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William Murray (Pennsylvania)
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
William Murray (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on May 17, 2022.
Murray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
William Murray was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s and graduate degree from North Carolina State University in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Murray’s career experience includes working as an engineer at GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy. As of September 2021, Murray served on the Ross Township Environmental Advisory Council. He has been affiliated with the Young Democrats of Allegheny County and the Democratic Socialists of America.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17
Chris Deluzio defeated Jeremy Shaffer and Walter Sluzynsky in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Deluzio (D)  | 53.4 | 193,615 |
 | Jeremy Shaffer (R) | 46.6 | 169,013 | |
| Walter Sluzynsky (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Total votes: 362,628 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17
Chris Deluzio defeated Sean Meloy in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Deluzio | 63.6 | 62,389 |
 | Sean Meloy | 36.4 | 35,638 | |
| Total votes: 98,027 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- William Murray (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17
Jeremy Shaffer defeated Jason Killmeyer and Kathleen Coder in the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 17 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeremy Shaffer | 58.7 | 40,965 |
 | Jason Killmeyer | 24.1 | 16,801 | |
 | Kathleen Coder | 17.3 | 12,079 | |
| Total votes: 69,845 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Samuel DeMarco III (R)
- Tricia Staible (R)
- James Tomshay (R)
- Dean Cavaretta (R)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
William Murray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Murray's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a 25 year old Nuclear Scientist and Engineer that sees so many problems in the world myself and future generations are going to live in. I had to call my friend to drive me to the emergency room after an infection incapacitated me, because I was afraid of the cost of using an ambulance - and the hospital bill for one evening in the ER was still over $2,000. I had to take on over $80,000 in loans just to go to college; between these loan payments and housing prices skyrocketing, I can't afford to move out despite being fully employed. Climate change is making more parts of the world uninhabitable due to extreme weather - including where I grew up in Southern California. The human rights of my friends and family - to a woman's bodily autonomy, equal protection under the law, and fair access to voting, to name a few - are being violated here in the USA. I'm running because I believe my background can help solve the world's biggest problems - and inspire people to look forward to a better future.
- Climate Change is real, accelerated by human activity, and is presently creating immense human suffering. We must switch to carbon-free energy now to mitigate the worst effects.
- Working class people need real economic relief from COVID19. This includes giving renters and homeowners a clean slate on late housing payments, medical and student debt forgiveness, and recurring survival checks.
- Congress needs new, diverse minds and faces to accurately represent the American people.
Fighting Climate Change has been a guiding principle for my professional career - I see nuclear power as large carbon-free power source we need to start expanding, in addition to renewables and energy storage, to reduce our carbon footprint.
I took a greater interest in Healthcare after having to visit the Emergency Room in graduate school. I was perfectly healthy, but I got an inner ear infection that hurt my balance and gave me extreme vertigo. After losing my stomach in the bathroom, I remember my first call was to my parents - "How do I make sure I don't go to the wrong hospital?", I asked them. I had no idea how insurance worked. I called a friend to drive me there - as I hunched over a trash can in the passenger seat - because I knew an ambulance could cost thousands. I was more concerned for my financial security than my physical health because the American healthcare system is broken and convoluted. No one deserves to go through those thoughts, ever.
I really like Cori Bush. She's very outspoken and energetic about her causes - climate change, racial justice, women's bodily autonomy, accountability for insurrectionists on January 6th, among others - and I'm hoping I can be as direct about what I want to bring to the spotlight. When I'm around my white friends or coworkers, I've had a cautious hesitation when talking about white privilege, speaking out against police brutality against Black & Brown Americans, and resolving injustice through Congressional acts like slavery reparations or removing qualified immunity. Cori says what needs to be said and lays it outright, and she makes me (and others) more comfortable bringing up these topics in my own community.
Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner. The book is much better than the movie.
I want more new faces running for office. There's a perception that you need to be a lawyer, or filthy rich, or highly connected with political elite to run, when the reality is that most offices only need you to be an adult and a citizen of the area. That's the beauty of American democracy, and it works best when you have caring people that want to help regular Americans in office. I'd say it works even better when you only want to serve for a term or two - it forces you to get things done, and you can always go back to your regular career.
The first major event was the series attacks September 11th, 2001. At the time, I was 5 years old in Kindergarten, living in California. My parents woke up already knowing the fate of WTC1&2. What I remember personally is that some my classmates weren't in school that day, because their parents were scared. I was sent to school as normal, and I knew something was wrong because the entire day was indoor recess - no story time, no arts and crafts, no time at the playground outside. The teachers gave us access to all of the toys in the classroom while they went into the nearby room to watch the news. Despite the chaos and uncertainty that was unfolding, the adults - my parents, my teachers, and others in the school system - did everything they could to protect our innocence and enjoy our childhood. I owe them a huge amount of gratitude for keeping me happy and oblivious that day.
I finished college in December of 2019, just before COVID19 hit the US in March of 2020. I am especially empathetic for the parents, teachers, and children going through school during this period. If the pandemic was put under control in a 3-week lock-down as originally planned to flatten, I think kids would still believe adults have things figured out and under control. But the kids have been called back to school only to be sent home days later for quarantine. Their classes get cancelled because their teachers are dying of COVID19. Teenagers are having to get their COVID19 vaccines in secret because their parents don't believe in the FDA, NIH, and the nation's top medical scientists and doctors. Why would anyone study in school, or go to college, or become a doctor if they're just going to get harassed for their efforts? Repairing the trust between the younger and older generations will take a lot of work, and we owe future generations a happy childhood by being better adults.
I finished college in December of 2019, just before COVID19 hit the US in March of 2020. I am especially empathetic for the parents, teachers, and children going through school during this period. If the pandemic was put under control in a 3-week lock-down as originally planned to flatten, I think kids would still believe adults have things figured out and under control. But the kids have been called back to school only to be sent home days later for quarantine. Their classes get cancelled because their teachers are dying of COVID19. Teenagers are having to get their COVID19 vaccines in secret because their parents don't believe in the FDA, NIH, and the nation's top medical scientists and doctors. Why would anyone study in school, or go to college, or become a doctor if they're just going to get harassed for their efforts? Repairing the trust between the younger and older generations will take a lot of work, and we owe future generations a happy childhood by being better adults.
In college, I was paid for a semester helping the NCSU Nuclear Engineering department gather contact information for STEM teachers at NC high schools for college outreach... but I don't consider that my first job.
My first job was in the summer of 2015, and I was working as a Cashier at Oriental Market on McKnight Road. I got the job because I was studying basic Mandarin Chinese in college, and I gave rides to the owner's son to kung fu classes we took in Squirrel Hill. I only had the job for about two months, but I have tons of memories. I threw out the rotten vegetables in the produce section in the morning, to the sound of pig's feet being cut in the meats section. The bags of rice weighed up to 50 lbs, and I helped load these bags into the customers' car trunks. The bottles of soy sauce were the worst! They came in heavy glass bottles in boxes of 6 that I had to use a hand truck to move around, and then unpack and shelve them regularly. Most customers were nice to me, and I remember one even talking to the other cashier in Chinese asking who I was and she said "他很帅" (He is handsome!) - I overheard and replied "谢谢" (Thank you!); she was surprised and we all laughed. I had a few customers that weren't as nice... I've been called stupid, slow, and told a white person shouldn't work here. I got a better appreciation for the stuff service workers have to go through by working this job. We're all just trying to get by, likely on minimum wage, please be kind to us even if its not our best day.
My first job was in the summer of 2015, and I was working as a Cashier at Oriental Market on McKnight Road. I got the job because I was studying basic Mandarin Chinese in college, and I gave rides to the owner's son to kung fu classes we took in Squirrel Hill. I only had the job for about two months, but I have tons of memories. I threw out the rotten vegetables in the produce section in the morning, to the sound of pig's feet being cut in the meats section. The bags of rice weighed up to 50 lbs, and I helped load these bags into the customers' car trunks. The bottles of soy sauce were the worst! They came in heavy glass bottles in boxes of 6 that I had to use a hand truck to move around, and then unpack and shelve them regularly. Most customers were nice to me, and I remember one even talking to the other cashier in Chinese asking who I was and she said "他很帅" (He is handsome!) - I overheard and replied "谢谢" (Thank you!); she was surprised and we all laughed. I had a few customers that weren't as nice... I've been called stupid, slow, and told a white person shouldn't work here. I got a better appreciation for the stuff service workers have to go through by working this job. We're all just trying to get by, likely on minimum wage, please be kind to us even if its not our best day.
