Three candidates already running for Pa. 103rd House District

Just days after state Rep. Patty Kim (D-103rd) formally launched her campaign for state Senate, three Democrats have confirmed that they will seek to replace her in the mid-state 103rd House District. 

Tina Nixon, Mercedes Evans, and Nathan Davidson have all announced they are running for the Democratic-friendly seat.

Nixon, a community leader who started her career in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives working for former House Speaker K. Leroy Irvis, was the first to formally jump in the race on Friday afternoon. 

“I want to take my record of more than 30 years of dedicated public service and servant leadership to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to ensure that our communities get their fair share from the state government,” Nixon said in a press release. 

Nixon, a Harrisburg native, enters the race with support from Kim, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, and other local elected officials. 

On Monday, Mercedes Evans, a Camp Hill Borough Councilwoman and community advocate, also joined the race for the open seat.

“This is a unique district, newly drawn just a few years ago and I’m running to represent both sides of the river that have historically been so divided,” Evans continued. “I’m running to fight for the issues that unite us, and champion the causes that can improve all our lives – things like addressing the affordable housing shortage, ensuring all of our public schools are fully and fairly funded, and bolstering economic development in the district.”

If elected, Evans would be the first Latino from central Pennsylvania elected to the state House, according to her campaign. 

Nathan Davidson, who most recently served as the senior advisor on the House Appropriations Committee and previously was the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, confirmed with the Capital-Star in an interview on Monday that he’s seeking the party’s nomination for the 103rd District as well.

Davidson said that having the support of Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, plus encouragement from other local supporters helped him decide to launch his campaign. 

“I think the first thing that pushed me all the way in was Mayor Williams,” Davidson told the Capital-Star. 

“I’m going to be running on a pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-public education platform,” Davidson said. “That’s who I am. And those are the values that I think I want to talk about, and hopefully earn the support of the voters of the district.”

Davidson, a Dauphin County native, said he plans to have a formal kickoff in the new year, after this election cycle. 

Kim, who was first elected to represent the 103rd District in the state House in 2012, currently serves as the Chair of the House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee. 

Kim bested Republican challenger David Buell by 31 points in her most recent reelection bid. 

Kim is running for the seat currently held by state Sen. John DiSanto (R-15th Senate District) and will not be seeking another term in the state House. In a press release announcing her candidacy for the state Senate, Kim said that DiSanto “appears poised to run” for another term, despite making a pledge in 2016 to retire after his second term expires. 

DiSanto has not confirmed whether he’s seeking reelection for the 15th state Senate District.