Published: February 01, 2008 11:45 am      

Former T-D publisher seeks 72nd district seat

When he served as publisher of The Tribune-Democrat, Chris Voccio made it clear he was no fan of governmental regulation.

Now, the Upper Yoder Township resident wants to become a lawmaker for the state House of Representatives in the 72nd Legislative District.

But Voccio, a Republican, said his beliefs have not changed. He pledges to go to Harrisburg with one primary goal in mind.

“My mission will be to reduce the size and the scope of government,” he said Thursday after a downtown Johnstown press conference.

Voccio is the second Republican to announce a candidacy for the House seat held by Democratic state Rep. Tom Yewcic, who has said he will not seek re-election this year.

Fellow Upper Yoder resident Scott Hunt, 25, also will vie for the 72nd district’s Republican nomination in the April 22 primary.

With no incumbent in the running, governmental reform is likely to be the campaign’s dominant re-frain.

Voccio touched on that theme during short speeches in Windber, Johnstown and Ebensburg, saying this area cannot afford “20 or 30 years of continued stagnation.”

“We need bold leaders who will stand up to the power brokers and party bosses,” he said.

Voccio, a 40-year-old Rhode Island native with a master’s degree in business administration, is touting his 20-year career in the newspaper business.

During more than three years at The Tribune-Democrat, he launched Johnstown Magazine and Johnstown Business Weekly.

He says he transformed The Tribune-Democrat into a “positive community advocate.”

After resigning in October, Voccio founded a monthly newspaper called The Pennsylvania Republican.

On Thursday, Voccio outlined a conservative platform including opposition to taxes in Pennsylvania that are “much too high.” Examples include levies on corporate income, gasoline and property, he said.

Voccio is anti-abortion; he also is lobbying for reform of the state’s legal system and preservation of gun-ownership rights.

On his campaign Web site, www.ChrisVoccio.com, Voccio’s top target is state government itself. He decries “politicians who bribe us with our own money by offering scraps and handouts.”

He advocates for the abolition of “a multitude” of governmental offices.

“Government’s role is to perform only those functions that we the people can’t handle on our own,” Voccio writes.

While eschewing partisan politics, Voccio also will have to battle to win votes in a Democratic district if he gets through the primary. But he believes his priorities are shared by many local voters.

“This is not a liberal district by any means,” he said. “I think the people of the 72nd district are receptive to these ideas.”