A PRACTICAL APPROACH

Public service should begin with careful questions—and stay accountable for the result.

Thomas West is a Pennsylvania native and Highland Park resident. His approach to leadership is direct: listen to the people affected, verify the facts, explain the tradeoffs, and follow through.

Meet Thomas | Thomas West for State Senate

Biographical Information
COUNTY
Allegheny
OCCUPATION
Business Owner
EDUCATION
BS in Communications
QUALIFICATIONS
Thomas West brings real world experience as a long time news producer and small business owner. Thomas understands accountability, communication, budgeting, job creation and the challenges families face -- and is focused on practical solutions for the community.

VOTE411 — Pennsylvania State Senator District 38

Thomas West is a Pennsylvania native and Highland Park resident. He earned a bachelor's degree in communications.

Pennsylvania State Senator District 38 - Voter Guide - VOTE411.org

Thomas West earned a bachelor's degree in communications.

01
SMALL BUSINESS

More than a decade in business.

For more than a decade, Thomas has run TRIM Pittsburgh.

The work keeps practical questions close. Costs, customers, employees, and rules all matter—and decisions have to work in practice, not only on paper.

02
LOCAL JOURNALISM

Fifteen years asking better questions.

Before business, Thomas spent 15 years producing local television news.

That work reinforced habits he still brings to public questions: verify the facts, make complicated issues understandable, and explain why a decision matters.

Thomas West runs TRIM Pittsburgh. He previously produced local television news.

Thomas West, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Pittsburgh mayor, announced a run for the 38th Senatorial District seat, currently held by Democrat Lindsey Williams.

Thomas West announces run for Pennsylvania's 38th Senatorial District seat

Thomas previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Pittsburgh mayor.

Pittsburgh businessman announces run for state Senate seat

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

He said the region is often held back by expensive regulation, government interference and tax load.

"I'm a business owner, and too many times, our local and state governments seem to be at war with businesses, both small and big. That must end," West said.

The biggest issues facing our district are affordability, public safety, and economic opportunity. Families are being squeezed by higher costs for groceries, utilities, housing, and health care, while small businesses face growing pressure too. I would focus on practical solutions: responsible spending, support for family-sustaining jobs, workforce development, infrastructure, and policies that help small businesses grow. State government should focus less on political theater and more on delivering results people can actually feel in their daily lives.

Pennsylvania’s budget process is too often delayed by last-minute negotiations and political gridlock. That creates uncertainty for schools, local governments, nonprofits, employers, and taxpayers. I support a more transparent and disciplined process, including earlier negotiations, clear deadlines, and stronger accountability when leaders fail to act on time. I am also open to structural reforms, including discussion of a biennial budget cycle. Families and businesses have to plan responsibly and meet deadlines, and state government should be expected to do the same.

Calls for ending what he describes as an adversarial approach by local and state governments toward businesses.

Supports responsible spending, workforce development, infrastructure, family-sustaining jobs, and policies to help small businesses grow.

Supports earlier budget negotiations, clear deadlines, and stronger accountability for state leaders who miss budget deadlines.

- Calls for ending what he describes as an adversarial approach by local and state governments toward businesses.
- Supports responsible spending, workforce development, infrastructure, family-sustaining jobs, and policies to help small businesses grow.
- Supports earlier budget negotiations, clear deadlines, and stronger accountability for state leaders who miss budget deadlines.

Economy

As of October 16, 2026, Thomas West’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Education

Healthcare

I support a commonsense approach to elections: make it easier for eligible citizens to vote and harder for anyone to undermine confidence in the process. I support better training and recruitment for poll workers, and more consistent election rules across counties. I also support reasonable safeguards that protect ballot integrity without making voting harder for lawful voters. I would be open to allowing earlier pre-canvassing of mail in ballots if there was a mechanism in place that could ensure the security and integrity of that process. Election laws should improve access, strengthen confidence, and help election officials do their jobs efficiently and fairly.

Is open to earlier pre-canvassing of mail-in ballots if the process includes security and integrity protections.

Supports election policies that make voting easier for eligible citizens while protecting ballot integrity.

Supports improved poll-worker training and recruitment, as well as more consistent election rules across counties.

- Is open to earlier pre-canvassing of mail-in ballots if the process includes security and integrity protections.
- Supports election policies that make voting easier for eligible citizens while protecting ballot integrity.
- Supports improved poll-worker training and recruitment, as well as more consistent election rules across counties.

Voting & Elections

Public Safety

Yes, I support reasonable state standards addressing the impact of large data centers on water use, energy demand, and infrastructure. Pennsylvania should set clear baseline protections so growth does not come at the expense of communities or ratepayers. At the same time, the state should not erase local control. Municipalities must retain meaningful authority under the Municipal Planning Code to address zoning, siting, traffic, noise, and compatibility with surrounding uses. The right approach is a balance of statewide safeguards and local decision-making.

Supports state standards for data-center impacts and municipal authority over local data-center siting, zoning, traffic, noise, and compatibility.

- Supports state standards for data-center impacts and municipal authority over local data-center siting, zoning, traffic, noise, and compatibility.

Energy & the Environment

Instagram

Thomas West

- Supports responsible spending, workforce development, infrastructure, family-sustaining jobs, and policies to help small businesses grow.
- Supports earlier budget negotiations, clear deadlines, and stronger accountability for state leaders who miss budget deadlines.

- Supports election policies that make voting easier for eligible citizens while protecting ballot integrity.
- Supports improved poll-worker training and recruitment, as well as more consistent election rules across counties.

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Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Lindsey Williams

- Your state senator represents the interests of your district in the Pennsylvania State Senate. The State Senate, along with the State House of Representatives, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Pennsylvania General Assembly. 
- Your state senator can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws after going through the legislative process.
- The State Senator and their staff members respond to constituent concerns and questions through emails, phone calls, and website announcements. 
- The State Senator oversees the executive branch and can vote to overrule a veto by the Governor.   
- There are 50 Pennsylvania state senators, each representing a single district.
- Senators must be at least 25 years old, U.S. citizens, and residents of Pennsylvania for four years. They must also have lived in their district for one year before the election and must remain there throughout their term.
- State senators are elected to four-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase.  

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Pennsylvania Senate.