Rep. Chris Deluzio kicks off reelection campaign in key congressional district

The race for Southwestern Pennsylvania’s most pivotal congressional district got rolling Tuesday.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, kicked off his reelection campaign Tuesday evening with an event at a training center for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).

Deluzio represents Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District — a swing district that could be crucial in determining which party controls the U.S. House. Republicans currently have a slim majority.

The 17th District includes all of Beaver County, as well as suburban communities in Allegheny County’s North Hills, Allegheny Valley, and several boroughs just east of Pittsburgh.

Deluzio said he wants to continue his role in bringing home federal funding for Southwestern Pennsylvania, advocating for local interests like steelworkers and other union members.

“We have got more work to do, and I think I have more work to do for this region. And I am asking folks to send me to Washington for another two years to keep doing it,” said Deluzio at IUPAT District 57 offices in Collier Township.

A Navy veteran and former policy director at the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Cyber Law, Deluzio said he has been serving the country since he first enlisted at 17 years old. He believes he has earned another shot at continuing his service.

He said current Republican control of the U.S. House has been overly focused on culture war fights and have taken the country “from crisis to crisis.”

He believes that if he is reelected and Democrats take control of the chamber, Congress will be more functional and would give the House a chance to pass pro-democracy, abortion access and railway safety legislation.

He said passing the Railway Safety Act in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment is one of his top priorities, but added that Republican leadership have not brought the bill to the floor. Deluzio’s district covers Beaver County, where residents were directly affected by the derailment.

“That is a must-pass piece of legislation in my mind,” he said. “I talk to people in my district who live near the tracks, and they want something to change. They are worried like me that the next derailment will hit their neck of the woods.”

Republican challengers already are lining up for a chance to take on Deluzio.

State Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Pine Township, announced his run last August. He is focusing his campaign on bringing more jobs to the region, tackling inflation and balancing the federal budget.

Jesse Vodvarka, a small-business owner from Robinson who ran briefly for the seat in 2020, also has declared for the 2024 Republican primary. Penn Hills Pastor Jim Nelson withdrew in November.

The 17th Congressional District is considered a swing district and is on the national Republican shortlist of seats to flip. Deluzio won the district by about seven points in 2022.

Deluzio touted his local focus to help him connect with constituents, even if that sometimes conflicts with his party’s leadership, including President Joe Biden.

He said he is advocating for the return of Oakmont resident Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia for about 18 months. He also criticized the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese company Nippon Steel Corp.

Deluzio said U.S. Steel and Nippon did not communicate with steelworkers and union members about the sale, and that doesn’t give him confidence ownership will have the workers and county’s best interest at heart. He acknowledged that Japan is an American ally but noted Nippon has violated American trade laws in the past.

“Where I sit in the Armed Service committee, we worry about our defense industrial bases,” Deluzio said. “And if we need to ramp up our production, I don’t want to roll the dice on if a foreign company, even an ally nation like Japan, is going to make the same strategic choice than an American company should be making.”

Deluzio also has criticized a rule proposed by the Biden administration surrounding tax credits for the development of Hydrogen Hubs, and said that natural-gas generated hydrogen may not be eligible for credits. The Pittsburgh region is a large supplier of natural gas thanks to large-scale fracking.

“The initial proposal suggests our region will lose out on a lot of opportunity and private investment, and that could hurt our jobs and our ability to be energy secure,” Deluzio said. “I am never going to hesitate when it is right for our region to disagree, whether its a president in my party or somebody else.”

On international issues, Deluzio reiterated his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for opposing a two-state solution in the Israel/Gaza conflict. He said there should be a two-state solution, and having one should help the goals of returning hostages home to Israel and to ramping down the violence in Gaza.

The United States provides funding for the Israeli military and some humanitarian aid for Palestininans in Gaza. When asked what leverage Congress can have over Netanyahu, Deluzio said dysfunction in the Republican-controlled house has stopped any important votes from happening.

“That gridlock has real consequences behind just the political rhetoric,” Deluzio said.

Deluzio called the large number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border a crisis. He said the path forward is to strengthen security and infrastructure at the border and having some pathways to permanent status and citizenship for migrants.

He said he supports the Dignity Act and said Congress knows how to solve the problem, but there is a lack of political will to do so. He criticized right-wing Republicans and accused them of not wanting to pass any bills because they want to use it against Biden.