This election season, Pennsylvania voters will find candidates running for positions at the federal, state and local levels on their ballots. Learn more about some of the state positions on the ballot and the candidates vying for each role.

United States Senator

There are 100 senators in the U.S. Senate, with two from each state. