Republican incumbent Rep. Valerie Gaydos is being challenged again by Democrat Hadley Haas.
In Pennsylvania’s 44th state House District, a heated rematch is taking place. Incumbent Republican Representative Valerie Gaydos won her seat with 54% of the vote in 2024. She is being challenged again by Democrat Hadley Haas.
Gaydos is currently serving her fourth term. Her work in office has been focused on addressing concerns of independent pharmacies, infrastructure repairs, and lowering the cost of living in Pennsylvania.
In 2024, Gaydos sponsored Act 77, the Pharmacy Benefit Reform Act. The legislation provided protections for independent pharmacies and customers by expanding the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s regulatory authority over pharmacy benefit managers.
Gaydos supported $118 million in funding for infrastructure improvements, including road repairs and landslide recovery. She has also been supportive of police and fire departments, as well as local libraries and community centers.
In a recent interview, Gaydos reflected on her seniority in the state House helping her accomplish her legislative goals for her constituents.
“I’ve had a number of successes, so I’ve got a winning formula. If we keep changing legislators, then our community loses out. It doesn’t matter what party you are. If you don’t have seniority, then your community suffers. That’s just one truth that’s hard to explain to people,” said Gaydos.
Gaydos’ plan for another term includes working across the aisle to “ensure that government should work for you and not the other way around.”
Gaydos grew up in Leetsdale. She attended Dickinson College and worked for U.S. Senator John Heinz before founding Capital Growth Inc., a “venture capital information and data publishing company.”
Democrat Hadley Haas lost to Gaydos last cycle with 46% of the vote. She is originally from Moon Township and attended the University of Michigan before working as a marketing consultant.
Haas recently spoke in an interview about the cost of living being a concern for voters ahead of the upcoming election.
“What I hear most often is the rising costs that they are facing. Costs of energy. Costs of housing. Costs of groceries. Those are the things they are feeling,” Haas said.
Both Gaydos and Haas have recognized data centers as an important issue facing voters in November. Gaydos has supported local governments regulating data centers.
“As a state elected official, I can’t control the base price of gas, but I can control and take back what previous administrations have done. I voted to repeal the gas tax, and that was shot down by the Democrat majority. We need to put money back into people’s pockets. The biggest driver of inflation is government spending,” Gaydos said.
The 44th state House District includes Sewickley, Bell Acres, Leet, Leetsdale, Edgeworth, Moon Township, and North Fayette Township.
