The race for the Pennsylvania 131st House District seat pits Republican two-term incumbent Milou Mackenzie against Democratic challenger Meriam Sabih.
The 131st District includes portions of Montgomery County consisting of the townships of Marlborough, Salford and Upper Hanover and the boroughs of East Greenville, Green Lane, Pennsburg and Red Hill; part of Northampton County consisting of the township of Lower Saucon (Voting Districts 01, 02, 04, 07 and 08) and portions of Lehigh County consisting of the townships of Lower Milford, Salisbury (ward 03, part, Division 01), Upper Milford and Upper Saucon and the borough of Coopersburg;
Mail-in and drop-off voting has already begun. In-person voting will take place on Election Day, Nov. 5.
MediaNews Group provided the same set of questions to both candidates. What follows are their responses:
What inspired you to run for office?
Meriam Sabih: “I am a concerned mom of three young boys, a long-time community organizer, and a volunteer. I believe in showing up for my neighbors, being there, genuinely listening, and working together. I will do more than hand out certificates when a business opens. I believe in working hard and showing up. I also have a Master’s Degree from Lehigh University in Political Science and am a journalist writing on national and international news including education and democracy. I have researched complex issues and written about them and now it is my intention to continue to serve my community without having an extreme agenda on either side. Our politics has unfortunately become so polarized and I’m running to be a moderate sensible voice that will serve and shun extremism in our politics and work together. My opponent has voted against reproductive rights with no exceptions whatsoever, for mandatory funerals for fetal remains with no options for families to opt-out, against fairly funding our public schools, and wanted to overthrow the elections in Pennsylvania. We need someone who will make sure we make better and more compassionate decisions for our families and the state.”
Milou Mackenzie: “When our State Representative chose to retire, I thought it was a great time for me to give back to the community that had given so much to me — as a parent, as a small business owner, and as a longtime resident. I was also concerned about the direction of state government and wanted to bring real-life experience to Harrisburg to help ensure fiscal discipline and common sense.”
What prior experience do you have in elected office?
Milou Mackenzie: “I have been honored to serve my neighbors and community as their state representative since they first elected me in 2020. In that time, I have worked hard to fight for our community’s fair share from Harrisburg, deliver excellent constituent services, and be a strong voice for the concerns of local residents.”
Meriam Sabih: I was previously elected as a precinct person, I have been an outreach coordinator for Southern Lehigh Dems, I’ve been part of political organizing, a poll greeter. I have registered people to vote on the streets of Allentown, done canvassing for other candidates, and have been a passionate voice for democratic values. I have a Master’s Degree from Lehigh University in Political Science and am a journalist writing on national and international news. I have the ability to research complex issues and write about various topics to impact public opinion. Now it is my intention not just to write but rather legislate for change.”
Name a single problem facing the district you are running to represent and how you would address that issue if elected.
Meriam Sabih: “If elected I will work tirelessly to lower the costs of living for our families and seniors, ensure we are prioritizing public education, and making sure our children and teachers have the resources they need to succeed. I would work to protect our reproductive freedoms and make sure the
government is not intruding into private and personal matters that belong between families and doctors. It is also important to ensure smart economic growth so we grow our local economy while protecting our greenspaces and quality of life.”
Milou Mackenzie: “Inflation caused by Washington’s over-spending and the challenges it is placing on workers, families, and our seniors. While I cannot control what Washington does from Harrisburg, I can continue to do what I have always done: fight for fiscally responsible government that controls spending and promotes economic and job growth.”
What role do you see the legislature playing in addressing the increasing number of homeless people in your district?
Milou Mackenzie: “We must promote an environment in this state that grows our economy and provides jobs for our people so they can reach personal economic stability. Ensuring our citizens have the preparation and opportunity for economic success — rather than relying on government programs — is the best way to help address issues such as homelessness that we face in society as a whole. Specifically to housing availability and affordability, we can pursue several avenues: supporting the revitalization of brownfields and distressed neighborhoods into affordable housing, streamlining the permitting process to speed up new inventory delivery, and reducing the transfer tax on home purchases are all examples of actions that can help address this issue.”
Meriam Sabih: “There is a problem with the number of houses and apartments that are available to rent. Access to affordable housing and low-income housing is one solution that can decrease the number of unhoused people. Important discussion with local zoning and state legislature as well as funding to bridge the gap in addressing the needs in our communities.”
What specific actions should the state legislature take to make life more affordable for the people living in your district?
Meriam Sabih: “I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment and know what it means to watch her parents struggle to put food on the table. I will do everything I can to bring down living costs for our hardworking families and seniors. School funding for breakfast and lunch programs has been shown to lift families out of poverty and improve academic performance. Increases in the amount of available housing will help to lower rent cost for families.”
Milou Mackenzie: “Again, look to Washington to learn what NOT to do. We must control spending and ensure the state lives within its means. That is something I have fought to do every day as representative. We must also promote an environment that encourages and assists in growing the economy of the private sector. Conservative fiscal policy mixed with a strong economy is the prescription for holding down inflation and costs.”
How will you gather feedback from the community regarding their needs and concerns?
Milou Mackenzie: “As state representative, I regularly meet with constituents and community groups to hear their ideas and concerns. I am also actively out in the community meeting with the people I represent and listening to what they have to say. I believe that personal interaction is the best way to gather feedback.”
Meriam Sabih: “The best part of the campaign by far has been meeting so many supportive, kind people at the doors and genuinely listening to their concerns. We have knocked on over 12,000 doors and are also meeting with many independent voters and moderate Republicans throughout the district. It has been the most wonderful experience meeting people one-on-one and hearing from them. I have made many connections with organizations within the district with whom I will continue to discuss their communities’ concerns. I intend to have an office in each of the three counties so I am available to meet with voters to continue those discussions and address their needs.”
Do you support the court decision regarding fair funding to schools? If yes would you continue to support increased funding to meet the goal over the next seven years? If no, why not?
Meriam Sabih: “The PA Supreme Court ruled the public school funding inequity is unconstitutional. I am in favor of increasing public school funding that has been outlined in Governor Shapiro budget. My opponent voted against this historic investment in education. I do not support reducing funding to public education by diverting dollars to charter schools. My opponent has advocated for charter school funding at the expense of public education which also increases our property taxes.”
Milou Mackenzie: “As representative, I have regularly supported smart investment in education — combined with initiatives that increase accountability — to improve student outcomes and protect taxpayers. For example, I was proud to support Act 55 that greatly increased investment in Career & Technical Education both here in our community and across the state. Even as I work to provide education the proper resources, I always remember a simple fact: whether school funding comes from Harrisburg or from your local tax dollars, it is all your money. That is why we must take steps that make the school funding system — in total — more fair for taxpayers and for school districts and students. One of the best examples of how to do this is to remove the “hold harmless” provision that has been disastrous to taxpayers in school districts with growing enrollment like those in our community. This change would also take politics out of the funding process and base decisions on auditable, public data.”
Do you support the idea of taking re-districting out of the hands of the legislature and instead creating a citizen’s commission to do the work every 10 years? Why?
Milou Mackenzie: “I do believe in an independent citizens’ commission provided it is truly independent and not stacked/chosen by political insiders to achieve their goals.”
Meriam Sabih: “I would agree that an independent organization to set re-districting based on census data would better the representation of all our citizens. Redistricting as a way to reduce political bias would promote fairer representation by minimizing the gerrymandered districts we have today.”
