CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. -- A special election will be held Tuesday in Cumberland County to determine who will take over a vacant seat in the state House of Representatives.
Former Representative Glen Grell vacated the house seat in the 87th District. He resigned to become the executive director of Pennsylvania's Public School Employee's Retirement System.
The district covers the borough of Camp Hill, as well as Hampden, East Pennsboro and Silver Spring townships.
Tuesday's special election is between Greg Rothman (R) and Robert Charles (D).
Charles was previously an executive for technology company IBM. He says one of his focuses is to legalize medical marijuana.
"Heroin is legal for medicine in the form of morphine. But marijuana for kids with epilepsy, vets with PTSD, these people need help and a simple change in the law can provide it," Charles said.
He is up against Rothman, who is the head of a relator company in Lemoyne. He also co-owns the Harrisburg Senators baseball team. He says his 26 years of bringing people together in the real estate business will help him in office. He thinks the legislature can come up with a comprehensive budget with no tax increases.
There are 45,000 registered voters in the 87th District. The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cumberland County election officials say the special election will cost the county about $60,000.