses to locate manufacturing plants cannot come at the cost of significant tax breaks. I believe rural Pennsylvania needs a state senator in 41st District who will help small businesses. High Speed Internet: Currently, the FCC reports that approximately 800,000 Pennsylvania residents do not have access to high speed internet. This holds back businesses, job seekers, students and our next generation in these rural areas. To be successful, they need access to affordable broadband internet.This includes access to information, online education and training, and the ability to conduct business through the internet, to access email, use video conferencing, or telecommute. I will work tirelessly to expand affordable access to high speed internet services throughout rural areas. Public School Funding: As state senator, I will advocate for well-funded public schools, postsecondary institutions, and libraries I propose equity in school funding by reforming the tax structure that currently has wealthy districts paying a lower mill rate than poorer areas while enjoying far higher per-student public school funding. The state’s share of school funding could be increased while reducing the property tax if businesses pay their fair share of taxes. I propose that Marcellus Shale and similar corporations pay an export tax on a share of their profits from selling our resources outside of Pennsylvania. I will also advocate for stronger support for vocational schools, community colleges, and public universities. Vocational and technical schools must be updated to enable them to train for 21st century technologies and career opportunities. Funding must be increased for the public universities because tuition for universities in the PASSHE system is nearly double the national average. This depresses enrollment and students are burdened with higher debt. I will also support increasing funding for our underfunded local libraries to sustain their mission to provide information and free access to many critical tools of a 21st century economy.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Getting Money Out of Politics: I am refusing donations from corporate PACs. I believe that Citizens United unleashed a flood of dark money that has undermined our election process as well as the ability of representatives to advocate for the families and workers in their districts. The sources behind all contributions must be available to every American and all contributors should be held to the same standards, providing necessary funds to support political activities while not allowing corporations, lobbyists, and others to provide unlimited funds to support their individual aims to the detriment of all Americans. This issue severely affects the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If we are going to make any real changes in addressing the issues critical to our citizens, we have to be prepared to call out why these problems exist: Our legislators are already the second highest paid in the nation, yet there are no limits on how much they can receive in campaign contributions or “gifts” while in office. To reduce the influence of high-paying corporate donors on our the Pennsylvania Assembly, we need to have leaders in the legislature who are willing to name this corruption, and to fight for reform. I am that person. Making Government Systems Work For The People They Serve: An ongoing criticism of government policies is the stranglehold they place on the efficient delivery of services or the ability to protect consumers, employees, and employers. I have observed this firsthand. After 20 years of working with rural families in crisis, I saw that Human Services policies did not work well for them, so I returned to school to study Policy Analysis and Management. For my doctoral study, I worked with a team to put human services under local, collaborative control that would more effectively funnel Medicaid and other types of funding to where it was needed. We were successful in securing authorizing legislation from the New York State for a 2-year pilot project, which ultimately received an award for leadership innnovation in healthcare from the Governor’s Office. This model is still in use in a number of New York counties. Addiction Crisis Funding & Programs: We need to adequately fund effective treatment programs. Simply put, good quality treatment works for both drug and alcohol addiction. However, staying clean and sober is much more likely when people have hope of getting a good job. People need jobs and the ability to earn a decent living. It is also important to pursue those who are profiting from America's misery. These include the drug companies, distributors, and doctors whose practices have resulted in over-prescription. ? Finally, as a basic health response, the U.S. Surgeon General recently urged Americans to learn how to use naloxone to save the lives of opioid overdose victims, just as they do CPR to save heart-attack victims. I support making short-term life-saving measures like naloxone more available and affordable as a first step for those suffering from opioid addiction. I also advocate for creating and supporting more long-term treatment solutions in areas like the 41st District that are suffering the worst effects of rampant drug addiction.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
Responsiveness to Constituents: My candidacy has been built upon town halls and meet and greets in local communities. During these events I have listened carefully to my constituents and have built my platform upon serving them. When elected, I plan to continue with this practice because there is no better way to understand the lived reality of local people than getting out in the communities to meet and listen to them. Fiscal Responsibility: I have accepted no money from corporate PACs, operating my campaign with careful fiscal prudence. I also realize very clearly that it is important to live within one’s means, and this includes making difficult decisions with where to spend our limited available resources informed by the needs of constituents. Expertise in Public Policy: I have twenty years of administering policy in Human Services, a PhD in Policy Analysis and Management, an award in Innovation in Health Care Delivery from the Governor’s Office in New York, a Fulbright to study the impact of intergovernmental systems on local communities in Nepal, and fourteen more years teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Contemporary Social Problems, Social Policy, and Nonprofit Management. I understand how policy impacts the lives of Americans and how to apply policy to address the needs of residents of Pennsylvania’s 41st district.