EASR HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. -

It might seem unusual for East Hempfield Township Supervisor Heidi Wheaton to pick the community center at the Village Grande housing development as the site for her county commissioner campaign kickoff.

Wheaton, after all, has been the champion of Village Grande homeowners fighting builder D.R. Horton over allegations of construction defects and inspection problems.

But thanks to her efforts, some of Wheaton's biggest fans live in Village Grande.

They were among the 35 or so supporters who turned out on Saturday morning to hear Wheaton announce that she will run for the Republican Party's nomination for commissioner on May 15.

Her long-rumored entry into the race is sure to shake up the Republican status quo; Wheaton, a social conservative, made a name for herself last year in running a dynamic, if ultimately unsuccessful, campaign for the 36th state Senate district.

Wheaton is again bypassing the party's endorsement process. The GOP, which was supposed to try to endorse two commissioner candidates last week, has rescheduled its convention for Tuesday because of the weather and road conditions.

"I think the voters really should have the opportunity to choose the candidates for their party," Wheaton said in explaining why she opted out of the endorsements.

"I think they're able to make that choice."

Clear choices

One thing Heidi Wheaton offers voters is a choice, not an echo.

She has the reputation as a maverick in East Hempfield, where she tends to be either adored or reviled.

Ron Harper Jr., publisher of the 5thEstate.com Web site, said Saturday that Wheaton is disliked by colleagues on the East Hempfield board because she doesn't go along with the "old boys' clubs."

"She's not willing to go behind closed doors to discuss things," he said.

But the other supervisors still have ultimately voted for some of Wheaton's initiatives, Harper said, including her call for a forensic audit of township spending in 2005, because "they couldn't refute" her position.

Businessman Pat Stillman, who lives near Manheim, said he's thankful that someone with the "educational background, business background, entrepreneurship and government background" of Wheaton has decided to run for commissioner.

Linda Stauffer, a Village Grande resident, said Wheaton is honest and has worked to "root out" corruption.

"She's really done the job for us," said Stauffer, noting that the state attorney general, Labor and Industry and Revenue departments now are conducting investigations into Village Grande problems.

The 55-and-older housing development off Harrisburg Pike has been plagued by complaints about homes constructed by Dallas-based D.R. Horton. While not all homeowners there are upset, in the wake of questions raised about East Hempfield code inspections, one employee resigned and a new inspector was retained.

Wheaton said that when Village Grande residents began reporting construction problems, "I called for an independent investigation into the township building code inspection department. Despite resistance from other board members in several meetings, the investigation was approved.

"When the ... investigation revealed substantial problems within East Hempfield Township, I called for the implementation of all the recommendations from the report."

Harper said Wheaton's critics are mounting a "smear campaign" against her, including rumors that she and her husband Paul are divorcing. Wheaton said that isn't true.

The Wheatons own a propane gas business.

East Hempfield resident Tom Shea, who spoke at Saturday's kickoff, said Wheaton will be meeting voters at their homes to introduce herself.

"We need the citizens of Lancaster County to be fully informed of what she stands for," he said.

Commissioner credentials

Wheaton, who was elected last year to the Lancaster County Government Study Commission, said her crash course in the operations of county government gives her unique qualifications to run for commissioner.

The study commission, created by voter referendum, is tasked with examining the way county government is structured and recommending whether a new form should be recommended.

She said people in and out of county government encouraged her to run for commissioner, "almost demanded that I do this."

"I prayed about it," she said, "... and here I am."

She told her friends that if she's elected, "I will ensure that our Lancaster County government is open and accountable to the people of Lancaster County."

She said she would recommend a "comprehensive performance audit of all areas of county government" to determine how to make government "more accountable, economical, efficient and responsible to the people."

Wheaton, a supervisor for five years, challenged endorsed Republican Mike Brubaker for the 36th Senate seat last spring. Although she didn't win, Wheaton opened eyes with her media-savvy campaign, which cost her about $300,000 of her own money.

Her TV commercials, for instance, featured Wheaton talking straight to the camera, telling people exactly what she thinks about hot-button issues like abortion.

Republicans this year have awaited her decision on commissioner with trepidation, fearing she'll repeat that aggressive kind of campaign at the county level. Stillman, for instance, has been a strong financial supporter of conservative candidates.

Wheaton said she is putting together her campaign committee.

"The exciting thing is the level of grass-roots support I'm getting," she said.

In making her announcement, she referenced two conservative icons, George Washington and Ronald Reagan.

"As Ronald Reagan said," Wheaton noted, " 'Make government work — work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.' "