Penn State-Shenango professor to run against U.S. Rep. Kelly

Associated Press

SHARON, Pa.

A psychology professor at the Penn State-Shenango campus is the first Democrat to announce she’ll run against freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly.

Missa Eaton, 48, of Sharon, has never run for public office but has been active in Democratic politics in Mercer County, campaigning for President Barack Obama in 2008 and twice for former Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper.

Kelly, a Butler County car dealer, won the seat from Dahlkemper, the Erie County incumbent, in 2010.

Eaton says she decided to run after redistricting put all of Mercer County in Kelly’s 3rd Congressional District.

Only part of Eaton’s home county was in the district when Kelly beat Dahlkemper. But now only part of Erie County — a Democrat stronghold — is in the district, instead of the entire county.