Philly Voter Guide: Meet the candidates for Pennsylvania governor

Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race will deliver a brand new occupant to the governor’s mansion and doubtlessly massive adjustments to state authorities.

Why it issues: The open race for governor will decide the way forward for abortion entry, state funding for public schooling, and rules round elections and companies within the sharply divided state.

• Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who’s term-limited, has used his veto to strike down a number of GOP-led efforts to additional prohibit abortion and voting entry.
• Pennsylvania Republicans will probably preserve their years-long management of each the state Senate and Home of Representatives.

The large image: Philly may play an outsized position in figuring out the following governor.

• Town is a Democratic stronghold with greater than 800,000 registered Democrats — probably the most of any Pennsylvania county.
• Voter turnout right here usually determines whether or not Democrats declare victory in statewide elections.

The intrigue: The everyday drop in Philly’s voter turnout throughout off-year elections could also be turning a nook.

• In 2018, when the governor was on the poll, Philly’s turnout reached 53% — a determine not seen in a long time.
• Sure, however: The turnout for the first this yr was a mere 23.6%. Within the 2014 basic election for governor, it was 37.4%.

The underside line: Go vote by Nov. 8.

👋 Meet the candidates

Democrat: Josh Shapiro, 49, received re-election because the state lawyer basic final yr. He lives in Abington.

Republican: Doug Mastriano, a retired Military colonel, serves as state senator for District 33. He is 58 and lives in Greene Township.

Libertarian: Matt Hackenburg, 37, is a pc engineer residing in Bangor.

Inexperienced: Christina DiGiulio, 44, based a regional oil and fuel watchdog group and a renewable vitality coalition. She lives in Downingtown.

Keystone: Joe Soloski is a licensed public accountant. He is 65 and lives in Port Matilda.

🤔 Let the Q&A start…

Editor’s notice: All candidates have been invited to finish the next Q&A. Solutions have been evenly edited for fashion and size. Candidates are within the order they seem on the poll.

• Mastriano didn’t return Axios’ a number of requests to take part. We have indicated this with the ⛔ emoji. When potential, we have linked to solutions primarily based on Mastriano’s marketing campaign and Senate web sites, our reporting, and his responses to a Q&A with the Erie Instances-Information.
• Mastriano has been recognized to not reply to most media inquiries throughout this election cycle.

Do you assist elevating Pennsylvania’s minimal wage from $7.25, sure (✅ ) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ✅

Mastriano: ⛔ (however seems it could be ❌)

Hackenburg: ❌

DiGiulio: ✅

Soloski: ❌

If sure, what would you plan setting the minimal wage to? Reply in a single sentence or much less.

Shapiro: I am going to proceed to face up for our staff and be certain that each Pennsylvania employee is paid a residing wage of no less than $15 an hour.

DiGiulio: $15-$25 with consideration of inflation.

Pennsylvania permits abortions as much as about 24 weeks of being pregnant. Ought to new restrictions be positioned on abortion entry within the state, sure (✅) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ❌

Mastriano: ⛔ (however seems it could be ✅)

Hackenburg: ❌

DiGiulio: ❌

Soloski: ❌

Do you agree with and assist the 2020 election outcomes, sure (✅) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ✅

Mastriano: ⛔ (however he is sought to undermine the 2020 election outcomes.)

Hackenburg: ✅

DiGiulio: ✅

Soloski: ✅

What’s one massive concept to handle inflation and rising costs within the state? Sum it up in a single sentence.

Shapiro: I wish to put cash instantly into Pennsylvanians’ pockets, which is why I’ve a plan to remove the state cellphone tax, increase the Property Tax Hire Rebate to cowl lots of of hundreds extra Pennsylvanians, and provides Pennsylvania drivers a $250 fuel tax refund.

Mastriano: ⛔ (however he addresses the subject right here.)

Hackenburg: Permitting competing currencies, a form of “free market in cash,” and making them simple to make use of for most people is the important thing to relieving us of our failing greenback.

DiGiulio: Tax companies appropriately.

Soloski: Slash authorities spending and get the federal government out of our lives as a lot as potential.

Do you assist establishing new gun restrictions in Pennsylvania, sure (✅) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ✅

Mastriano: ⛔ (however seems it could be ❌)

Hackenburg: ❌

DiGiulio: ✅

Soloski: ❌

If sure, what’s one measure you’ll suggest or assist? Reply in a single sentence or much less.

Shapiro: I assist enacting common background checks, passing purple flag legal guidelines, closing the ghost gun loophole, and investing in police and public security.

