(6/2022) A few weeks ago during our daughter’s graduation from nursing school, I received a call from a friend. He wanted to know my reaction to the leaked Supreme Court vote and their apparent Roe v Wade decision. Honestly, it had been on my wife and my mind all week. My answer was simple, women have the right to be in control of their own bodies. Period. To me, this is an inalienable right. America is based upon this primary right, no one, not even King George, could tell our founders what we could do with their bodies. If you do not have the freedom to control your own body, you are not free. Little did I realize that this question was a set up.

His next question was that we needed someone to run against Dan Moul for State Representative. When I asked him who, he simply said, "you". The problem was it had to be a write-in campaign and the election was only ten days away. I told him that, if he could muster volunteers, I would agree to campaign. Fast forward to today and 811 write-in votes later (we needed 300) and we have a competitive race for State Representative. This would not have been possible without a bunch of people stepping up immediately to volunteer on Election Day. They deserve a huge thank you for their hard work. This "race" was about friends telling friends telling friends to get out and vote. I’m still stunned and humbled by how fast this all happened.

The shock and excitement of winning wore off quickly. I have spent more time this week apologizing to people than being excited to have won. We should never have let the sixteen year incumbent have another hand out of an election. When we don’t hold those in authority to account for their records, the people get screwed. It is ironic that in my opinion Mr. Moul ran to hold the previous incumbent accountable for his poor decision to vote for a late night pay raise. Sixteen years ago he went to Harrisburg to fight leadership, champion term limits, and promised to never take money from corporate lobbyists and the political machine that runs Harrisburg. In looking over his campaign finance reports and his record, all I can say is that I’m not sure the man we sent to Harrisburg is the same as we have now. I’m not saying that Mr. Moul is a bad guy. He is actually very pleasant. I’m just not sure he still works for us. Don’t trust me, look it up at www.campaignfinanceonline.pa.gov. It is a very easy searchable database. I suggest paying attention to the donations in 2018.

If the 16 year incumbent wins, he and his far right handlers will continue to take rights away from women in Adams County. I will not sit by as half the population is denied the freedom to control their own bodies. During this campaign I will do my best to shed light on the incumbent’s record of voting against women and highlight how we need to redouble our efforts to protect a woman’s access to safe, legal, and accessible healthcare, address paid family leave, promote pre-and post-natal care, find ways to increase affordable high quality daycare, and fight for pay equity. For too long men in power have dictated how women are expected to live. I was raised by a strong mother, both my former wife Tanya and my wife Elizabeth are strong women, all three of my sisters are amazing, and our daughter is "fierce" (Elizabeth gets the real credit for that one). I know that our world is a better place when these, and all women, are treated as equals to men.

This is going to be a David versus Goliath election, but I believe our community is worth fighting for, no matter the odds! Sixteen years with few results isn’t good enough for us. Here is what the sixteen year incumbent should have been fighting for, if I win this year, these are the items that I will fight for.

• Election Reform. Lobbyists can literally donate ANY amount to State House candidates. There should be limits. Your vote should be more important than lobbyists’ money. Third parties should have easier access to the ballot, so that voters have more choices. And lastly, elected officials should not be in charge of drawing their own voting districts. We choose our representatives, not the other way around.
• Living Wage Jobs. We need to find ways to improve local businesses or add new compatible industries. Over half of our residents commute out of the county in order to provide a home and food for their families. We need to bring those jobs here.
• End the Opioid Epidemic. Our officials must stop claiming to be fighting to end this epidemic, while voting to remove funding from programs that work.
• Increase Mental Health Services. (See Ending the Opioid Edpidemic above) The incumbent has voted to reduce funding, but still attends events and claims to support these services. You can’t have both.
• Improved broadband for residents and businesses. With almost a third of county residents being underserved or unserved, we need better high speed internet. This means better jobs and better lives for our residents.
• Preserve our rural character. This means preserving family owned farms and protecting our waterways and game lands. Sitting back as large well funded developers walk all over us, is not how we manage growth. It is how we lose our community.

I have a proven track record of working with others. As a minority county commissioner, I have been able to work with my peers and get important projects completed. When needed I have led on important issues, like the creation of the Mercy House and Broadband expansion. When necessary, I have worked to find compromise. This is why we are able to pass our budgets on time and the public isn’t complaining about gridlock in Adams County.

I am also 100% accessible to the public. When you call me you don’t get an assistant, you get me. My email is martyqually@gmail.com and my personal cell phone is 717-339-6514. If any resident has a concern or wants to discuss any issues, just give me a call or send an email.

I will always put the concerns of county residents first, not party leadership and not big lobbyists. I work for you now as a County Commissioner, and if elected to the State House, I will continue to work for Adam’s County residents first, last, and every time in between.