Gov. Tom Wolf says he 'turned Pennsylvania around' as he works to seal re-election in 2018
Candy WoodallIn the homestretch of the Pennsylvania governor’s race, Gov. Tom Wolf has the advantages of an incumbent and composure of a candidate with a double-digit lead, but he’s working like an underdog.
“I have worked very hard and will continue to work very hard,” he said during a recent interview with the York Daily Record.
Wolf is facing Scott Wagner, the Republican nominee and a fellow York County resident, who recently apologized for threatening to stomp on Wolf’s face with golf spikes.
That missive helped Wolf by reminding voters of the stark choice between candidates.
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Wolf, a 69-year-old husband, father and grandfather, has not lashed out – or even raised his voice – in response to any of Wagner’s tough talk or character attacks, but his campaign staff is quick to offer fiery rebuttals.
Most of the time, Wolf doesn't have to respond in his own words. That’s partially because his running mate, John Fetterman, is already Wagner’s most vocal critic, and mostly because Wolf’s balanced demeanor has always been firmly fixed.
Wolf steers interviews back to policy when asked about Wagner. He talks about what he’s accomplished in his first term and the work that remains.
The Democrat ran on education to successfully unseat an unpopular Republican Gov. Tom Corbett. Until Wolf’s election in 2014, an incumbent hadn’t lost since Pennsylvania governors were allowed to hold two terms.
Wolf, who continues to make education a priority, said he “turned Pennsylvania around” during his first term after inheriting a state that was “broken financially and wasn’t helping families.”
He said there’s still work to be done, and he believes he’s the best person to lead the state.
“We’re not where we need to be, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Wolf said.
His critics disagree, saying his high spot on a list of the most liberal governors is not a good thing for Pennsylvania. His supporters want to push him even further left and closer to Fetterman, a progressive Democrat.
Wolf’s accomplishments are not measured only by what he’s launched or signed into law, but also what he’s prevented.
Political insiders and analysts say Wolf is the only thing keeping Pennsylvania from becoming a right-to-work state and preventing labor unions from dissolving. The Republican-controlled General Assembly would likely have no trouble getting a union-busting bill past Wagner, who supports right-to-work legislation and has frequently criticized labor unions.
Wolf can also guard against opinions issued from a conservative Supreme Court. Once Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed, Democrats feared Roe v. Wade would be stripped and sent back to the states, making abortion and women’s health care a key campaign issue.
“If Roe v. Wade reverts to the states, I’ll be the last line of defense,” Wolf said. “I’ll continue to stand up for women’s rights.”
Wagner is anti-abortion.
Wolf’s first-term record shows both compromise and clashes between the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled Legislature:
- More money for education
- Two emergency declarations in the opioid crisis and a handful of bipartisan bills to aid treatment and prevention
- Getting beer and wine in grocery stores
- Allowing Uber and Lyft in Pa.
- Launching the first-of-its-kind LGBTQ commission
- Low unemployment rate
- Increasing the number of people who qualify for unemployment insurance
- A controversial moratorium on executions
- Lengthy budget fights, including a 9-month impasse
- Breaking tradition and agreeing to only one debate, instead of three
Despite Wolf’s efforts and renewed focus on the opioid crisis, critics point to statistics that show a climbing death toll and overdose rates.
Wagner said to beat the opioid epidemic, the state needs a “code red” attitude, not another Wolf task force.
Medical experts say it will take a generation to eradicate the deadly opioid crisis across the U.S.
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Wagner also claims Wolf would raise taxes on day one of his second term – an assertion the Wolf campaign denies.
Wolf believes the middle class already pays too much in taxes and will continue to work with the Legislature to reduce taxes for the middle class, said campaign spokeswoman Beth Melena.
The governor previously proposed raising the state income tax or sales tax, and wanted to impose a severance tax on natural gas drillers. Environmentalists have said he hasn't done enough to hold the oil and gas industry accountable, focusing too much on the economic benefits and not enough on the environmental risks.
When asked if he will raise taxes in a second term, Wolf said, “I don’t have plans to do that.”
Why he’s running
Wolf wants to:
- Continue to protect education and health care
- Help seniors stay in their homes longer
- Continue to increase job, such as with the Port of Philadelphia and shale cracker plant in Beaver County
- Keep fighting the opioid epidemic
- Make sure Pennsylvania is a fair state, with its economy, criminal justice system and more
- Continue balancing the budget with a surplus
- Lead campaign finance reform in Pennsylvania
- Lead the state with integrity and honesty
What he needs to do to win
“Wolf needs to keep doing what he’s doing. Keep governing and don’t make any big mistakes. The fact that he’s not been engaged in any major controversy has helped him,” said Terry Madonna, a veteran political analyst and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College.
Where he stands on major issues
► Education:
He campaigned on and has advocated increasing money for schools. Wolf touts how he's reversed $1 billion in education cuts. (It's been long disputed, however, that $1 billion was actually cut.)
► Taxes:
Wolf previously proposed raising the state income or sales tax. He's sought to impose a tax on natural gas drilling, too.
► Abortion:
He supports abortion rights, adding that women should make their own health care decisions.
► Guns:
He's supported measures including expanding background checks to cover private sales of long guns; banning bump stocks; and keeping weapons from domestic abusers.
► Minimum wage:
He favors raising the minimum wage to $12 per hour and tying the figure to inflation.
► Unions:
► Sexual orientation and gender identity:
He's called on the Legislature to pass anti-discrimination legislation. Wolf recently created the Pennsylvania Coalition on LGBT Affairs.
► President Donald Trump:
He touts "standing up to Donald Trump's extreme agenda" on his campaign website.
► Environment and climate change:
He has sought to impose a tax on natural gas drilling and has enacted some new regulations. However, some activists believe he should take a stronger stance against fracking and new pipeline construction.
Staff writer Dylan Segelbaum contributed to this report.
