by Geoff Rushton

Ron Madrid announced on Wednesday that he is running for mayor of State College as an independent in November’s general election.

He will be running against Don Hahn, who won the Democratic nomination in May’s primary, and Michael Black, who ran as a Democrat but secured the Republican nomination as the top write-in vote getter.

Madrid is a director in Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory and has long been involved in local government. He ran for mayor as a Republican in 2013 and has been president of the Holmes-Foster Neighborhood Association since 2005. Madrid has been a member and chair of the State College Real Estate Advisory Commission since 2015.

He also has served on the Historic Resources Commission and Planning Commission.

Citing his experience in effectively conducting meetings, knowledge of borough issues and commitment to equal representation for all borough residents, Madrid said he is running on a “resident-centric” platform.

Madrid said that the position of mayor requires ensuring dialogue and that all sides are heard.

“A we versus they mentality does little to achieve community harmony,”  he said.

Among the key issues for Madrid are neighborhood sustainability, borough finances, zoning and its long-term impact, historic preservation, maintaining and improving the downtown, workforce housing and bridging gaps between students and non-students.

Madrid graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1974 with a degree in analytical management. He served in the Marine Corps for 20 years as a naval aviator before retiring in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel and accepting a position at Penn State’s ARL. He also holds a master’s degree in management from Troy State University

He and his wife, Deidre, have four children and seven grandchildren.

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7.