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Core responsibilities of Pennsylvania’s state senators involve listening to and representing all the constituents in their districts. They need to apply their capacity to craft and approve policy decisions in ways that serve the needs of their constituents. This approach requires working with both parties, all levels of government, and key committees to achieve these goals.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I’d like to leave a legacy of a vibrant rural district, where families can live, small businesses and farms can thrive, our children can stay rather than move away for work, and where our rivers, fields, forests, and streams are attractive places for tourism and recreation.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
I am committed to stop voter suppression. In Pennsylvania, the courts overturned the Republican gerrymandered policy so that the unfair districts were redrawn to be fair to both parties. However, these newly drawn districts were only valid for the 2018 congressional election. I will support legislation to permanently end gerrymandering and institute an impartial plan to redraw districts.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
Rural Pennsylvania has been largely ignored by elected officials in the 41st District. As a product of a rural community – and a proud current resident of a small town – I know the rich potential for economic growth in these areas. I pledge to develop that potential and improve the economy of the entire state by doing so. I care deeply about the rural way of life. It’s how I grew up, going to the same school as my mother and my grandmother, surrounded by family and tradition. But rural life is not the same now. I’ve seen the economic trends in this region over the years and I’m concerned for the people who call this place home. We see large employers leave the area, and empty storefronts where there used to be businesses. Too many people cannot make a good wage without piecing together multiple jobs. Farmers and small business owners are losing the livelihood passed down for generations. As a mother of three grown children and a grandmother of a grandson, I know first-hand what it is like when your children are forced to move away to find decent employment. Our small towns can’t afford to repair an aging infrastructure and clean up the toxic land where crumbling factory buildings still stand as symbols of decay and decline. The people who once worked in those factories are slipping into poverty and have high rates of suicide and addiction. I am running for office because I have listened to the people of rural Pennsylvania. I truly understand what they need. I have plans to re-energize our district. I won't quit until our farms and businesses are thriving, our families are strong, our children can find good jobs in their hometowns, and our fields, streams, and forests are clean, attractive places for recreation and tourism. And because I believe, with every bone in my body, in PROGRESS FOR ALL.[1] |
” |
| —Susan Boser[2] | ||
2018
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
Rural Pennsylvania has been largely ignored in our nation's capital. As a product of a rural community – and a proud current resident of a small town – I know the rich potential for economic growth in these areas. I pledge to develop that potential and improve the economy of the entire state by doing so. I care deeply about the rural way of life. It’s how I grew up, going to the same school as my mother and my grandmother, surrounded by family and tradition. But rural life is not the same now. I’ve seen the economic trends in this region over the years and I’m concerned for the people who call this place home. We see large employers leave the area, and empty storefronts where there used to be businesses. Too many people cannot make a good wage without piecing together multiple jobs. Farmers and small business owners are losing the livelihood passed down for generations. As a mother of three grown children myself, I know first-hand what it is like when your children are forced to move away to find decent employment. Our small towns can’t afford to repair an aging infrastructure and clean up the toxic land where crumbling factory buildings still stand as symbols of decay and decline. The people who once worked in those factories are slipping into poverty and have high rates of suicide and addiction. I am running for office because I truly understand what the people of rural Pennsylvania need. I won't quit until our farms and businesses are thriving, our families are strong, our children can find good jobs in their home towns, and our fields, streams, and forests are clean, attractive places for recreation and tourism. And because I believe, with every bone in my body, in PROGRESS FOR ALL. |
” |
| —Susan Boser[3] | ||
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Susan Boser participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on October 4, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Susan Boser's responses follow below.[4]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | JOBS AND ECONOMY: As my first priority, I am committed to legislation that will help families and individuals in rural areas grow and flourish. This will include advocating for job creation, high-speed broadband internet in rural areas and net neutrality, strategies to promote small businesses, creating business opportunities through renewable energy, infrastructure maintenance and development, and agricultural cooperatives. The actions taken by Congress over the past 10 years are leaving rural areas in Pennsylvania behind. While seeking to attract large businesses to locate plants in our district is useful, it cannot be our only strategy, and it cannot come at the cost of significant tax breaks. I believe rural Pennsylvania needs a representative in Congress who will help small businesses, including the renewable energy sector, to secure regulatory relief so they can flourish. I am one of the leaders of the Sustainable