DiGiulio: Home violence screening and never permitting army grade weapons within the fingers of those that aren’t educated in the usage of them or the intention of their design.

Sum up your answer to decreasing crime and gun violence within the state, in three sentences or much less.

Shapiro: I am going to make investments extra sources in public security; assist rent greater than 2,000 extra cops throughout the Commonwealth; work with federal, state, and native officers to make our communities safer; and handle the foundation causes of crime like poverty and trauma.

Mastriano: ⛔ (however he addresses the subject right here.)

Hackenburg: One of the simplest ways we will cut back crime and gun violence in Pennsylvania is to embrace the Second Modification, decriminalize victimless crimes, and enhance individuals’s financial lifestyle.

DiGiulio: Set up equitable methods which give housing, well being care, and justice; present subsidies to grassroots organizations or area people members to construct a sustainable construction, which focuses on fairness and localism; and defund the oppressive nature of police and incarceration.

Soloski: One of the best protection in opposition to a nasty man with a gun is to be an excellent man with a gun, so I assist gun coaching and security in addition to making Pennsylvania a “constitutional carry state.”

Do you assist decriminalizing marijuana within the state, sure (✅) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ✅

Mastriano: ⛔

Hackenburg: ✅

DiGiulio: ✅

Soloski: ✅

Pennsylvania’s money bail system has been criticized for years. Do you wish to reform it (🛠️) or preserve the present system (👌) in place?

Shapiro: 🛠️

Mastriano: ⛔ (however he addresses the subject right here.)

Hackenburg: 🛠️

DiGiulio: 🛠️

Soloski: 🛠️

What’s one massive concept to enhance public schooling within the state? Sum it up in a single sentence.

Shapiro: I’ll be certain that our faculties are totally funded in order that we will assure that our buildings are secure, have no less than one psychological well being counselor in each single college, and supply all our college students with vocational, technical, and laptop coaching.

Mastriano: ⛔ (however he addresses the subject right here.)

Hackenburg: Undertake college selection so mother and father can resolve how and the place their children ought to be educated.

DiGiulio: Cease taxing primarily based upon a toddler’s ZIP code and reform the schooling system primarily based upon fairness.

Soloski: Let’s put off our property tax system and fund schooling selections with county-level or regional gross sales taxes.

Would you assist permitting transgender athletes to compete in class sports activities that align with their gender id, sure (✅) or no (❌)?

Shapiro: ❌

Mastriano: ⛔ (however seems it could be ❌)

Hackenburg: ❌

DiGiulio: ✅

Soloski: ❌

Sum up how you’ll handle local weather change, in a single sentence.

Shapiro: I’d put money into clear vitality and clear transportation, adopting the 2020 Grand Jury Report suggestions to reduce well being hazards arising from fracking, plugging orphaned oil and fuel wells, and addressing lead contamination with a purpose to preserve defending Pennsylvania’s setting.

Mastriano: ⛔ (however seems he wouldn’t handle it.)

Hackenburg: We have to classify air pollution as a trespass and empower the free market to tackle those that are polluting our state.

DiGiulio: Determine the perpetrators, cease subsidizing them, maintain them accountable and put money into the Inexperienced New Deal.

Soloski: I’d increase the development of latest nuclear energy amenities to soundly present the present and future electrical energy wants of Pennsylvania.

Title 1 massive factor you’ll accomplish in your first yr, in 15 phrases or much less.

Shapiro: Enhance our schooling system, construct a powerful financial system, lower taxes, and make communities safer.

Mastriano: ⛔️

Hackenburg: Go “Defend the Guard” laws and forestall U.S. involvement in Ukraine and Taiwan.

DiGiulio: Displaying the individuals of Pennsylvania what a public servant actually is.

Soloski: Slash the governor’s wage from over $215,000 yearly to underneath $70,000.

Summarize the state of Pennsylvania in 5 phrases or much less.

Shapiro: Freedom and alternative.

Mastriano: ⛔️

Hackenburg: The birthplace of liberty.

DiGiulio: Caught in a colonizer’s mentality.

Soloski: Incredible state, an excessive amount of authorities.

🎉 What’s 1 enjoyable factor voters do not learn about you?

Shapiro: I really like Philly sports activities — particularly the Sixers — and taking pictures hoops within the driveway with my children.

Mastriano: ⛔️

Hackenburg: I’m 6 foot 5 inches tall.

DiGiulio: I do not take myself so critically, but I’m severe.

Soloski: I get pleasure from collaborating in group theater.

🗳 Go deeper: Learn our information on voting in Philly