Two newcomers facing off in the 38th Legislative District say they want to reduce the size of the state Legislature and establish term limits.

Democrat William C. Kortz II and Republican Daniel J. Davis promise to be agents of change if they win the Nov. 7 general election.

Both hold responsible positions in private industry. Neither has ever held an elected office.

Running as the Democrat, Mr. Kortz has a clear advantage in a district where the registration is about 3-1 Democratic. There are 28,777 Democrats and 9,243 Republicans in the district, according to the Allegheny County Elections Department.

"I am the reformer. I want to facilitate reform, joining other like-minded reformers," said Mr. Kortz, 51, of Dravosburg, who decided to get involved with politics after watching state representatives vote themselves a late-night pay raise July 7, 2005. The raise later was rescinded.

Running as a PACleanSweep candidate in the spring primary, Mr. Kortz was the surprise winner in a three-way race. He defeated two veteran politicians, incumbent state Rep. Kenneth Ruffing and former Allegheny County Councilman C.L. Jabbour.

Now he is running with the endorsement of numerous labor unions and the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

Since beginning his quest, Mr. Kortz has been pounding the pavement, going to council meetings and knocking on doors as he refines and expands his agenda. He visits communities in the district to see what their needs are and noted one common theme: "They all need help."

"I truly believe I am the candidate of choice," said Mr. Kortz, who, as a political newcomer, promised "to work with people from both sides of the aisle."

Mr. Davis, 42, of West Mifflin, said his initial decision to seek the office went well beyond irritation about the pay raise.

"In the last couple years, our state representative was not giving us proper representation," Mr. Davis said.

He said a state legislator should play an active role in issues in the district, such as mine subsidence in Pleasant Hills and plans by General Motors to close its stamping plant in West Mifflin next year.

The two untested but enthusiastic candidates will face off in a district that largely includes Mon Valley communities with declining tax bases and large numbers of older people.

The 38th District includes Dravosburg, Glassport, Liberty, Pleasant Hills, Port Vue and parts of West Mifflin, Baldwin Borough and McKeesport.

The race has been a quiet one.

Mr. Kortz is an operations manager in the galvanization plant at the U.S. Steel Irvin plant, where he has worked for 29 years.

He said his work experience as a "steady eddie" employee who worked himself into a management position gives him a good background to tackle legislative issues. He said good management is the key to success, both in private industry and in government.

"At U.S. Steel, we took a 4 percent cost reduction every year. [State legislators] raise it 7 percent," he said.

Mr. Kortz, who is divorced and the father of three children, grew up in Dravosburg. He has a bachelor's degree in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

In college, he said, he thought he wanted to get a law degree and join the FBI. Instead, he went to work for U.S. Steel.

Mr. Davis is a senior environmental project manager for the architecture and engineering firm of L. Robert Kimball & Associates, where he has worked for 18 years. He said his work background had gotten him experience in "all kinds of businesses," everything from sewage plants, wetlands and the Allegheny County 911 center to the cleanup of the brownfield site surrounding the vacant Carrie Furnaces.

"We do it all, working with municipalities, the state and federal government," Mr. Davis said about L. Robert Kimball.

Mr. Davis said he wanted to offer the public a choice.

"I am a Republican in a Democratic area, wanting to help out and take an active role," Mr. Davis said. "Too often, you are a Democrat and you don't have an opponent."

One of his major concerns would be to find ways to unify the district, which is made up of only parts of Baldwin Borough, West Mifflin and McKeesport.

Mr. Davis, who grew up in Munhall, previously ran unsuccessfully for West Mifflin council and West Mifflin school board. He comes from a family with strong Democratic roots, but he switched to the Republican party.

His father, Bill Davis, who is retired, was a longtime Democratic political figure in Munhall.

Mr. Davis graduated from Central Catholic High School and has a bachelor's degree in biology from Ohio State University. He and his wife, Gail, live in West Mifflin and have one daughter.

Both men want to reduce the size of the state Legislature.

Both think that state House terms, which currently are two years, should be longer, but that every legislator in the state House and Senate should be limited to eight years in office.

"Eight years is enough. If it is good enough for the governor, it is good enough for the Legislature," Mr. Kortz said.

For more information about the candidates, check their Web sites: www.billkortz.com and http:www.dandavis38.com.