Timko defeats Dukes, puts roads and growth atop House District 12 agenda

Republican Scott Timko defeated Democratic state Rep. Brandon Dukes on Tuesday, reversing the result of their August special election and winning a full term in Pennsylvania’s 12th House District. Timko said his most pressing concern heading to Harrisburg is whether roads and other infrastructure can keep up with development in southern Butler County.

Unofficial election results show Timko received 16,573 votes to Dukes’ 15,998, a margin of 575 votes, and Dukes conceded Wednesday morning Timko confirmed. Dukes had won the August special election by 98 votes.

“We still need more money for infrastructure,” Timko said in an interview with The 228 Times. “We’re still growing like a weed.”

Looking ahead on Routes 19 and 228

Timko pointed to Route 19 between Cranberry Township and Zelienople as a corridor where he expects development to accelerate over the next decade. He said local officials need to consider what kinds of housing and retail development are coming, whether sewer capacity can accommodate them and how runoff from additional pavement could affect Harmony.

On Route 228, Timko said he would look for ways to help secure funding while working with county officials and PennDOT. He said he wants to know how much of the work is funded, when it can be finished and whether the improvements will hold up as traffic grows.

“People understand we have to grow, we have to change roads, we have to change lights if we’re going to put this stuff in,” Timko said. “They just want to see, what is the plan? Is it going to be executed? When’s it going to be finished?”

Working with Mars and Adams

With Mars and Adams voters approving a merger Tuesday, Timko said he wants to build on his relationship with Adams Township supervisors Chairman Russ Ford and work with local officials as they carry out the transition. He described his role as helping municipalities navigate state agencies, find resources and resolve problems that require action in Harrisburg.

“Do you need something from Harrisburg you’re not getting? Maybe I can facilitate it,” Timko said. “If you find a roadblock, maybe we can find a different path around it to get to the endgame you already want.”

Timko said he would take a similar approach to working with Democrats in Harrisburg. A former Air Force pilot, he pointed to his 26 years as a pilots union member, including time in union leadership and contract negotiations. Pilots who disagreed politically could still work together on wages and working conditions, he said.

“I just have to look at every proposal on its face value, and if it’s good for Pennsylvania, if it’s good for HD-12, yeah, it’s going to have my support,” he said.

Timko said he plans to work with Dukes’ staff during the handoff so residents can continue getting help from the district office.

A sigh of relief

Timko, who previously ran for the seat in 2020 and 2022, said he returned to door-knocking and face-to-face conversations after losing the August special election. He said he sought out voters who disagreed with him, as well as supporters, at stops that included Applefest in Mars.

His wife, Donna Timko, was with him Tuesday night as the results came in. The two met while driving monorails at Walt Disney World and have been married for 36 years. When the result became clear, she said, her husband looked up, let out a sigh of relief and started hugging people.

“I just kept asking, ‘Is this the final number? Is this real? Is it real? Are we sure?’” she said.

For Timko, the stakes are close to home. His children still live in the area, he said, and his grandchildren are growing up here.

“My goal, as always, is to leave this community, leave this district, just a little bit better than how I found it,” he said.