Incumbent Ward Faces Taylor For 30th District Senate Seat

When voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, they will choose to stay the course or opt for change in who represents them in Harrisburg.

Republican state Sen. Judy Ward is facing a challenge to her 30th District senate seat from political newcomer Democrat Carol Taylor. The 30th comprises all of Blair and Fulton counties, and parts of Cumberland, Franklin, and Huntingdon counties.

Taylor, an addictions counselor at Cove Forge Behavioral Health in Williamsburg, ran unopposed in the May primary to secure the nomination and setting her up for a showdown with Ward.

When announcing her candidacy in March, Taylor said she will fight for quality public education, accessible and affordable healthcare, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, correcting inequities in the criminal justice system and upholding voting rights.

As a pro-choice candidate, Taylor, in an earlier interview, said June’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade was a setback for women’s rights and that government should not have a say in what a woman does with her body.

“It completely disregards our rights as human beings to make decisions for ourselves based on personal circumstances,” she said.

With Roe v. Wade overturned, the abortion issue is now in the hands of the individual states. Taylor said this election is a pivotal one for women’s rights with Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano firmly on the side of pro-life while Democratic opponent Josh Shapiro is on record as supporting a woman’s right to choose. Taylor said even if the pro-choice candidate wins, the state legislature could put constitutional amendments regarding abortion up for vote as a separate ballot question.

“This has far-reaching effects on all our lives,” she said. “It goes into each individual’s personal and political beliefs.”

On her campaign website, Taylor said she wants to change the political climate in Pennsylvania and forge a better future for the next generation.

“I am running for office because I want to represent all of you,” Taylor’s statement reads. “Let us change the dynamics of politics in Pennsylvania. Our grandchildren and their families depend on it.”

Ward, who was first elected to the senate in 2018 after serving two terms in the state house, is seeking a second term. A pro-life supporter, Ward has introduced an amendment to the state constitution that spells out the state’s role in the abortion issue. Ward said pro-choice groups have erroneously labeled her proposed amendment as a ban on abortions, but that it only reiterates the “status quo” that taxpayer dollars won’t be used to fund elective abortions.

Ward said that under the amendment, Pennsylvania’s Abortion Control Act will remain the law and that its language does not ban abortions, but rather ensures that abortion policy comes from elected representatives, not the state courts.

Ward said she supports legislation that protects second amendment rights and voter ID to help secure fair elections. Ward said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she fought what she called “government overreach” such as vaccine and mask mandates. She said her office remained open during the pandemic and helped people who were having trouble applying for unemployment benefits through the bogged-down department of labor’s registration website secure their benefits.