OIL CITY, Pa. — State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta visited Oil City on Sunday, delivering a speech at a breakfast event in support of Amanda Shaffer for state representative and Ray Bilger for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The visit was part of Kenyatta’s multi-county campaign tour to support various candidates across Pennsylvania. Kenyatta launched his “The Big Win Barn Storm” in Gettysburg in September.
Kenyatta, a Philadelphia legislator, has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2019.
During the event, Kenyatta discussed housing affordability, rising health care costs, and political corruption across the state.
Affordability
Kenyatta argued that Pennsylvanians should be able to afford housing without having to work multiple jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5.5% of employed Americans held multiple jobs in September 2026.
“You should be able to work one family-sustaining job backed up by a union, not 2, 3, or 4 jobs,” Kenyatta said. “I think that job should afford you the ability to own a home.”
He highlighted concerns about whether young Americans can stay in their hometown and build a future there.
“You should not be watching your kid walk across the graduation stage and feeling like they’re gonna leave home because there is nothing there where you raised them,” Kenyatta said.
According to the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, the state’s median home price reached $315,000 in September 2026, up $15,000 from the same period a year earlier.
Health care
Kenyatta began his remarks by mentioning former state Sen. Allen Kukovich and his role in establishing Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health coverage to eligible children.
“We built a trifecta here in just two years…” Kenyatta said. “That is what is possible when we actually have a government that works for us.”
Kenyatta used CHIP as an example of a government program that has expanded health coverage and strengthened the social safety net across Pennsylvania and the United States. He emphasized the idea on how there should be better equal access and affordability.
“…you all won’t have to go 6 counties away,” Kenyatta said. “You should be able to go to the damn doctor and get the care that you need.”
Corruption
Kenyatta also focused on campaign finance and the influence of wealthy donors in Washington, D.C., and in Harrisburg.
He criticized state Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks County), pointing to campaign finance reporting indicating that 74% of Farry’s campaign funding came from a political action committee (PAC) funded exclusively by billionaire Jeffrey Yass, co-founder of Susquehanna International Group.
Kenyatta described corruption as a concern at both the federal and state levels.
“…with corruption that is running rampant in D.C., and frankly, in Harrisburg,” Kenyatta said.
According to Forbes, Jeffrey Yass had an estimated net worth of $77.8 billion as of September 2026.
Transparency USA PA reported that Yass has contributed $96 million to individuals or organizations as of May 2026.
“When a secretive billionaire can give out millions of dollars to our elected leaders, do you think they’re in it for us?” Kenyatta asked.