Lieutenant Governor
In Pennsylvania, the lieutenant governor is the state's highest officer following the governor and and is elected for a four-year term in the same year as the governor. The lieutenant governor assumes the role when the governor is out of state or incapacitated and also becomes the governor should the governor die, resign or be removed from office. The lieutenant governor is the presiding officer of the upper house of the state legislature, similar to the vice president of the United States. Aside from that role in the state senate, the position's only other official duties are chairing the Board of Pardons and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council. Lieutenant governors often work on additional projects and have a full schedule of community and speaking events.
Democrat
Austin Davis (Incumbent)
In 2022, he successfully ran for and won the nomination for lieutenant governor alongside then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro, winning all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in a three-way primary. He was subsequently elected as Pennsylvania’s 35th and first African-American lieutenant governor. In addition, he is our nation’s youngest sitting lieutenant governor.
As lieutenant governor, he serves as President of the Pennsylvania Senate. Additionally, he chairs the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Governor’s Local Government Advisory Committee, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council, the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement, and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Aerospace States Association. He also serves as co-chair on the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission.
Since taking office, Lieutenant Governor Davis has led the efforts to drive out $85 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants to over 130 projects statewide, $5 million increase in funding to secure places of worship and community centers, and $60 million in new funding for county 911 services.
He also championed efforts to provide $11.5 million to launch the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program, supporting 46 programs in its first year to give young people in Pennsylvania a safe environment during after-school hours. This is the first ever state program that directed state dollars directly into after school programs in Pennsylvania history.
Lieutenant Governor Davis championed efforts to re-establish Pennsylvania’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and won a $4 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs.
His steadfast commitment to providing second chances to deserving individuals, has resulted in a modernization of Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons. During his tenure, Lieutenant Governor Davis oversaw the launch of a fully online pardons application system, an increase in staffing to help process a record number of applications, and holding a record number of hearings over the course of his tenure as the board chair.
Along with service to Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Governor Davis also served as chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) and a member of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA).
Endorsements:
Montgomery County Democratic Committee (MCDC)
PA Democratic Party
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
Philly First Ward Democrats
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Pennsylvania
Libertarian Party
John Thomas
Thomas has worked for nearly 20 years as an educator in public and private schools, as well as cyber charter schools. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is an elder in various ministries for his church and serves on the board of his county Habitat for Humanity chapter.
Thomas wants to help increase school choice throughout the Commonwealth. As the head of the Board of Pardons, he would work toward releasing people incarcerated for victimless crimes.
Endorsements:
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
republican
Jason Richey
Richey grew up in Beaver County, PA and attended Allegheny College, where he was a 3-time all-American wrestler. He worked his way through The Ohio State College of Law partly as a union steel worker. He has practiced law in Pittsburgh for 3 decades, representing manufacturing, construction, and energy companies. He founded the Quaker Valley Wrestling Association to provide competitive programs to area school children.
Richey wants to protect PA residents from higher taxes, prevent reckless spending, and prioritize public safety and law enforcement. He also supports transparency in state government, and wants PA to be a global leader in energy production.
Endorsements:
Republican Party of Pennsylvania
Senator Dave McCormick
Treasurer Stacy Garrity
Attorney General Dave Sunday
Auditor General Tim DeFoor
Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association PAC
Gun Owners of America
National Association for Gun Rights PAC