Milou Mackenzie, Kevin Branco again vye for state’s 131st House seat
Incumbent Republican Milou Mackenzie and Kevin Branco will face each other in a rematch for the 131st state House seat.
Things are different since 2020 when Mackenzie defeated Branco for a two-year term.
Both were political newcomers. Mackenzie is now the incumbent.
The 131st has been redrawn, extending farther south into Montgomery County. The 131st still favors Republicans, but not as much as the former configuration, according to Dave’s Redistricting.
Mackenzie declined to be interviewed for this post.
Branco, a Hellertown gym owner, said there is also another difference. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic kept many people from meeting face-to-face. Branco said he couldn’t go door-to-door and was limited to phone calls and mailers to reach voters
This time, he’s knocking on doors with the goal of 1,000 per month, which he says he met pre-primary and most of the summer.
“I like talking to people. I like canvassing,” he said, noting his conversations aren’t polished but genuine. “I am getting fantastic feedback.”
The municipalities in the 131st are: Lower Milford, Upper Milford and Upper Saucon townships and Coopersburg with part of Salisbury Township in Lehigh County; Marlborough, Salford and Upper Hanover townships and East Greenville, Green Lane, Pennsburg and Red Hill in Montgomery County; and part of Lower Saucon Township in Northampton County.
Milou Mackenzie
Background
A Lehigh Valley native, Mackenzie grew up in the Nazareth area, graduating from Nazareth High School in 1968 and Cedar Crest College, Allentown, in 1972. She operated V.M. Mackenzie Interior Design for over 30 years and is a former teacher.
Mackenzie, who lives in Lower Saucon, is the mother of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-134. Mackenzie goes by her middle name. Her first name is Victoria. She is married to Kevin Brown, and has another son and two grandchildren.
Foray into politics
Mackenzie is a former Lehigh County Republican Committee member. In the 2020 primary, she defeated three other GOP candidates to face Branco, winning 54% to 46% of the vote to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Justin Simmons, who had endorsed Mackenzie. She ran unopposed in this year’s primary.
She is a member of the House Children & Youth, Education, Human Services and Urban Affairs committees.
Campaign contributions
The latest campaign finance reports show the Friends of Milou Mackenzie took in $24,910 in contributions and had $6,358 in expenses from January 2021 through June 2022. The report also noted unpaid debts of $25,100 – which included $20,100 in loans from Mackenzie and $5,000 in a loan from her husband.
Issues
In her 2020 campaign, Mackenzie told The Morning Call that she decided to run because the Legislature “needs outsiders with real-world experience to bring new ideas and leadership to government.”
She said her priorities included fiscal discipline, economic growth and job creation, and supporting property tax elimination. According to the newspaper, she also pledged to seek no more than four terms.
Elections: In June 2021, Mackenzie voted to pass an election reform bill, which Gov. Wolf then vetoed. The bill would have required voter identification at the polls, changed the voter registration deadline from 15 to 30 days before an election and created earlier deadlines for mail-in voting.
Under a section on voting, Mackenzie’s campaign website mentions absentee voting but not no-excuse, mail-in voting. It does provide a link to the state’s website, which provides information on mail-in voting.
Constitutional amendment: In July, Mackenzie voted for a constitutional amendment package that would clearly state that women have no guaranteed rights to abortion or public funding of abortion. The amendment would not ban abortions in the state but would limit the ability to challenge laws restricting or outlawing them.
The other amendments would require voter ID at the polls, mandate the auditor general to audit elections, allow gubernatorial nominees to pick their own running mates, and allow the Legislature to reject state regulations, such as environmental rules, without facing governor vetoes.
According to The Associated Press, proposed amendments must pass both the House and Senate in a two-year legislative cycle, after which they must be advertised. The amendments must then pass both chambers in the following two-year session before going to the voters.
Gun legislation: In June 2021, Mackenzie voted in favor of House Bill 979, which allows gun owners and organizations to challenge local gun laws that are stricter than state law. Wolf vetoed the measure.
In November 2021, Mackenzie voted in favor of Senate Bill 565, which would expand concealed carry laws in Pennsylvania. Wolf vetoed the measure.
Covid: In June 2021, Mackenzie joined GOP legislators, who control the House, in terminating Wolf’s Covid-19 disaster declaration three weeks after voters in the primary approved restricting the governor’s emergency powers.
Transgender sports: In April 2022, she voted to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports, a bill which Wolf also vetoed.
