2026 Primary Election — May 19th. Polls open 7 AM to 8 PM. Find Your Polling Place →
★★★
America First County

Erie's Future.Our Fight.

This is a blue collar county built by people who work hard and expect their government to do the same. We're the party that shows up with receipts, not excuses.

Why Erie Needs Us
3.63%
Effective Property Tax Rate (2.5x national avg)
$96K
City Median Home Value
33%
City Population Decline Since 1960 Peak
$61K
County Median Household Income
Lower Property Taxes
Government Accountability
Support Small Business
Safe Neighborhoods
Fix Erie Schools
City Budget Transparency
Stop the Population Decline
Workforce Development
Lower Property Taxes
Government Accountability
Support Small Business
Safe Neighborhoods
Fix Erie Schools
City Budget Transparency
Stop the Population Decline
Workforce Development
News That Hits Home
View All Updates →
🔥 Hot Take

Erie County Council Voted to Fund ICE Detainee Housing

County Council approved Ordinance 27, allocating $433,620 to house immigrant detainees under an ICE contract. County Executive Brenton Davis pushed the initiative. The vote drew a packed room and nearly an hour of public comment. We support enforcing federal immigration law at the local level.

Updated Feb 2026 Read More →
👁️ Watching

City's "Welcoming City" Status vs. Federal Law

Erie is a certified "Welcoming City." Some city council members want to block police cooperation with ICE entirely. Mayor Schember says EPD won't focus on detention but will assist with violent crime. Where do our local leaders actually stand? We're tracking every vote.

Updated Feb 2026 Read More →
✅ Win

County Budget: ~$550M, No Tax Increase

County Executive Brenton Davis delivered a 2026 spending plan with no property tax increase. That matters when Erie County's property tax rate is already 2.5x the national average. We need more of this. Holding the line is the bare minimum.

Oct 2025 Read More →
🔥 Hot Take

Local Businesses Targeted by Political Boycotts

Erie businesses are being targeted with boycotts and online petitions over political disagreements. This is wrong. We support every local business owner's right to run their operation without political harassment. Buy local. Support your neighbors. Period.

Ongoing Read More →
👁️ Watching

$162M Bayfront Parkway: On Budget?

The Bayfront Parkway overhaul is the biggest infrastructure project Erie has seen in decades. The goal is to reconnect downtown to the waterfront. The price tag is over $162 million. We're watching every dollar. Taxpayers deserve a project that comes in on time and on budget.

Updated Oct 2025 Read More →
✅ Win

Sen. Laughlin Introduces ICE Notification Bill

State Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) introduced a bill requiring prosecutors to notify ICE when illegal immigrants are charged with crimes. Common sense. If someone is here illegally and commits a crime, the feds should know about it.

Feb 2026 Read More →
60 Years of One Party Rule

The last Republican mayor of Erie left office in 1965. Since then, Democrats have controlled City Hall without interruption. Here's what happened on their watch.

1966
Democrats Take City Hall
Louis Tullio becomes mayor. City population near its all-time peak: 138,440. A manufacturing powerhouse. The GE locomotive plant alone employs over 18,000 workers.
1966-1989
The Tullio Era: 8 Terms, 24 Years
Hammermill Paper acquired by International Paper in 1988. Operations leave. Population drops from 138K to ~108K. 30,000 people gone under one mayor. Democrat Savocchio succeeds him. Party keeps control.
1990s
Factories Close. Taxes Climb.
Manufacturing drops from 30% of regional employment and keeps falling. GE cuts 1,500 workers in 1995. Property taxes rise as the tax base shrinks. Fewer businesses paying in. Same government overhead.
2000-2010
Near Bankruptcy. 8,900 Mfg. Jobs Gone.
2000 Census: 103,717. City nearly enters Act 47 financial distress. Manufacturing employment falls 23.6% in seven years. 2010 Census: 101,786. City has lost over a third of its peak population.
2007-2016
Headquarters Keep Leaving Erie
Zurn Industries (est. 1900): sold 2007, HQ to Milwaukee. GE Transportation: HQ moved from Erie to Chicago in 2013. LORD Corporation (est. 1924): HQ already in North Carolina. Companies born here keep leaving.
2017-2019
GE Gutted. LORD Sold.
GE ends locomotive production in Erie (2017). Work moves to Fort Worth, Texas. LORD Corporation sold to Parker Hannifin (Cleveland) for $3.675 billion. GE division sold to Wabtec (Pittsburgh). Plant workforce: ~1,000. Was 18,000+.
2020
Pop. 94,831. Republicans Win County.
Census 2020: 94,831. Nearly 44,000 residents gone since Democrats took control. City poverty rate: 23.3%. Republican Brenton Davis wins County Executive. First GOP win in nearly two decades. No tax increase.
2026
Still Declining. Still Democrat.
Population ~92,000 and falling. City tax rate: 3.63% (national avg: 1.02%). City median household income: $43,397 (national: $80,610). Zip code 16501 is the poorest in Pennsylvania. The incoming Democratic mayor herself warned Erie is heading toward an Act 47 state takeover.
60
Consecutive Years Under Democratic Mayors
~47,000
Residents Lost Since 1966
3.63%
City Tax Rate (National Avg: 1.02%)
$43K
City Median Income (National: $81K)

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial, ACS 2023), World Population Review, Bureau of Labor Statistics Erie MSA, Data USA, Ownwell Property Tax Data, Penn State Behrend Economic Research Institute, RealClearPennsylvania, CBS News, GE/Wabtec press releases

Our North Star

Make Erie
Affordable Again

Erie was built by people who made things. Steel. Locomotives. Plastics. Paper. Generations of families put in the work and built something real here.

