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Ann Kaufman, a well-known local Republican and community leader, recently announced her intention to seek the Republican nomination for state representative in the 83rd House District, according to a news release. The 83rd District is currently represented by Jeff Wheeland, who announced his retirement just weeks ago.

Kaufman, a lifelong resident of Lycoming County, pointed to her deep roots in the community as a major factor in her decision to run. As the daughter of a small business owner and registered nurse, granddaughter of local factory workers, and with nearly a decade of experience in public service, Kaufman knows the needs of the 83rd District well, the news release said.

“The last two years have shown us what happens when liberal leaders like Tom Wolf and unelected bureaucrats overstep their authority: it puts the very fabric and future of our communities at risk,” Kaufman said, according to the news release. “This area and its people mean everything to me, and I am stepping forward to make sure they always have a conservative voice to put them, their values, their livelihoods and their families first in Harrisburg.”

Kaufman, a graduate of St. John Neumann Regional Academy in Williamsport, Misericordia University and the University of Pittsburgh, is well-known throughout the 83rd District from her work with U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, and former U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-Cogan Station. She currently serves as Keller’s district director and previously worked as a district representative for Marino.

“I am blessed to have such incredible mentors in Congressmen Keller and Marino when it comes to how to be a public servant,” Kaufman said, according to the news release. “Fighting for conservative principles and for the issues that affect the daily lives of residents is what I have been doing for years and what I will continue to do in Harrisburg.”

Kaufman said that her campaign will focus on a few key issues: promoting job and economic growth to provide greater opportunity for working people; ensuring election integrity to protect our democracy; improving Pennsylvania’s education system to best prepare children for success; ensuring fiscal discipline in government to protect people’s tax dollars; supporting law enforcement to promote public safety; and preserving the pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-Constitutional values shared by our community.

“I am one hundred percent committed to reining in government so that we preserve the freedoms and opportunities promised to every citizen by our Constitution and paid for by our veterans,” Kaufman said, according to the news release. “That will be my focus and how I approach every issue.”

Kaufman’s service to the local community reaches beyond her professional work. She is an active member and volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Montoursville and gives her time as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and 4-H, an organization in which she participated for a decade herself. Kaufman is also a member of the National Rifle Association and the Fraternal Order of Eagles 970 in Williamsport.

A recognized leader in working to grow the Republican Party and promote conservative governing principles, Kaufman currently serves as the vice chair of the Lycoming County Republican Committee and on the Williamsport/Lycoming County Council of Republican Women. She is also the former treasurer of the Pennsylvania Young Republicans.