Lehigh County Dems Make Pick for 134th State House Seat

An Emmaus man has been selected by the Lehigh County Democratic Committee to on the November ballot in the 134th state House district race.

John Reynard, a personal investment consultant, will face Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the fall election. the seat in an April special election against Slattery to see who would fill the unexpired term of former Rep. Doug Reichley, who left state politics to become a Lehigh County judge.

Slattery, of Lower Macungie, was expected to again face Mackenzie in November, but he .

In a prepared statement, Reynard said: “I’m extremely honored to have been recommended to fill the slot formerly held by Patrick Slattery. I know that I will have big shoes to fill, but I will do everything that I can to win this race.

“I’m more than a little frightened at the pattern we’re seeing in Pennsylvania. The Republicans are choosing kids with virtually no experience in the real world, just partisan campaign hacks, to run for seats in the State House and rubber stamp the extreme, right-wing agenda of the Corbett administration,” Reynard added.

Reynard has been a college professor, teaching business and economics at Lehigh Carbon Community College and Lehigh University; has worked as a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch, and currently is a personal investment consultant, focusing on socially responsible investing.

Reynard was expected to be confirmed by the state Democratic Committee last night.

The 134th District includes Lower Macungie, Emmaus, Macungie, Alburtis and parts of South Whitehall, Upper Milford, and Salisbury in Lehigh County and Hereford, Bally, District, Washington and Bechtelsville in Berks County.