Wagner Calls for More U.S. Manufacturing, Backs Congressional Term and Age Limits

Editor’s note: The 228 Times has invited U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly to participate in a recorded interview addressing the same questions posed to challenger Justin Wagner. This article is part of our local election coverage and does not constitute an endorsement.

MARS — Expanding U.S. manufacturing and establishing congressional term and age limits were among the priorities Justin Wagner outlined during an interview Monday evening in downtown Mars. The Democratic challenger also discussed household costs, health care and Social Security.

Justin Wagner, a Democratic challenger and Mercer Borough councilman, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly in Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District.

“Mostly, like I said, it’s the stuff that’s affecting them at their kitchen table,” Wagner said. “Rent, groceries, prescription medicine, gas.”

Wagner described himself as a controls and automation engineer and military veteran. He lives in Mercer Borough with his wife and four daughters and grew up in Greenville, where he began working in a local steel plant as a teenager, according to biographical information provided by his campaign in response to follow-up questions.

His campaign said he has also volunteered as a youth hockey coach and served as a musician in his church’s worship ministry. Wagner said concerns about the country’s direction and the future facing his daughters helped motivate him to run.

His engineering work, he said, involves designing machinery for different industries. He also cited experience in steel and advanced manufacturing as preparation for addressing economic issues in the district.

On manufacturing, Wagner described an approach he calls “Ships and Chips,” aimed at expanding domestic shipbuilding and semiconductor production. He said he would emphasize producing the components needed for technological growth, rather than focusing primarily on developing data centers.

Wagner also supports congressional term limits and age limits, along with restrictions addressing insider stock trading by members of Congress. He did not specify a maximum age or number of terms during the interview.

Household costs and jobs

Wagner said he favors a more selective approach to tariffs, supporting their use to protect industries such as steel and aluminum while opposing tariffs on products the United States does not produce in sufficient quantities.

Wagner said tariffs should be used “like a scalpel and not a shotgun” and applied strategically.

He also called for broader Medicare authority to negotiate prescription drug prices and said he opposes privatizing Social Security.

Asked how he would pay for his proposals, Wagner pointed to the CHIPS and Science Act and federal infrastructure legislation as potential funding sources. He also argued that higher wages could generate additional tax revenue without changing the percentage workers pay. He did not provide a detailed budget or cost estimate during the interview.

Wagner said he would support investment in vocational schools, career centers and skilled trades, including plumbing and electrical work. He also backed union wages, employee ownership and profit sharing.

Asked about balancing worker protections with employers’ costs, he said negotiations require compromise but should favor the people earning the wages.

Health care and retirement

Wagner said he supports raising what he described as the Social Security cap to help maintain the program’s solvency, as well as protecting Medicaid funding. He did not specify a dollar threshold. He also favors moving toward a Medicare-for-all system, which he described as something that should be built “from the ground up.”

His interest in Medicaid is personal, he said. His mother recently died of cancer, and he said the program helped his family avoid substantial medical debt.

Asked about services that help older adults remain at home, including Pennsylvania’s LIFE programs, Wagner said he supports efforts to preserve independence when possible. His mother was able to spend her final weeks at home with hospice care, he said.

“Anything to have people retain their independence, if they’re able to, I would be in support of,” he said.

Immigration and individual rights

Wagner said border security is necessary, along with legal pathways to citizenship and respectful treatment of immigrants. He criticized current immigration enforcement practices and called for accountability.

He also opposed broad surveillance of U.S. citizens, citing concerns about automated license plate cameras and the use of artificial intelligence to collect information. He said privacy and the handling of collected data would be concerns for him in Congress.

On abortion, Wagner identified himself as pro-choice and said Congress should codify the protections associated with Roe v. Wade.

On firearms, he said he supports the Second Amendment and owns several guns, while also supporting restrictions on access for people he described as violent, domestic abusers or mentally ill. He did not outline specific legislation or eligibility standards.

“I am a proponent of the Second Amendment, but I’m also a proponent of making sure that people are safe,” he said.

Accountability and access

In a written response to follow-up questions, Wagner said his experience serving on Mercer Borough Council over the past year had shaped his approach to representing constituents.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned serving on Mercer Borough Council for the last year is that good government starts with listening to the people you’re supposed to represent,” he wrote.

“These are your neighbors. You have to look them in the eye and answer for the decisions you make.”

Asked where he differs from his own party, Wagner criticized Democrats who accept corporate political money. He said he does not accept corporate PAC contributions and supports overturning Citizens United.

Asked how he would represent voters who strongly support President Donald Trump, Wagner said they would receive the same service as anyone else in his district.

“They are still deserving of representation here in the United States,” he said.

Wagner said he would work with Republicans when proposals benefit Pennsylvania residents. If elected, he pledged to hold at least one open, in-person town hall each month and provide access through constituent services.