Kevin Branco is running for the Democratic nomination for the House of Representatives 131st District.

He was born and raised in Hellertown and has been a resident of Coopersburg for the last nine years. He is the direct product of a proud community built on American values.

Branco said his roots run deep in this district. He is a fourth generation business owner, a tradition started by his great-grandfather, who operated a market in south Bethlehem. His grandfather owned a restaurant after retiring from the coke ovens at Bethlehem Steel. His mother owned a sporting goods store that provided clothing and equipment to the community for generations.

Branco attended Kutztown University where he received accolades as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference scholar athlete and vice president of the political science honor society. He played varsity football during his time there and remains an avid watcher of Pennsylvania college sports.

Shortly after college, Branco achieved a coveted spot in the Pennsylvania House Fellowship Program where he worked for Rep. Bob Freeman, D-136th and his local government committee. After working with Freeman on legislation, he returned to his home community and landed back in Hellertown. He took over ownership of the gym where he had been working and followed in the footsteps of his family by becoming a fourth generation business owner.

Branco said he has treated growing his business more like building a community. “Businesses are more than just making a profit. Businesses should be integral to your neighborhood, supporting local groups, such as youth sports and local arts,” Branco said.

“I don’t want to delve into national politics but it’s hard to ignore the political divide in this country. We see it on TV, we hear it on the radio, we read it in the paper. I’m tired of it, too. We can argue over Republican and Democrat talking points but I know we can agree on more than we disagree. That divide exists on the fringes of the parties, not between the hardworking people of this country.”

Branco said whether Republican or Democrat, “we all want the same things:

• We want our kids to have the best possible education that will prepare them not just for this economy, but the next economy, too.

• We want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

• We deserve to have a quality infrastructure. Better bridges and roads. Availability to Internet access has also become a prerequisite of a society that supports stable good paying jobs.

• We all want to be treated as equals, with no prejudice based on beliefs, lifestyles, ethnicity or orientation.”

Branco said even though we agree on most topics, we certainly haven’t seen it in Harrisburg.

“Over the past 10 years:

• We have seen our education funding get cut by over 40 percent.

• We have seen our politicians side with big business and allow fracking to destroy our landscape and taint our water supply.

• We have seen our roads and bridges crumble and fall apart with no real timeline for repair.

• We have seen our early childhood education funding get cut.

• We have seen no meaningful movement to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“It’s time for a change,” Branco said.

He said legislators need to start funding education and making sure our kids have a chance to take over for us and become our future leaders.

He said kids need to be left a world in which to thrive. That means start holding major corporations accountable for their effect on the environment so kids have the same privilege we did – to grow up with lush forests to hunt and clean streams to fish.

Branco said legislators need to stand up to all types of discrimination.

“We need to start supporting after-school activities so kids can develop the social skills needed to become an active workforce and keep them engaged in positive activities.

“We need to eliminate the reality that medical bills can lead to bankruptcy.

“We need to stand up for women’s rights and their right to choose.

“We need to ask why we don’t have common sense gun laws. Laws that will protect our constitutional right but keep firearms out of the hands of people who will do harm.

“We need to realize our strongest asset in Pennsylvania is our organized workforce.

“All the way back to 1902, we saw coal workers standup for a decent wage and safe work conditions. That took place in our own backyard and brought the nation to a grinding halt that took a president to fix.

“I challenge you to think, what has government done for me in the past 10 years?

“If you have more questions than answers,

“If you have more skepticism than trust,

“Then vote for change in Harrisburg. Vote for our families.

“I am running to advocate and defend the hardworking families of not just our district but our state. It’s just that simple.

“It’s not politics…it’s public service.”