About the Candidate
A businessman, not a politician. Four decades of real-world results.
David Hughes has spent 40 years managing money in the real world — at Fortune 500 companies like Raytheon, in Silicon Valley at AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), and in the medical device industry at Omnicell. He's worked across international markets in South America and Asia, solving tough financial and operational problems where every dollar counted.
He holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration and Accounting from Widener University, and he's earned two of the toughest certifications in finance: Certified Management Accountant and Certified Financial Manager. He's been a corporate accountant, cost manager, controller, and CFO.
David knows what it takes to turn around a failing operation because he's done it — over and over, for four decades. That's the experience he's bringing to Harrisburg.
YEARS FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP
Credentials
★ CMA — Certified Management Accountant
★ CFM — Certified Financial Manager
★ BS Business Administration & Accounting, Widener University
★ Fortune 500: Raytheon, AMD, Omnicell
★ International: South America, Asia
★ 40 years financial leadership
What David Stands On
YEARS OF DISCIPLINE
Rigor
40 years of financial management at the highest levels. CMA and CFM certified. David doesn't guess — he analyzes, measures, and delivers results. Every decision backed by data, every dollar accounted for.
THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE
Honesty
David tells you the truth even when it's uncomfortable. He warned Exeter Township they were heading for insolvency. They ignored him. He was right. The numbers don't lie, and neither does David.
COULDN'T BE BOUGHT
Honor
When the establishment paid David $805,000 to resign, he offered to give back every penny if they'd let him keep serving. They refused. That tells you everything about his character — and theirs.
WASTE TOLERANCE
Fiscal Responsibility
Government should live within its means, just like your family does. David has spent his career eliminating waste and making organizations lean and accountable. He'll do the same in Harrisburg.
Proven Under Fire
→ $40M IN RESERVES
NEW DEBT FROM ZERO
OFFERED BACK EVERY PENNY
In 2022, David was elected Exeter Township Supervisor. Shortly after, the township sold its sewer plant for a net $107 million — a once-in-a-generation windfall. That kind of money could have secured the township's financial future for decades.
Instead, his fellow supervisors went on a spending spree — new government buildings, wasteful projects, zero accountability. David stood alone and said no. He warned them publicly: this path leads to insolvency.
They didn't listen. Reserves plummeted from $107 million to roughly $40 million. Debt went from zero to $10 million, with another $10 million in bonds planned. The township now faces potential insolvency before 2030.
David was right. The establishment was wrong.
When David refused to back down, the political establishment came after him. Over two and a half years, they tried to force him out through harassment, censures, and lawsuits funded with your tax dollars.
David accepted an $805,000 settlement. But here's the part that tells you who David Hughes really is: he immediately offered to return every single penny if they would simply let him continue serving the people who elected him. They refused. They didn't want to compensate him — they wanted to silence him.
"They paid me $805,000 to leave. I offered to give it all back. They refused — because they knew they couldn't control me."
— David Hughes