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Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor

Description of office: The Lieutenant Governor will be elected jointly with the Governor in the General Election although candidates are nominated separately in the Primary. A Lieutenant Governor must be at least 30 years old and have been a US citizen and resident of the state for seven years preceding the election. S/he is President of the Senate, presiding over the Senate but having no vote unless the Senate is equally divided. S/he is Chair of the Board of Pardons and the PA Emergency Management Council. The PA Constitution provides that in case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the Governor, the powers, duties, and compensation of the office shall be transferred to the Lieutenant Governor for the remainder of the term or until the disability is removed. There are no term limits to this office.Term: 4 yearsSalary: $213,248Vote for ONE.

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  • Candidate picture

    Austin Davis
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    John Ventre
    (Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Jason Richey
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

What are the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvania residents, and how would you address them?

What are your specific ideas on the funding for public schools, private schools, and cyber charter schools to comply with the Commonwealth Court’s order?

What do you see as the state’s role regarding federal immigration policy?

What would you do to ensure Pennsylvania elections are accessible and secure?

County Allegheny
Occupation Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Education Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh
Qualifications From serving as a State Representative to now as the current Lieutenant Governor, Austin Davis is delivering real results for all Pennsylvanians and will continue working to move our Commonwealth forward.
Campaign Website http://davisforpa.com
X Handle @AustinDavisPA
We’re focused every day on building a good education for our kids, safer communities, economic opportunity, and protecting Pennsylvanians’ rights and freedoms. I’m proud of the work the Governor and I have done to deliver real results for all Pennsylvanians on these critical issues – creating thousands of good-paying jobs, attracting over $40 billion in private-sector investment, cutting taxes seven times, investing our schools, and supporting both community-based violence intervention programs and state and local law enforcement. I’m committed to fighting for all Pennsylvanians – and we are going to keep working to create real opportunity for our families to get ahead and be able to live the American dream right here in our Commonwealth.
Since taking office, we have increased K-12 funding by nearly 30 percent and implemented an adequacy formula to drive investments to schools in the most need. Governor Shapiro and I are making sure Pennsylvania students are set up to succeed everyday with safe, healthy learning environments — providing universal free school breakfast, hiring mental health counselors, and investing in school safety. We are building upon our cyber charter school reforms to ensure students have regular, engaged contact with teachers online — saving schools districts millions in the process. I know that when we invest in education, we invest in the future of our children, which is why we will keep building on these investments to support our students.
Keeping our communities safe is our number one priority – but the federal government and their recklessness across the country has manufactured fear and chaos, making that work harder. Here in Pennsylvania, Governor Shapiro and I have worked to invest in law enforcement and violence prevention programs to build trust and build safer communities – and while we have been clear that we need a secure border and comprehensive immigration reform, we do not need the Trump Administration’s chaos in our Commonwealth. We will continue to stand up to it while we work to keep Pennsylvanians safe and move our Commonwealth forward.
Pennsylvania’s elections are free, fair, safe, and secure – and together with Governor Shapiro, we have defended the integrity of our elections and Pennsylvanians’ right to vote so that all eligible voters can exercise that fundamental right. Since taking office, we have taken steps to strengthen voting rights and decrease voter errors here in the Commonwealth by implementing automatic voter registration, re-designing mail-in ballots, and working closely with local elections officials to support their work. While the federal government attacks the sanctity of our elections, Governor Shapiro and I will continue to stand up and protect our democracy and Pennsylvanians’ freedom to make their voices heard and ensure their votes are counted.
County Westmoreland
Occupation Retired Executive
Education AA in Criminal Justice
Qualifications I have 26 years of executive experience as a multistate security, public affairs, crisis mgmt., and claims director in 6 states. I have a 27-point plan to improve PA. My resume matches perfectly with the Lt Governor responsibilities: executive experience, crises mgmt and security director.
Campaign Website http://vote4ventre.com
Affordability: our Governor is spending 7% more than we take in and increased 40% over the past 5 years. Our businesses are bogged down in regulations. We need a DOSE department of state efficiency. We need to freeze hiring except for law enforcement and nurses. I also believe through efficiency, we can eliminate the fuel tax (2% of budget), freeze property taxes for seniors and eliminate property taxes for disabled vets.
The Judicial shouldn't be telling the State how to form policy. Overspending on education makes up 38% of the budget but results are ranked at # 39. We spend $25K per student which ranks # 5 highest. We need to outsource like a business and have true ESA Arizona style school choice. We need to encourage as many students as possible to not go to public schools. Cyber funding should've been increases, not decreased by $175M. Public school funding is a teachers union monopoly and needs to end.
I will support ICE and federal law. We have a legal system of immigration; all others overstaying their vacation, need to leave. There will be zero sanctuary counties or cities. We need to identify what careers are lacking candidates and import those individuals. Open borders was a deliberate attempt to destroy the fabric of America.
Act 77 must be replaced by the SAVE Act. Elections must be secure. Europe tried mail in ballots and 64% of countries went back to voter ID. Satellite centers will be reduced to 30 days and open to observation or eliminated. Non-citizens will be issued green drivers licenses so there is no doubt regarding citizenship.
County Allegheny
Occupation Attorney
Education Allegheny College, BA (Economics/Political Science Double Major); The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, JD.
Qualifications Growing up in Aliquippa, I saw the impact of economic decline & learned the value of hard work. I became a 3-time NCAA Academic All-American at Allegheny College. I worked in a steel mill through law school. Over a 30-year legal career, I’ve led high-stakes cases & teams across major industries.
Campaign Website http://richeyforpa.com/
The most pressing issue facing Pennsylvanians is affordability. Families are struggling with rising energy costs, high taxes, and housing costs. Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale, one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, yet it has not been fully leveraged to benefit our citizens. I will expand responsible natural gas development, streamline permitting related to drilling and infrastructure, and position Pennsylvania as a world leading energy producer. This growth will lower energy costs and generate new revenue to reduce taxes, especially property taxes to lower housing costs. By connecting energy policy to tax relief, we can create jobs and make Pennsylvania more affordable.
A child’s future should not be determined by their address. The Commonwealth Court’s order is an opportunity to create a fair, student-centered funding system. I support increasing public school funding through a weighted formula that prioritizes low-income students, English learners, and special education needs. I also support expanding school choice through charter and cyber options, and by pursuing federal school choice opportunities alongside a Pennsylvania Scholarship Program that empowers parents with direct access to funding. Dollars should follow students, with clear accountability for results. No system should receive automatic funding without performance. Parents, not bureaucracies, should drive educational decisions.
The federal government sets immigration policy, but the state has a clear responsibility to protect public safety and enforce the law. Pennsylvania should not be a sanctuary for those who commit crimes or undermine public safety. State and local law enforcement should fully cooperate with federal authorities in identifying, detaining, and removing individuals who are in the country illegally and have committed violent crimes or other serious offenses. At the same time, we should ensure resources are focused on securing communities, supporting victims, and maintaining order. A safe immigration system requires clear rules, consistent enforcement, and no tolerance for criminal activity that puts Pennsylvania families at risk.
Pennsylvanians deserve elections they can trust completely. I will help ensure both accessibility and security by supporting voter ID requirements, regular maintenance of voter rolls, and strict chain-of-custody standards for ballots. We should also establish uniform election administration rules across all 67 counties so every voter is treated equally. Every eligible voter must have a clear, accessible path to cast a ballot, including early voting, while every safeguard must ensure only legal votes are counted and results are accurate and timely. The standard is simple: it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.