MAD HEART by Dyes Iwasaki, from the game MAD RAT DEAD for the PS4/Nintendo Switch. I strongly recommend playing it, every single track is an absolute banger.
Seriously, listen to this and tell me it doesn't slap - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH1vRotuaFM
Seriously, listen to this and tell me it doesn't slap - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH1vRotuaFM
Two years ago, I would've said Climate Change - which is still a huge challenge that threatens every nation. Now, the greatest challenge appears to be holding American democracy together. Ineffective action by Congress on major crises -climate change, COVID19, school shootings, racial justice - has put into question why these institutions exist in the first place. Massive online disinformation campaigns against our elections, science as a whole, and reality itself has spurred domestic terror events against our houses of government at the local, state, and federal levels. Americans are losing trust in both the utility of our democracy and our ability to hold it together with free and fair elections. Our elected leaders will be responsible for repairing this trust by passing meaningful laws that help working American people, maintaining the highest level of election security, and enabling as many American citizens as possible to vote in every election.
Yes - for all branches of government. Congress should have a 2-term limit for the House and Senate, and the Supreme Court should have a 20-year one-time term limit.
One of my friends was working as a nurse at a UPMC-Passavant hospital. She always had detailed stories to share, ranging everywhere from mistreatment of nurses by hospital administrators to treating drug addicts that physically assaulted her and the nurses from the hospital bed.
The story that sticks out the most to me is of a 13-year old girl that was 9-months pregnant in the hospital. The father was a 20-something year old boyfriend who dropped contact after finding out about the pregnancy. Her parents kicked her out of the house out of shame and she was living with a friend when she came to the hospital. At the end of my friend's shift for the night, the girl went into labor and she stayed longer to help with the birth. The girl's hips weren't yet full developed, and she cracked her pelvic bone giving birth to an 8 pound baby. There are so many things wrong here... a young man raping a teenage girl, parents abandoning their child for being a victim, and the fact that a 13-year old girl had to carry an entire pregnancy by herself. I wish she knew there were help resources available for housing, carrying or terminating a pregnancy, and reporting pedophiles to prevent them from hurting others in the future.
The story that sticks out the most to me is of a 13-year old girl that was 9-months pregnant in the hospital. The father was a 20-something year old boyfriend who dropped contact after finding out about the pregnancy. Her parents kicked her out of the house out of shame and she was living with a friend when she came to the hospital. At the end of my friend's shift for the night, the girl went into labor and she stayed longer to help with the birth. The girl's hips weren't yet full developed, and she cracked her pelvic bone giving birth to an 8 pound baby. There are so many things wrong here... a young man raping a teenage girl, parents abandoning their child for being a victim, and the fact that a 13-year old girl had to carry an entire pregnancy by herself. I wish she knew there were help resources available for housing, carrying or terminating a pregnancy, and reporting pedophiles to prevent them from hurting others in the future.
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.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 12, 2021
Senators
John Fetterman (D)
David McCormick (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Brendan Boyle (D)
District 3
Dwight Evans (D)
District 4
Madeleine Dean (D)
District 5
Mary Scanlon (D)
District 6
Chrissy Houlahan (D)
District 7
Ryan Mackenzie (R)
District 8
Rob Bresnahan (R)
District 9
Dan Meuser (R)
District 10
Scott Perry (R)
District 11
Lloyd Smucker (R)
District 12
Summer Lee (D)
District 13
John Joyce (R)
District 14
District 15
Glenn Thompson (R)
District 16
Mike Kelly (R)
District 17
Chris Deluzio (D)
Republican Party (11)
Democratic Party (8)
