Veteran, Democrat Challenges Micozzie In 2012 Elections

Sheamus Bonner, a 19-year veteran of the United States Army, has decided to throw his hat in the ring and compete against incumbent Republican Nick Micozzie for the state representative’s position for the 163rd district in the 2012 elections.

Micozzie is most likely going to be Haverford Township’s new state representative after the commonwealth’s Reapportionment Commission has approved to move the township’s 1st and 9th wards away from State Rep. Greg Vitali (D-166) and place it under the long-time Republican’s jurisdiction. Micozzie has been the state representative for the 163rd district for 34 years.

And redistricting is one of the key issues that Bonner, a Drexel Hill resident, will focus on, according to information released by his campaign manager, John Fennell.

“While redistricting has hurt many Democrats in Pennsylvania, it has made it possible for a Democrat like Sheamus to win in the 163rd. Thirty percent of the new district has been voting for Democrat Greg Vitali for nearly 20 years. With a concentrated effort by the candidate and a group of hardworking supporters, voters will be introduced to the type a candidate they want to represent them in Harrisburg,” stated the information.

However, Fennell admitted to the Haverford-Havertown Patch that Bonner has never held public office before.

“He is a Democrat and is 38 years old. He has not held elected office before, up until recently he had been a PA Corrections Officer, which prohibited him from running for elected office,” Fennell explained.

But Bonner’s campaign hopes that his past of being in the military will help in his race against Micozzie. While being a member of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper, Bonner has served in such places as Korea, Bosnia and the Middle East, among other locations.

In fact, it was during a mission in 2008 that he and his fellow soldiers were watching TV and learned about America’s financial hardships and how as soldiers, they felt leaders on the home front were taking their service for granted. These experiences helped shape Bonner’s decision to run for office.

In addition to the redistricting being an issue, Bonner’s campaign has given out additional subjects that the Strayer University business major, where he graduated Cum Laude, plans to tackle while on the campaign trail:

• Demands accountable and effective government brought to PA Legislature.

• Will prioritize job creation in Delaware County

• Improvements to public education

• Insists on responsible stewardship over Marcellus Shale

Please stay with Patch for a planned feature article on Bonner, as well as Micozzie.