PITTSBURGH — A new local political candidate has announced his campaign for Pennsylvania’s District 12 seat.
James Hayes is a Republican trying to unseat a Democratic incumbent in a district that is heavily democratic.
He is pinning his hopes on the 12th District’s Republicans and working class moderate Democrats.
“It’s an area full of Democrats, I would call JFK Democrats. They are Democrats with traditional values, believe in the free market system, believe in safe communities and supporting our police,” Hayes said.
Hayes is a political newcomer, the son of a steelworker who has had a career in international banking and finance. He hopes to unseat Congresswoman Summer Lee in November.
“My wife and I were watching TV and some of these crazy policies being advocated and at one point she said, ‘Stop complaining. You talked about running now is the time,’ at the end of the day, a swift kick in the butt from your wife will do it every time,” Hayes said.
His vision is to keep and protect American jobs by expanding the energy industry in Pennsylvania, controlling the border, and giving young people more educational opportunities as a proponent of school choice.
“A lot of our schools are failing and you should not be regulated to a poor future because you have a bad zip code,” Hayes said.
But it was not only the government policies that led him to run for office. There was something deeply personal, the murder of his son, James Michael Hayes a little over a year ago.
He was out with, I guess friends, and he got out of the car. They were dropping him off. he got out and went for something in the trunk and a bunch of guys rushed up and started shooting,” Hayes said.
That was Dec. 2022 outside of the New Kensington Arms Apartment in New Kensington. The crime has not been solved.
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“I think you can either wallow in despair or, I think, you can be inspired to do things. For me, it inspired me to make a difference,” Hayes said.
The 12th District runs from Bethel Park to Squirrel Hill to parts of the Westmoreland County area and it indicates large sections of the city of Pittsburgh that have leaned heavily Democratic.
“It’s a little bit of a David and Goliath race here. It’s not as uphill as you may think,” Hayes said.
He points to Republican Joe Rockey who came within 8,000 votes of winning in the Allegheny County executive race.
Hayes wants to pick up the same areas in the 12th District and if his political calculation is right, when you add in the more conservative votes in Westmoreland County, he’s hoping it would be just enough to get him over the top.
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