C-NET hosted candidates in the 2022 election for interviews conducted by StateCollege.com editor Geoff Rushton. We’ll be sharing the interviews with candidates for the 77th, 82nd and 171st state house districts.
THE RACE
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives 171st District covers parts of Centre and Mifflin counties. After statewide redistricting resulted in a few changes to the 171st, in Centre County it now includes Bellefonte, Centre Hall and Millheim boroughs and Gregg, Haines, Miles, Penn, Potter, Spring and Walker townships. It no longer includes portions of College, Ferguson and Harris townships, which have shifted to the 82nd and 77th districts.
THE CHALLENGER
Democrat Robert Zeigler, of Millheim, has been a member of Millheim Borough Council since 2018 and served for two years as council president. He has had a 20-year career as a manager and trainer in the food service, hospitality and retail industries.
Campaign website: zeiglerforpa.com
THE INCUMBENT
Republican Kerry Benninghoff, of Bellefonte, is seeking his 14th term as representative for the 171st District, having first won election to the office in 1996. Since 2020, Benninghoff has been House majority leader, the No. 2 leadership position, and was previously majority whip.
Campaign website: benninghoff171.com
THE ISSUES
In their C-NET interviews, Zeigler and Benninghoff discussed their views on abortion rights, inflation and the economy, vote-by-mail, K-12 and higher education funding, a ban on lobbyist gifts to legislators, use of state constitutional amendments, environmental protection, marijuana legalization, nondiscrimination protections, gun laws, minimum wage, challenges facing the district and their top priorities.
Robert Zeigler
Kerry Benninghoff
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. For information on polling locations, returning mail ballots and sample ballots, visit centrecountyvotes.gov.
