Temple students run for office

Two students at Temple University in North Philadelphia have decided that the best way to beat the Pennsylvania legislature is to join it.

Casey Roncaglione, a 20-year-old sophomore, and David Boyer, a 28-year-old senior, want to get on the ballot for state representative in districts 164 and 197, respectively.

Both decided to run as a reaction to the state legislature's vote last summer to raise lawmakers' pay. Representatives made use of a loophole to collect the additional money, though technically the hike should not have taken effect until after the next election.

After a burst of public outrage, lawmakers voted to repeal the raise in November.

Boyer was inspired to join the race by PACleanSweep, a non-partisan, non-profit corporation organized around opposition to the legislative pay-raise.

PACleanSweep supports any candidate hoping to unseat a Pennsylvania incumbent in 2006.

"I found out what they wanted to do and agreed with all of it," Boyer said.

Roncaglione decided not to join PACleanSweep, citing differences in ideology and his refusal to sign their pledge.

Both said that their youth will add credibility to their campaign.

"I think my age is a great benefit," Roncaglione said. "I am trustworthy. [My opponent] has been part of the system for too long."

Roncaglione faces incumbent Mario Civera, a Republican, who has held his seat for more than 25 years.

"This young man doesn't have a clue where he's going," Civera said. He would not comment further on his campaign or his opponent.

Boyer faces Rep. Jewell Williams, a Democrat, who has been in office since 2000. Williams did not answer repeated requests for comment.

Though the students' youth may work to their benefit, both are currently at a disadvantage when it comes to campaign money.

Roncaglione reported a total of $7 in his campaign fund, while Boyer would only say that his amount was "minimal."

Civera logged more than $100,000 in contributions in 2005. Williams did not record any campaign contributions in 2005, but received more than $50,000 in 2004.

Boyer, whose district includes a part of Temple University's campus, will be able to solicit votes from fellow students, but Roncaglione's district is located in Upper Darby and does not contain any schools of comparative size to Temple.

Roncaglione and Boyer both said they would back ethics reform and raising the minimum wage.

Penn Political Science professor Henry Teune said he did not expect the incumbents to be unseated but noted that a campaign organized around a compelling issue can often have a surprising result.

"I don't think they'll make it on [voter dissatisfaction] alone," Teune said. "But I would have expected the anti-pay-raise thing to fizzle by now, so it's hard to predict."

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