Micah Goring is a father, husband and veteran who believes in Erie County and thinks taxpayers deserve a representative focused on serving them full-time and who puts service ahead of ambition.

Born in Indonesia to missionary parents, Goring was raised in a home where personal initiative and service to others was paramount.

“My parents example showed me that putting others first was the surest way to success, if you defined success by being a good person,” Micah recalls.

Raised in Indonesia and later the Philippines, Micah came stateside in 1997, straight out of high school after being accepted at both the United States Air Force Academy as well as the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

He chose the Air Force Academy and worked in a communications unit based in Japan during his tour of service. He later took charge of a network communications center and served as Air Force liaison at both Bolling Air Base and the Pentagon.

“The military taught me that a person could thrive on discipline and develop the work habits needed for success,” he says today. After a stint at a culinary academy in Gaithersburg, MD, he and Katy decided to locate in Erie to be close to family.

“I was struck by the deep-rooted values and sense of community among the people in Erie County,” Micah says. “Family, faith and neighbors still matter here. It’s a place that deserves to have its voice heard in Harrisburg.”

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, Micah worked as a chef at a local Wegman’s supermarket to support the family while putting aside money to invest in a family business.

After a stint at the former General Electric Transportation division in Lawrence Park, Micah led the food ministry at a local church, before striking out on his own.

“I came to realize that hard work can pay off if you put customers first,” he said. “That’s a commitment I think would work perfectly when it comes to serving the citizens of the Third House District.

Today, Micah and his wife Katy currently operate a private business working in the financial sector, operating a company that provides ATM machines for various business locations.

The Gorings live in Fairview, where he became active in church, local politics and charity work. The couple volunteer at Our Neighbors’ Place, an Erie shelter for the needy.

“After just a few conversations with some of the guests at Our Neighbors Place, I realized that we have much more in common than I thought. Had only a few things gone differently in my life, it could easily be me sleeping on that cot on the gym floor. Knowing this helped me realize that a little bit of love and compassion can go a long way.” Micah says.

As a member of the Pennsylvania State House, Micah is committed to seeking dollars from Harrisburg to fix long overdue problems like flooding in Millcreek.

At the same time, he promises to do this without raising taxes.

“Pennsylvania doesn’t have a revenue problem,” he says. “We have a spending problem. We waste too many dollars on things that don’t work, while ignoring problems that can be solved right here in Erie County.”

He has pledged to work toward easing the property tax burden for seniors and retirees and will advocate for those reforms at the capital.