Nick Kotik coasted to a sixth term last week as state legislator.
Coming up on the age of 61 next month, no one knows if this will be the final two-year term in the state House of Representatives for the McKees Rocks native.
Not even Kotik himself.
“I will not speculate on that. It depends on a lot of things right now,” said Kotik (D-45), whose district represents parts of Collier, Scott, South Fayette, Bridgeville, Carnegie, Heidelberg and Pennsbury Village.
Kotik garnered two-thirds of the vote Nov. 6, racing past Republican challenger Aaron Kime, who got 34 percent of the vote. Kotik raked in 19,601 votes, while Kime, a South Fayette resident, brought in 10,108.
Kime could not be reached for comment.
One of the main things Kotik will evaluate in two years before deciding whether to run for another term is his own health and that of his wife, Shirley. She has had a battle with Crohn's disease but is fine now, Kotik said.
“I think we will both look at our health and decide whether or not (two more years) is what I want to do,” Kotik said.
Another thing Kotik will assess is his own “enthusiasm for the job,” he said.
“I think you always have to sit down and look at that and decide, ‘Do I still want to be doing this?' If so, you move forward,” Kotik said.
During the next two years, Kotik would like to work with Carnegie Borough Council and the Carnegie Community Development Corporation to better enhance the borough. He also is concerned about potential flooding problems that may arise in Carnegie and other communities.
“When something like the hurricane we just had comes along, it reminds you to be a little more diligent here at home,” Kotik said.
Jeff Widmer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-388-5810 or jwidmer@tribweb.com.