Economic Development Task Force of Indiana County. The County Commissioner’s Office initiated the Task Force. Their goal is to support economic development through renewable energy and other sustainable practices. Based on the results of this group, I would expand opportunities in rural Pennsylvania for businesses to grow this rapidly developing sector. I also support agricultural cooperatives. |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Getting money out of politics: I am refusing donations from corporate PACs. I believe that Citizens United unleashed a flood of dark money that has undermined our election process as well as the ability of representatives to advocate for the families and workers in their districts. The sources behind all contributions must be available to every American and all contributors should be held to the same standards, providing necessary funds to support political activities while not allowing corporations, lobbyists, and others to provide unlimited funds to support their individual aims to the detriment of all Americans. Making government systems work for the people they serve: An ongoing criticism of government policies is the stranglehold they place on the efficient delivery of services or the ability to protect consumers, employees, and employers. I have observed this firsthand. After 20 years of working with rural families in crisis, I saw that Human Services policies did not work well for them, so I returned to school to study Policy Analysis and Management. For my doctoral study, I worked with a team to put human services under local, collaborative control that would more effectively funnel Medicaid and other types of funding to where it was needed. We were successful in securing authorizing legislation from the New York State for a 2-year pilot project, which ultimately received an award for leadership in innovation in health care from the Governor’s Office. This model is still in use in a number of New York counties. Opioid Crisis: We need to adequately fund effective treatment programs. Simply put, good quality treatment works for both drug and alcohol addiction. However, staying clean and sober is much more likely when people have hope of getting a good job. People need jobs and the ability to earn a decent living. It is also important to pursue those who are profiting from America's misery. These include the drug companies, distributors, and doctors whose practices have resulted in over-prescription. Finally, as a basic health response, the U.S. Surgeon General recently urged Americans to learn how to use naloxone to save the lives of overdose victims, just as they do CPR to save heart-attack victims. I support making short-term life-saving measures like naloxone more available and affordable as a first step. I also advocate for creating and supporting more long-term treatment solutions in regions that are suffering the worst effects of the opioid crisis, including Western PA. |
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Susan Boser answered the following:
What qualities do you possess that would make you a successful officeholder?
| “ | Responsiveness to constituents: My candidacy has been built upon town halls and meet and greets in local communities. During these events, I have listened critically to my constituents and have built my platform upon serving them. When elected, I plan to continue with this practice because there is no better way to understand the lived reality of local people than getting out in the communities to meet and listen to them. Fiscal Responsibility: I have accepted no money from corporate PACs, operating my campaign with careful fiscal prudence. I also realize very clearly that it is important to live within one’s means, and this includes making difficult decisions with where to spend our limited available resources informed by the needs of constituents. Expertise in Public Policy: I have twenty years of administering policy in Human Services, a PhD in Policy Analysis and Management, an award in Innovation in Health Care Delivery from the Governor’s Office in New York, a Fulbright to study the impact of intergovernmental systems on local communities in Nepal, and fourteen more years teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Contemporary Social Problems, Social Policy, and Nonprofit Management. I understand how policy impacts the lives of Americans and how to apply policy to address the needs of residents of Pennsylvania’s 15th congressional district.[1] |
” |
| “ | Key responsibilities of congressional politicians involve listening to and representing all the constituents in their districts. They need to apply their capacity to craft and approve policy decisions in such a way as to serve the needs of their constituents. This approach requires working with both parties, all levels of government, and key committees to achieve these goals.[1] | ” |
| “ | I’d like to leave a legacy of a vibrant rural district, where families can live, small businesses and farms can thrive, our children can stay rather than move away for work, and where our rivers, fields, forests, and streams are attractive places for tourism and recreation.[1] | ” |
| “ | Experience in government or politics can be a valuable resource for a politician. However, I believe that it is more important for politicians to listen to and be directly involved in their local communities and continue to involve their constituents in decision making.[1] | ” |
| “ | I believe that term limits should be unnecessary when the institution of Congress operates as intended. If this is the case, voters will set the limit of a politician’s term, in that effective politicians will continue to be supported and voted into office, and others will be voted out.[1] | ” |
| “ | I am committed to stopping voter suppression. In Pennsylvania, the courts overturned the Republican gerrymandered policy so that the unfair districts were redrawn to be fair to both parties. However, these newly drawn districts are only valid for the upcoming elections. I will support legislation to permanently end gerrymandering and institute an impartial plan to redraw districts.[1] | ” |
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on April 23, 2019
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on October 2, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Susan Boser's responses," October 4, 2018