Military children: Mackenzie co-sponsored a bill to allow military children to register and enroll in schools even if their parents, who are being transferred, have yet to move to the new school district. Currently, those students are ineligible to register, enroll or put their names in lotteries for charter or magnet schools until they move into the district. In July, the House passed the bill, which now sits with the Senate Education Committee.
Child abuse bill: Mackenzie is the primary sponsor of House Bill 1657, which deems it child abuse if a child is present where methamphetamine is being produced and eliminates the requirement that a law enforcement investigation already exists into those cases. The bill passed the House unanimously in September 2021 and was referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee.
Budget: The 2022-23 state budget includes Mackenzie’s proposal to use federal money allocated to Pennsylvania from the American Rescue Plan to cover Children’s Health Insurance Program premiums for families unable to pay them during the pandemic. The bipartisan budget bill, which did not include any new taxes, also increased school funding by $850 million and reduced the state’s corporate net income tax.
She praised the historic increase for schools. “I am proud to say that we were able to invest a record high $15 billion into our PreK-12 education. Improving the state’s education system is a core goal of mine and many other legislators.”
Mackenzie’s platform: According to her campaign website, Mackenzie strives for fiscal discipline, working to reign in spending and stop tax increases. She also says she supports safely tapping into Pennsylvania’s energy resources to cut costs, create jobs and become more energy independent.
Additionally, Mackenzie says she supports: Reforming education to promote career and technical paths as options to college; increasing access to health care and making it more affordable; pushing back on efforts to put the interests of criminals above the public; and providing treatment for opioid addiction and tough penalties for drug dealers.
Kevin Branco
Background
A Lehigh Valley native, Branco, 37, graduated from Saucon Valley High School and Kutztown University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He has owned the Main Street Gym since 2011 and serves on the board of the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce.
Branco is involved with youth sports, serving as athletic director for the Southern Lehigh Youth Football Association and coaching flag football.
Branco and his wife, Chantal, live in Upper Saucon Township with their two children.
Foray into politics
Branco was unopposed in his primaries in 2020 and 2022. In the 2020 General Election, he captured 46% of the vote to Mackenzie’s 54%.
Campaign finance report
The latest campaign finance report filed in June by Friends of Kevin Branco showed $9,894 available, with $97 in contributions from May 3 to June 6, and $9,797 carried over from the last report. Expenses were listed at $861, leaving $9,033.
Branco says he doesn’t look for support from super political action committees. “I believe in the support of the blue-collar working class. I believe we have to grow from the bottom up and the middle out.” He believes in limiting campaign donations.
Issues
Branco puts overall state government reform at the top of his priorities. “Never before has a state rep race mattered more,” he said.
Education: On his campaign website, Branco says mandates on school districts, which are funded primarily by property taxes, have increased those taxes to unsustainable levels. He wants to fund schools so that property taxes can be reduced and districts can focus on educating students. “Our school districts receive roughly 20% of their funding from our state. The remaining 80% is funded, largely, by school property taxes. The increased mandates on our districts has driven property taxes to unsustainable levels.”
Abortion: Branco said he is “firmly pro-choice.” “I am not a doctor. I don’t care what the medical issue is – abortion or a heart transplant – I don’t have any expertise to say you can or cannot have a procedure. That’s not the government’s place.”
Business/taxes: Branco’s campaign website says government should be helping businesses, not hindering them. “We need to reduce our corporate income tax to become more business friendly and competitive with other states. Also, we should be offering incentives for employing our residents and unions while investing in our communities.”
Voting: Supports same-day voter registration and no-excuse mail-in voting. He said mail-in voting has been used in Pennsylvania without any voter fraud and that other states have used it for years without issue.
Gender/LGBTQ: Backs legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. He said transgender athletes are a PIAA issue and legislators should not get involved unless they are asked to. He said athletes should compete in their gender sport.
Other issues: Supports setting term limits and requiring a break equal to the terms served before seeking election again; an independent citizens commission to draw legislative districts; banning lobbyists’ gifts to lawmakers; and holding candidates accountable for their messaging via a public database of political ads.
Gun legislation: Branco, who says he is a gun owner, said he would not vote to ban assault weapons because he sees it as a "slippery slope." Rather, he supports making sure gun owners have the proper training, background checks and licensing. He supports the state's current conceal-carry law in which owners need a separate permit, noting that it helps keep police safe. He also said since state law supersedes municipal laws, he does not know how local governments can legally pass their own gun laws.
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