Patrick Leonard declares candidacy for District 5 Lehigh County commissioner
Patrick M. Leonard, a former Upper Saucon Township supervisor, announced his candidacy for Lehigh County commissioner from District 5.
Jeffrey Dutt, who represents the district, previously announced he would not seek reelection and threw his support to Leonard. Both men are Republicans. The primary is May 20.
Leonard, in a press release issued Wednesday, said, “I grew up here, made my career here, and my wife and I raised our two boys here. This is home and I’m running to ensure that this remains a great place for families to work and raise their kids for generations to come.”
He was a township supervisor from January 2012 through February 2018, after which he was hired as the township’s director of general services and deputy emergency management coordinator. Leonard is also president of the Southern Lehigh Public Library board of directors; his term on the board ends Dec. 31. He is an Army veteran, having served from 1987-91.
In his announcement, Leonard, who is 58, said he would work to make county government more efficient and not waste taxpayers’ money.
“We need to ensure that Lehigh County remains a safe place for families,” he said. “This means prioritizing our emergency services. Too often, emergency services are forgotten until needed. Unfortunately, we’ve seen what can happen when natural disasters strike communities. We owe it to our community and the taxpayers to be prepared.”
In his endorsement, Dutt said Leonard “has dedicated his life in service to his country and his community.”