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Brief
Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Schuylkill (Photo courtesy of state House Facebook)
A Republican lawmaker from Schuylkill County says he’s joining the growing list of state House members who aren’t running for re-election in November.
Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Schuylkill, is the latest lawmaker to announce their retirement. He served five terms in the House.
“When I first ran for office nearly 10 years ago, I had the belief that careers should be dedicated to private sector work and not elected positions,” Tobash said in a statement Tuesday. “I hold that same belief today.”
Tobash told the Capital-Star that he also would not run for auditor general, as had been rumored.
A fiscal hawk, Tobash was first elected to his 125th House District seat in 2010. His tenure was defined by pushes for pension reforms and workforce development. Some of that work, including a proposal to combine the state’s pension funds, is ongoing.
Tobash also helped pass a law that removed the Keystone exams as a graduation requirement for high schoolers.
Tobash is the 14th lawmaker to announce he will not seek re-election in November, and the 10th Republican.
The 125th District includes northern Dauphin County and western Schuylkill County, including Schuylkill Haven, Tower City and parts of Pottsville.
In 2018, the rural district voted 60-40 percent for GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner.
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