Election 2022: Meet Todd Stephens, State Representative

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — With the November general election just around the corner, Patch is profiling some of the candidates whose names will appear at the ballot box.

Below, we introduce you to State Rep. Todd Stephens, a Republican who represents the 151st Legislative District, which, under newly drawn boundaries, will cover Montgomery, Upper Dublin and Horsham Townships along with Ambler Borough.

Stephens is facing Democratic challenger Melisssa Cerrato in the upcoming election.

Patch sent a questionnaire to Stephens and below are his responses.

Name: Todd Stephens

Age: 51

Town Of Residence: Horsham

What Communities Does Your District Cover?

Horsham Township, Ambler Borough and parts of Montgomery Township and Upper Dublin Township

Party Affiliation (If Applicable): Republican

Family: My wife, Nicole, and I and our two boys, Will (10) and Ben (8) who attend our local public elementary school, live in Horsham Township.

Education: Hatboro-Horsham High School (1989); B.A. Government, Shippensburg University (1993); J.D., Widener University School of Law (2000)

Occupation: State Representative

How Long Have You Held Public Office? If You Are A Political Newcomer, What Made You Decide To Get Involved In Politics?

I was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2010. As a student at Shippensburg University, I was fortunate to have interned with then-State Representative George Saurman from Ambler. He taught me how valuable it was to help others. Thereafter, I worked for ten years as a local and federal prosecutor where I worked to make a difference for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, murder and other violent crimes. Today, I strive every day to make a difference in the lives of the people I represent. Like me, many people have lived here their entire lives and chose to raise their families here. I want to ensure our community and our Commonwealth are the same great places for all our children as they were for all of us.

How Long Have You Lived In Pennsylvania? How Long Have You Lived In The District You Either Represent, Or Are Seeking To Represent?

I have lived in Horsham Township my entire life. My parents, both former public school teachers, still live in the home where I was raised, with my sister Terry, in Horsham Township.

What Are Some Of The Top Issues Facing Your District?

Inflation is impacting many families in my legislative district. Fortunately, because of prudent fiscal management, we were able to cut taxes for seniors by expanding our property tax/rent rebate program, institute the first-ever childcare tax credit for working families, increase funding for our low-income heating assistance program all while making historic investments in our schools and saving nearly $10 billion to protect taxpayers from an economic downturn. I am the only candidate endorsed by business and labor groups like the National Federation of Independent Business and the AFL-CIO, Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), and the Philadelphia Building Trades, including Steamfitters Local 420.

In Pennsylvania, women have the right to make their own healthcare decisions and it must remain that way. I will continue to oppose any efforts to further restrict a woman’s right to choose.

Clean, safe drinking water continues to be a top issue for many families in my legislative district. I worked with Governor Wolf to create the first dedicated and recurring funding stream for PFAS remediation. To date the program I developed has helped families in Horsham, Ambler, Upper Dublin, Montgomery Township, Warrington, Warminster, and Upper Southampton. I’m the only candidate endorsed by Clean Water Action because of my efforts to ensure we have safe, clean drinking water.

Gun violence is another critically important issue. In my former career as a prosecutor, I led the Firearms Unit of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and was a federal firearms prosecutor. I have been on the front lines fighting gun violence for over 20 years. We must hold violent felons who illegally use guns accountable for their actions and we must adopt sensible gun regulations to prevent those who should not possess a firearm from obtaining one, including universal background checks and my Extreme Risk Protection Order law. Because of my work to address gun violence, I am the only candidate endorsed by CeaseFire PA.

What In Your Background Qualifies You For The Elected Position?

I have over 20 years of experience working with the law. Following law school, I spent ten years as a prosecutor enforcing the law to protect our families from violent criminals where I achieved a 99% conviction rate with over 1500 convictions including 18 homicide convictions. Since then, I have spent the last 12 years in the legislature working across the aisle to improve our laws in Pennsylvania and have delivered real results for families in the communities I represent. I worked with Governor Wolf to make our drinking water safe and to refund the surcharges we were paying; I worked with Attorney General Josh Shapiro to improve our child protection laws; I worked with the PA State Police to improve our firearms background check system; and I wrote the “most comprehensive animal protection law in Pennsylvania history” which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Do You Believe Adhering To Party Doctrine Or Serving Constituents Is More Important?

I have always put the people I represent before partisan politics. I am the most independent member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and my voting record supports that. I wasn’t elected to represent a political party - I was elected to represent the people in my legislative district and I take that responsibility seriously and approach each vote with that mindset.

Are You Willing To Work Across The Political Aisle To Get Things Accomplished?

Yes, and I have. The reason I have been such an effective legislator is because I routinely work across the aisle to obtain real results for the people in my district. As a Republican serving with a Democratic Governor for the past 8 years, I was only able to pass all the bills I have by working across the aisle to develop bipartisan support – that's why I’m endorsed by organizations like PSEA (Pennsylvania State Education Association), Clean Water Action, the AFL-CIO, and the Building Trades.

Additionally, I believe we must restore civility to our politics. While we might not always agree, we must treat one another with respect and work to understand alternative perspectives to help move our Commonwealth forward. This is how I have approached this job for the past 12 years and it has helped me achieve many legislative successes. I will continue to lead by example in this regard.

Is There Anything Else You Would Like Folks To Know About You?

I care deeply about the people living in our community and have consistently worked across the aisle to deliver meaningful results. With your support, I will continue putting people over politics and striving every day to make a difference in the lives of the people I am fortunate enough to represent.