David Winkler, a resident of Elkins Park, is looking to challenge Congresswoman Madeleine Dean in 2024.
Dean, a democrat, assumed office on January 3, 2019, and her current term ends on January 3, 2025. She and Winkler be running for the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District.
Originally from southern California, military and law enforcement careers moved Winkler all over the country and beyond before he settled in Elkins Park in 2020.
Now a father, he was a police officer in Tennessee for three years and served the U.S. military for 18 years with the army and marines, a stint which included multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea.
“Law enforcement and military life is pretty dangerous, so my wife and I made a mutual decision to leave that life behind and take on a corporate role. I went from dealing with narcotics and being deployed overseas to the self-storage industry,” he said.
Winkler is looking forward to the primaries in April.
“Right now I’m the only Republican. I think that there’s a lot we have to focus on in terms of getting a system of government that works for the people,” he said. “I take the oath I’ve taken so many times seriously. I think everyone’s been disenfranchised by politicians who only want to get reelected. I’m fiscally conservative. I think school choice is a great thing and I want business owners to be left alone.”
According to Ballotpedia.org, Dean, a Glenside native, has declared candidacy for the Democratic primary.
“People will see the ‘R’ in front of my name and make assumptions, but I see the election as everyone against the elitists. I’m a blue-collar person,” he said.
Pennsylvania’s primary elections don’t kick off until April 23, but candidates can start collecting ballot signatures on January 23.
Montgomery County will begin hosting conventions for the primaries around that time.
“I can see what’s creeping up from Northeast Philly, and I don’t want it coming here. I want to figure out a long-term solution for the Elkins Park area,” he said. “Having been a police officer, I learned to sympathize with people who are struggling with addiction. It’s similar with veterans’ issues, particularly homelessness. I want to be that difference maker.”
For more on Winkler’s campaign, you can click here.
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Photos: WinklerforPA4