Ritchie Webb to Run Against Rep. Frank Farry

Ritchie Webb, the man who led the Neshaminy School Board through the five-year contract impasse before resigning in December, will be challenging Langhorne-based Republican State Rep. Frank Farry for the 142 district seat.

“I just think I can do a better job,” Webb said of running against Farry.

“I don’t think he’s been responsive to the school pension fund crisis, which is breaking school districts.”

“Neshaminy School District had a pension debt of about $4 million recently. In fiscal year 2014-2015 it will be $16 million and something has to be done about that, Webb added.

Webb said his decision to run as a Democrat was based upon the fact “that the Republican party doesn’t have an open primary process.”

“[Farry’s] the incumbent so it would be an easy win for him”, Webb said.

Rumors of Webb throwing his hat in the ring have been circulating for weeks and political sources have been telling LevittownNow.com Webb was weighing his options up until Wednesday morning, sources say.

Although Webb didn’t specify, sources close to him are betting that  Governor Corbett’s presence at the top of the Republican ticket in his re-election bid will have a “down ticket effect” for Republicans throughout the state and specifically in Lower Bucks, which is a democratic base.

After resigning from the school board a few months ago, Webb said the pension fund issues needs to be solved. “Otherwise, how do you keep schools and the programs they offer open?” Webb said in explaining why he is running.

Farry said late Monday he was surprised Webb has thrown his hat in the ring.

“I look forward to talking about what we’ve done in Harrisburg to make the community a better place,” he said.

If Webb wins the Democratic nomination in the May primary, he will run against Farry in the November general election.

Rumors of a third candidate entering the race has circulated recently, but no official word has come down.

State representatives’ districts will change come the new year as part of redistricting that comes every 10 years. Voters this year will cast their ballot based on the new districts. As part of the change, the 142nd district will lose parts of Middletown’s Levittown section and all of Hulmeville and Penndel, which are the areas where Webb is most well known. The district will gain all of Upper Southampton and the remaining part of Lower Southampton.

Farry has faced opposition before but political insiders say Webb will be his most serious competition.

Here’s some background on the two candidates: 

• Farry has been a firefighter for over 20 years, serving roughly 14 of those years as chief of the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University and a juris doctor from Rutgers University School of Law. The Langhorne resident also serves with several local non-profits.
• Webb has owned a business and worked in the Levittown area for years. He currently leads the Bristol Township School District’s culinary service department. He gained local and some national attention during the five-year Neshaminy contract impasse. Many in the district credit Webb, who was the school board president, with ending the dispute. Webb stepped down from the board in December, citing he wanted to spend more  free time with his wife and family. Webb was most recently associated with the citizen group Middletown Taxpayers United, which fought the town’s Earned Income Tax.

Below is a press release put out by Webb:

Citing unfunded state mandates and out of control property taxes that threaten every child, taxpayer and school system in Pennsylvania, former Neshaminy School Board President Ritchie Webb today announced he will seek election to the House of Representatives in the 142nd

“Our schools are supposed to ensure that every child gets a great education,” said Webb. “But too often we must cut, cut, cut – leaving our schools a hollow shell of what they once were and rather than what they need to be if our children are to compete in the global economy.”

He pointed out that the Neshaminy School District contribution to the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) went from roughly $2 million in 2010-11 school year to an estimated $8 million in the 2014-15 school year (the portion covered by local taxpayers).

“I cannot stand by and watch Pennsylvania school districts close buildings, cut programs, and tax our seniors out of their homes without trying to help solve these problems,” said Webb. “Our current state legislator has done little to help alleviate this problem or the pension train wreck, instead voting for Tom Corbett’s $1 billion cut to education.”

Webb will work as a fulltime state representative and would not work as a consultant or accept outside income. He also cited his disappointment in Frank Farry for working for an incinerator company as another reason for running.

“When I read in the newspaper that Frank was working as a consultant for the company petitioning to build the incinerator rather than investigating the company on behalf of his constituents, I was truly stunned. That shows that his priorities are miss-directed and do not reflect the best interest of the communities.

Last week, Webb changed his voter registration from Republican to Democrat to run for state representative stating that the local Republican Party was committed to the current incumbent and that the issues facing Pennsylvania were too important not be involved in the process.

Webb is food services director for a local school district and has owned a variety of small businesses over the years including a catering business, a tax preparation service and a company that provides training to food service workers.

A resident of Middletown Township, Webb lives with his wife of 43 years, Jennie. They have five children, Jennie, Holly, Ritchie Jr, Aaron and Charles and seven grandchildren.

Related:

• Neshaminy School Board Member Ritchie Webb Resigns
• Rep. Farry Announces Reelection Campaign
• Webb Reacts to Being Named Among ‘Worst Persons in the Sports World’
• Middletown Taxpayer Group Leader: ‘We’re In It For The Long Haul’
• Neshaminy Board Prez: Redskins Name Not a Slur
• Neshaminy Board Approves New Contract
• ‘Tentative’ Contract Agreement Reached in Neshaminy