Dee Adcock isn’t just talking the talk.
The president/co-owner of distributor W.W. Adcock Inc. in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., is seeking the Republican nomination for the 13th Congressional District, which covers portions of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia.
A desire to help fix what he sees as flawed policies coming out of Washington spurred Adcock, a 30-year pool and spa industry veteran, to enter the race.
“I’m not a politician — that’s not my background,” he said. “The current mindset seems to be that government is the answer. My philosophy is more Reaganesque, which is that big government may be the problem.”
Adcock, 58, is vying for the Republican nod against a dentist, a lawyer and a firefighter. The U.S. House district currently is represented by Democrat Allyson Schwartz.
Adcock enters the fray armed with a degree in economics and a three-pronged agenda: fiscal responsibility, national and international security, and energy independence by 2020. He has hired a political consultant, and enlisted a treasurer and assistant treasurer to support his bid, which at the moment is aimed at securing the GOP’s endorsement.
“Right now, I’m working on winning the backing of the local GOP folks,” he said, noting that a party’s formal endorsement typically comes in March, followed by primary elections in May.
Adcock is focused on meeting as many community and business leaders as possible, and crafting positions on local and national issues.
On the government’s federal stimulus package, he favors ending it as it currently stands — with conditions.
“Yes, government must keep its promises, and we already have commitments to the FDIC,” he said. “And I’m in favor of keeping the banking system healthy and solvent as a whole.
“But injecting ourselves into the private sector is not OK,” he added. “Everyone was in trouble last year, including the pool industry, so why didn’t we get any bailout funds? If we’re going to stimulate the economy, let’s do it broadly through a tax holiday for everyone.”
As for the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, the first piece of federal legislation addressing drowning and entrapment prevention among the industry, Adcock called it an example of “government working well. Ultimately, it’s good for the industry.”
