Destiny Howard

The Pennsylvania State House 65th District seat has been in Republican control since Republican Jim Lynch defeated Democrat Curt Bowley in 1992. It’s an uphill battle for any Democratic candidate, but Destiny Howard believes this just might be her … well, destiny.

Howard made news earlier this month by becoming the first Democrat to appear on their party’s primary election ballot for this seat. It was a race to the finish collecting the necessary signatures to make that possible.

At 27 years old, Howard talks about family members’ battles with addiction and poverty as motivation to launch this campaign. She grew up in Ellington, but has lived in Warren for the past seven years.

She cites her age and inexperience in politics as a strength stating she has more energy and is not “bought and paid for” like many career politicians.

Howard sites unaffordability and lack of child care, health care, and housing as challenges that the 65th District is facing right now. She also talks about needing a livable wage and more job opportunities as major issues.

When asked about rising gas prices, especially in our region, Howard said, “Let’s not pretend that we don’t all know that the United Refinery has a monopoly over the gas stations in the area. And they are taking advantage of the fact that they are people’s only options.”

United Refinery is a large employer in the Warren area and describes itself on its website as being a good neighbor for Warren.

When asked whether she agrees with that assessment, Howard said, “No I would not agree with that description. Would a good neighbor know that you need gas to go to work and take care of your family and not alleviate some of that cost?”

Howard supports lowering the Pennsylvania Gas Tax, one of the highest in the country and replacing that with a shale extraction tax and legalizing and taxing marijuana. She estimates that legalizing marijuana would provide $2.8 billion to the state and create between 30,000 and 45,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.

When asked about lowering prices at the pump, she talked about encouraging more competition in the area and tackling monopolies as being part of her solution. She talked about her own experience at the gas station that day, “$3.99. That one hurt.”

It will be an uphill battle certainly, but political experts are already looking at the 2026 elections as being a change election, as many midterm elections are. Will the 65th District ever turn from red to blue? Destiny may be calling.

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