Upper Darby Republican Committee Candidates

Candidates

Click a category below to see who is running for each position.

Governor

Click the candidate's name to learn more about them.

Doug Mastriano

Doug Mastriano is a husband, father, U.S. Army combat veteran and the son of a career U.S. Navyman.

Doug retired as a Colonel in November 2017, after 30 years of active-duty service. He's dedicated his life to fighting for freedom, defending our families, and serving the people of this exceptional nation.

In May 2019, Doug Mastriano was overwhelmingly elected to serve as the Senator for Pennsylvania's 33rd District. As a member of the PA Senate, Mastriano has been the leader in re-opening the state, pushing back on unconstitutional mandates, and the champion of individual freedom. He's been the voice of the people, and has reliably stood up and defended individual freedom when many others would not.

Mastriano was commissioned into the Army in 1986 and served on the Iron Curtain, where he witnessed the end of the Cold War, after which he deployed to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm (1991) to liberate Kuwait. He went on to serve in Washington, D.C., with the 3rd Infantry Division and U.S.Army, Europe.

After 9/11, Mastriano was the lead planner for the invasion of Iraq via Turkey. He served four years with NATO and deployed three times to Afghanistan. He was the director of NATO's Joint Intelligence Center in Afghanistan, leading 80 people from 18 nations. On his own initiative, Mastriano led seven relief operations to help Afghan orphans. He completed his military career as a professor of the U.S. Army War College, in Carlisle, PA, where he taught Strategic Studies to the next generation of senior leaders.

Mastriano completed his education with four master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in History. Doug is also an Eagle Scout and is proud to have worked as a young man as a paperboy, janitor, security guard, short-order cook, pizza delivery person, and dishwasher.

Doug is happily married to Rebbie (Rebecca Stewart) and they are proud parents to Josiah. Doug and Rebbie are active members of their church and they reside in Central Pennsylvania.

With more than thirty years of team-building during his life as a soldier, and his fearless service as a senator, Governor Doug Mastriano will make Pennsylvania the beacon of freedom and hope that it once was.

United States Senate

Click the candidate's name to learn more about them.

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Today, America’s heartbeat is in a code red in need of a defibrillator to shock it back to life.

Many of us feel like we’re in the adjacent operating room, armed with insights and already scrubbed up but reluctant to leave our quiet, serene setting for the chaos next door. But for me, stepping into the political arena is the right thing to do.

In our time of need, we want to be surrounded by people of action more than armchair intellectuals, because a great surgeon never censors ideas and never shuts off the light that shines on our wounds, which is what happened while our nation battled the pandemic.

Witnessing our nation’s failings of Covid, I learned that when you mix politics and medicine, you get politics instead of solutions. That’s why I am running for United States Senate—to help fix the problems and to help us all heal.

I spent my formative years preparing for a lifetime of challenging surgeries. This comes with the emotional fortitude to soothe the anxious looks of trusting relatives seeking safety for their loved ones that are being wheeled into the operating theatre. I expected my days to be measured by countless people saved, broken hearts repaired, and personal satisfaction earned in the quest to give people a second chance.

But sometimes, your life changes when you’re in the middle of making plans.

Growing up as an immigrant’s kid, I witnessed my family’s sacrifices to thrive in the USA. My father grew up dirt poor (literally sleeping on a dirt floor) and loved this country as much as anyone already here because he saw the deep darkness of the alternatives. I built on these formidable lessons, as my career has arced from surgeon to hosting my own TV show, with a 60-episode stint in between as the health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Two of the most important lessons were communicating tough stuff to the public (while still having them respect you) and the challenging reality that people act based on how they feel, not what they know.

My upbringing and my career have uniquely positioned me to make difficult decisions to help people in need. I will always remember the looks of the relatives, full of hope and trust and, yes, fear. I see that look today in so many people, expressed in so many ways, and I want to take the actions that can help restore the heartbeat of America.

The urgency of my decision crystalized during the pandemic. At least half a million American people have died from the virus, a devastating toll for families and communities. What also hurts is that many of those deaths were preventable.

Covid-19 became an excuse for government and elite thinkers who controlled the means of communication, especially social media and our major news agencies, to suspend debate. Dissenting opinions from leading scholars, even Nobel Laureates, were cancelled and ridiculed so their ideas could not be disseminated. Doctors were forbidden from prescribing legal medications for the first time in our nation’s history. I tried to fund clinical trials to re-purpose an already widely used drug for possible benefits against Covid-19, but they were banned. Instead, government mandated policies that caused unnecessary suffering.

The American public was patronized and misled instead of empowered. We were told to docilely lock down and let those in charge take care of the rest. When we tested positive for the virus, we were also told to wait at home until we got sick enough to warrant hospitalization…not a typical medical protocol. Elites with yards told those without yards to stay inside—where the virus was more likely to spread. And the arrogant, closed-minded people in charge closed our schools, shut down our businesses and took away our freedom.

America should have been the world leader on how to beat the pandemic. Instead, we were not. That’s not the America my parents came to. That’s not the one I grew up in. That’s not the one I want to leave behind.

In this emergency, we needed capable leaders ready to act—and we didn’t get that. The entire situation angered me. Sometimes, in medical emergencies, we will need to operate with swift and decisive action. Sometimes, we can use less invasive medications to correct course. Sometimes, we will use preventive health to stop problems from even emerging in the first place.

