Bryon Short, running for his first full term in the state House of Representatives, is set to face a familiar opponent.
Short, a builder who’s heading several Wilmington redevelopment projects, will again face Republican Jim Bowers, who he defeated just last April in a special election following the resignation of Wayne Smith.
Short raised some eyebrows by winning as a Democrat in the 7th District – a Brandywine Hundred district long-dominated by Republicans. He believes he’s even a stronger candidate now that voters have his record to consider.
“I think I’ve shown that I have an ability to help sides come together,” he said. “I’m one of two self-employed small business people in the caucus and I think people appreciate the fact that I have a different perspective.”
Short said he wanted the opportunity to continue to work to improve the quality of life of the residents in his district.
He said he is awaiting data from the Philadelphia International Airport taken from a noise monitor he helped get placed in the district. He said that data would give a more accurate snapshot of the kind of airplane noise being experienced in Brandywine Hundred than data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, which used modeling based on monthly averages. He said the data could give the region a better argument for having flight paths re-routed.
“I just want empirical data that says whether they are exceeding the federally established noise limits and I want it on a daily basis as opposed to an average,” he said.
Short also said he plans on pushing for the increased assistance from the state in snow removal. He said currently, communities can be reimbursed for snow plowing if more than 4 inches fall, but said there are no such provisions for icy roads – leading some communities in his heavily suburban district to leave their streets untreated altogether.
He said he also plans to push transportation officials for more walking and cycling paths in his district.
“This district is laid out very well in terms of distances to ride and walk, but instead we have a lot of car traffic – a lot of speeding and aggressive driving,” he said.
On a statewide level, Short said he would continue to push for open state government to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He said he also supports legislation that would direct the Attorney General’s office to represent of the citizen in a contested FOIA request with a state agency, who already has its own counsel.
He also said he would remain dedicated to advocating for a state-wide health insurance purchasing pool he said could reduce healthcare costs for thousands of families and small business owners. He said ultimately, he’d like to see a universal healthcare implemented at the federal level.
“That’s the goal, but until we get there I’ve worked with people to put as many pieces of the puzzle together to cover as many people as we can,” he said.
Short, 42, lives in Highland Woods with his wife Kristin and two daughters.