Today, property taxes are 2.5 times the national average on homes worth a fraction of what they should be. That's not a housing market. That's a trap. And the people who've been running things aren't fixing it.

We believe in something simple: you should be able to afford to live in the city you love. Lower taxes. Less wasteful spending. More opportunity for the people who are actually here doing the work. That's not radical. That's common sense.

Real Issues. Real Plans.
🏠

Property Tax Reform

Erie's 3.63% effective rate is crushing homeowners. Pennsylvania already allows school districts to shift funding from property taxes to earned income taxes or local personal income taxes with voter approval. A county sales tax option has also been proposed statewide. We support exploring every alternative that gets Erie off the backs of homeowners.

💼

Jobs & Small Business

Erie lost over 30,000 manufacturing jobs and watched major employers leave for Texas, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Health care and insurance now lead. We need less red tape, lower costs for small businesses, and a local government that actually fights to keep companies here.

🛡️

Public Safety

Safe streets aren't a political issue. They're a basic expectation. We support our law enforcement, advocate for full staffing, and demand prosecutors enforce the law.

📚

Erie Schools

Pennsylvania spends $22,000 per student. That's 7th highest in the nation. Erie's schools still perform below state benchmarks. The district nearly went insolvent in 2016. Zip code 16501 is the poorest in the state. More money isn't the answer when results don't follow the spending.

🏗️

Housing & Development

Erie's median home value is $96K. Affordable on paper. But with a 3.63% tax rate, the carrying cost crushes families. We need zoning reform, faster permitting, and blight cleanup that makes existing neighborhoods worth investing in.

📊

City Budget & Accountability

The incoming mayor herself warned Erie is heading toward an Act 47 state takeover. City median income is $43,397. National is $80,610. We need line-by-line budget transparency, spending controls, and leaders who treat your tax dollars like their own.

The Numbers Don't Lie

We believe you deserve to see the data. Not spin. Not talking points. Just the reality of where Erie stands and what needs to change.

$2,898
Median Annual Property Tax
2.59%
County Tax Rate (National avg: 1.02%)
~92,000
City of Erie Population (est. 2026)
$162M+
Bayfront Parkway Project Cost
$500M
Projected Economic Impact (Infinite Erie Playbook)
3,500+
Jobs If Playbook Fully Implemented
$43M+
Funding Secured (Local/State/Federal)
35
Investment Playbook Projects
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024, Data USA, PA Dept. of Education, Ownwell Property Tax Data, Infinite Erie Investment Playbook, Erie County Finance Dept., BLS Erie MSA
The People Fighting for Erie
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Property Taxes Small Business Public Safety
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Jobs Education City Accountability
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Housing City Budget Blight Cleanup
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Lower Taxes Erie Schools Accountability
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Workforce Dev Infrastructure Fiscal Responsibility
2026 Candidate
Candidate Name
Office Being Sought
Short bio goes here. Two to three sentences about their background, why they're running, and what they bring to the table. Keep it real.
Economic Growth Neighborhood Safety Snow Removal

Candidates will be announced as filing deadlines approach. Check back for updates.

This Isn't a Spectator Sport
02

Run for Office

Erie needs leaders who've actually lived here, worked here, and paid taxes here. If you're tired of complaining and ready to do something about it, let's talk.

Schedule a Meeting →
03

Become a Poll Worker

Hundreds of reliable, upstanding citizens are needed to ensure elections run smoothly and honestly. It's one of the most direct ways to serve your community.

Sign Up →
04

Volunteer

Got a few hours? We need people to pass out voter guides, make phone calls, knock doors, and show up. Every campaign runs on people who give a damn.

Get Started →
05

Register Republican

If you believe in lower taxes, personal freedom, and government that stays in its lane, you're already one of us. Make it official.

Register Now →
Events & Meetings
MAR
10

Petition Filing Deadline

Last day to circulate and file nomination petitions for 2026 races. Erie County Voter Registration Office, 140 W. 6th St.

APR
08

Monthly Committee Meeting

1600 Peninsula Drive, Erie · Open to all committee members. Updates and local candidate forums.

MAY
04

Last Day to Register for Primary

You must be registered at least 15 days before the election. Don't miss the deadline.

MAY
19

2026 Primary Election Day

Polls open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM across Erie County. Find your polling location.

Find Your Precinct

Enter your address to find your precinct, your committee members, your polling location, and how to get involved in your backyard.

We Show Our Work

Erie County Budget Watch

Your property taxes are 2.5x the national average. Where is that money going? We track county spending so you don't have to take their word for it.

~$550M
2026 County Spending Plan
$2,898
Median Tax Bill
2.59%
County Tax Rate
1.02%
National Avg Rate

Our Fundraising Transparency

We believe in showing you exactly where your donations go. Every dollar raised by the Erie County Republican Committee goes toward electing Republicans locally.

Candidate Support45%
Voter Outreach & Events30%
Operations & Infrastructure25%