We need to use all of our tools to get the job done in society too. With our basic institutions at risk—and the nation in a very precarious position—we need to bravely make accurate diagnoses, and take bold, sometimes unpopular, steps before we can heal. And we must confront those who want to fundamentally change the very soul of America.

In the end, our generation needs to fight, for the benefit of our descendants—to leave them a better situation than we inherited. We have fumbled the baton we’re supposed to pass to our children. And I want to pick up that baton and start running toward our promising future.

I’m running for U.S. Senate to reignite our divine spark, bravely fight for freedom, and will tell it like it is.

United States Congress

Click the candidate's name to learn more about them.

Dave Galluch 5th District

Jeff Jones, a long-time resident of Upper Darby Township with his wife and children, is seeking your nomination for the office of Council At-Large for the township this election cycle. As a local soccer coach, insurance provider, and among other things, a member of the Upper Darby Economic Development Committee, Jeff has the true experience to serve and enhance all areas of the Upper Darby community.

He is stepping up to the plate and seeking your nomination because your Township deserves leaders who have not only the necessary experience to be a great leader, but someone whose hand has been on the pulse of the community that ensures him to truly advocate for you. We all want to allow our children to play outside on safe streets, live within our financial means, and ensure that we have well-equipped emergency responders to protect our citizens. Jeff’s common sense approach to policy allows him to do just that, and his wide range of experiences gives him the ability to bring a fresh perspective to Upper Darby.

If elected, common sense legislation and fiscal responsibility will be reflected in the policy by the Upper Darby Council, and Jeff will continue to put people before party in order to initiate change in the community and serve the Township as a whole.

State Senate

Click the candidate's name to learn more about them.

Frank Agovino

Frank is a small business owner, entrepreneur, and long-time educator. As a businessman, Frank’s companies employ over 60 people within the 26th Senatorial District, the same District he seeks office. Frank knows the challenges of growing and sustaining a successful business while managing a budget, making payroll, and providing employees a workplace to grow and provide for their families.

Frank and his businesses have garnered many awards through the years, including the Delco Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of Year Award 2022. “While notoriety is nice,” Agovino said, “the achievement I am most proud is being part of a team that kept our crew working during the darkest days of the Pandemic.”

Frank has spent over 15 years serving his community as a School Director for Springfield School District. As a Board Member, Frank has served as President twice, Vice President and as Treasurer and Finance Chair. While Frank has been a Board Member, Springfield School has enjoyed unprecedented growth.

Among many accomplishments, Frank was Board President in June 2015 when the new Springfield High School was approved. Frank was intimately involved with the conception, planning, public communication, and financing of High School Master Plan. Projected to cost $135 million dollars, the finalized plan came in under budget at $128 million dollars, while affecting local property taxes minimally. The High School opened in 2020.

Frank has also spent over 13 years at Delaware County Community College as an Executive Director in Workforce Development Division of the College. Frank’s experiences in career and technical education and training uniquely qualify him to provide expertise to the Pennsylvania Senate in providing access to residents in the most essential occupations.

Frank has also served on many boards throughout his career, and currently is the Treasurer for the New Avenue Foundation (NAF). NAF provides more meaningful lives for people with disabilities, including gainful employment. Other boards on which he has served include the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, Delaware County Technical Education Board, YMCA of Eastern Delaware County, Manufacturers Alliance of Delaware and Chester Counties, and the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.

Frank graduated West Catholic High School for Boys, received his B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University in Marketing and his M.S. from Cabrini University in Organizational Leadership.

Born in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Frank currently resides in Springfield, Pennsylvania with his wife Laura, also a small business owner, and their daughter Alexa and furry family member, Ginger.

Ultimately, Frank’s work ethic will be utilized every day to make the life of his constituents better. “I am a first generation American-born to two Italian immigrants, John and Rose, who came to America in pursuit of dream of a better life. I honor those sacrifices by giving back to my community.”

State Representative

Click the candidate's name to learn more about them.

Ken Rucci 163rd District

Ken has strong roots in the 163rd as a lifelong resident of the community and proudly raising his family within the district. Growing up in Stonehurst Hills with his two younger brothers, Ken learned at an early age to appreciate the importance of working hard to provide for your family and eventually giving back to your community.

Ken and his brothers were raised by a single parent, who showed firsthand that hard work, determination, and sense of community are values needed to be successful in any aspect of life. These are the lessons that Ken embraces within his own family and promises to take to Harrisburg. As your representative, Ken will fight for the 163rd families and businesses that have had to grapple with overreaching mandates the past 2 years.

For nearly a decade, Ken served proudly as a member of the Upper Darby School Board. During his tenure, he was elected President of the Board and oversaw responsibility for the district’s 12,000 students.

Ken, his loving wife Marian of 32 years, and two sons are all graduates of the Upper Darby School District. His experience in Upper Darby only reinforced his passion to continue a career in public service as a quality education system is the backbone for a thriving community. In addition to understanding the positive impact from a quality education, Ken’s time on the Board has equipped him with the tools needed to go to Harrisburg. He will use the experiences to find solutions to help solve the complexity of issue in education funding driven by real estate taxes.

Today our community is struggling to come back from the impacts of the pandemic and economy that include restrictive mandates, unemployment, and rising costs. Ken’s focus will be on the hardworking families and businesses of the 163rd by addressing the actual everyday issues that seemed to lost in our current divisiveness.

Follow Us!

Follow us on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and happenings!