What's at stake: The historically low-profile lieutenant governor’s office has grown in prominence in recent years. More recently, the LG has become increasingly relevant amid the pandemic, the continued fallout of the chaotic 2020 election, redistricting and long-overdue criminal justice reforms. Why? The lieutenant governor not only presides over the state Senate but also heads the Board of Pardons and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in addition to keeping tabs on local government agencies across Pennsylvania.
Michael Bagdes-Canning
Bagdes-Canning, 69, is the mayor of Cherry Valley, a 3-square-mile borough in Butler County. This race is the retired teacher and union leader's first campaign for statewide office, following unsuccessful bids for county commissioner and the state House. Bagdes-Canning, an anti-fracking organizer, says broadband dead zones in rural Pennsylvania need to be addressed, along with brain drain — which ties into the state’s “horrible” drug problem: “Our kids [have] no future. So, they self-medicate,” he said on a recent episode of The Andrew Miller Show podcast. Bagdes-Canning says he supports abortion rights and believes more issues — including gun violence — should be approached holistically, emphasizing public health implications.
Party: Green
Experience:
Mayor, Cherry Valley (2022 – present)
Cherry Valley Borough Council (1989 – 2022)
Candidate, Pennsylvania State House 64th District (2020)
Teacher, 1978 - 2012
Education: Slippery Rock University (B.S.), Clarion University (M.S.)
Links: Facebook |Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Candidate Surveys: WESA Candidate Survey,League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: n/a
Fundraising: Hasn’t filed.
Worth reading: “Progressive voters and candidates call for election reform ahead of November” (Dontae Washington, Pittsburgh City Paper)
Austin Davis
Democrat Davis, 32, has spent much of his life in politics and the Pittsburgh area, including his hometown of McKeesport. The first Black state representative elected from his district in 2018, Davis would be the state’s first Black lieutenant governor if he wins this race. He's paired with Democratic gubernatorial nominee and Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Party: Democratic
Experience: Pennsylvania House of Representatives – 35th District (2018 – present)
Education: University of Pittsburgh (B.S.)
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey,League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: United Food and Commercial Workers 1776, Human Rights Campaign, AFSCME Council 13, SEIU PA
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021-2022): $3,165,264.54
Total expenditures (2021-2022): $3,008,510.21
Worth reading:
"Austin Davis and Carrie DelRosso win Democratic and GOP nominations for Pa. lieutenant governor" (Emily Previti, WESA)
"Austin Davis announces bid for lieutenant governor, backed by Josh Shapiro" (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Old tweets by Austin Davis, the Democratic nominee for Pa. lieutenant governor, have come back to haunt him” (Chris Brennan and William Bender, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Carrie DelRosso
Republican DelRosso has represented Pittsburgh’s northeast suburbs in Harrisburg for little more than a year, after ousting longtime former House Minority Leader Frank Dermody. DelRosso, who’s originally from Scranton, similarly launched that statehouse bid while in her first term on Oakmont Borough Council. The 46-year-old mother of three once ran her own public relations firm, with Pittsburgh-area school districts, local governments, nonprofit organizations and small businesses dominating her clientele.
Party: Republican
Experience: Pennsylvania State House of Representatives – 33rd District (2021 – present)
Education: University of Pittsburgh
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey,League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: NRA
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021-2022): $106,672.23
Total expenditures (2021-2022): $117,414.19
Worth reading:
"Austin Davis and Carrie DelRosso win Democratic and GOP nominations for Pa. lieutenant governor" (Emily Previti, WESA)
“Carrie DelRosso spent more than any other Republican House candidate or officeholder in Pennsylvania” (Kaylyn Stralow, Ballotpedia)
Tim McMaster
McMaster, 48, has been running a stable and sustainable farm in Conewago Township, York County, with his wife Ann for about two decades. Some of his other ventures have included running a catering business and working in IT in the medical, educational and accounting fields. The Gettysburg native emphasizes lowering taxes and limited government in his campaign platform. McMaster says he supports abortion rights and opposes universal background checks for gun purchases. He believes the state legislature should be part-time, companies should be more accountable for pollution and people in prison for non-violent drug offenses should be released. Last year, he was elected to the Conewago Township Auditor Board, but he lost a bid for the State Senate 48th District.
Party: Libertarian
Experience:
Chairman, Conewago Township Audit Board, York County (2022 – present)
Candidate, Pennsylvania State Senate 48th District (2021)
Co-Owner/Operator, FoxWood Run Farm (2008 – present)
Education: Central Penn College (IT/IP certifications)
Links: Website |Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey,League of Women Voters, Ballotpedia
Major endorsements: Liberty Speaks; Defend the Guard. More here.
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021-2022): $2,554.46
Total expenditures (2021-2022): $2,599.68
Worth reading: “Libertarian gubernatorial candidate brings campaign to Unity” (Jeff Himler, Tribune-Review)
Nicole Shultz
A State College native, Shultz, 52, says if elected, she’d prioritize the state’s agriculture industry and re-examining sentences of women and children in cases involving their perpetrators in abuse/domestic violence. During a recent appearance on The Cajun Libertarian podcast, she cited domestic violence survivors’ need to protect themselves as one of her reasons for being against assault weapon bans and favoring limited-scope universal background checks for gun purchases. She also says she would prefer to prohibit companies and their high-ranking officials from fracking in Pennsylvania after a certain number of regulatory violations instead of the solely fine-based system in place currently. Shultz says she supports investing in clean energy sources (nuclear, in particular), expanding voter participation through such means as mail-in ballots, and abortion rights.
Party: Keystone
Experience:
Board of auditors, Windsor Township, York County (2022 – present)
Owner/operator, Uglie Acres (2011 – present)
Education: University of Phoenix (B.S.)
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Candidate surveys: WESA Candidate Survey, League of Women Voters
Major endorsements: n/a
Fundraising:
Total contributions (2021-2022): $372.56
Total expenditures (2021-2022): $423.55
Further reading: “What is the Keystone Party? A City & State explainer.” (Justin Sweitzer, City & State Pennsylvania)
