Pennsylvania state Rep. Matthew Dowling announces retirement after DUI charges

FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. — Pennsylvania state Rep. Matthew Dowling has announced that he will be removing his name from the ballot for the 2022 election and is retiring instead.

Dowling’s retirement comes after he was arrested after being involved in an accident and suspected of being under the influence. Medical records revealed that Dowling’s blood alcohol levels were 0.272. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pennsylvania state representative out of Fayette County suspected of DUI in car crash

Dowling entered treatment after the accident.

“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.”

Dowling would have been a Republican candidate in the upcoming election and said that he is proud of his past work. He will be replaced by a candidate selected by the county.

“While I acknowledge and regret the mistakes I have made, I am also proud of the record I was able to build with the help and support of people across our community. Together, we were able to defeat liberal efforts to raise taxes on working families and seniors, to provide record funding to our local schools, to stand strong against attacks on our Second Amendment rights and to protect our conservative values,” Dowling said.

The lawmaker will continue to represent the region until Nov. 30.

“There is so much work to do to combat the historic rates of inflation that are harming our families,” Dowling said. “I will continue standing up for taxpayers by fighting for responsible spending and policies that will help grow our economy rather than hinder it.”

Dowling faces charges of DUI highest rate of alcohol, DUI general impairment, careless driving, expired registration within 60 days and following too closely.

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