Pa. Rep. Matt Dowling will remove name from November ballot following crash and DUI charges
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) -- State Rep. Matt Dowling of Uniontown will no longer seek reelection to the state House of Representatives after DUI charges were filed against him earlier this month.
In a post to his Facebook page on Friday afternoon, Dowling said he is removing his name from the ballot for the November General Election.
"My recent auto accident and subsequent treatment that I voluntarily sought drove me to deeply reflect on my life and make some hard decisions. One of those was to leave my seat in the state House of Representatives so that I can better spend time focusing on family and my personal journey to wellness," Dowling said in a statement. "While it has been my greatest honor and privilege to represent the people of the 51st District, I believe it is time for someone else to continue this important work."
To read Dowling's full statement, visit this link.
Dowling said he was involved in a head-on crash on June 4. He's charged with DUI, careless driving, driving an unregistered vehicle and following too closely.
In a statement after the crash, Dowling said he's been dealing with physical and mental trauma since a medical issue caused a serious crash last fall, leading to "life changing" injuries.
He said he entered treatment to "address any possible alcohol issues" and no one else was injured in the crash this month.
Dowling represents the 51st Legislative District, which covers parts of Fayette and Somerset counties. He was first elected to the state House in 2016.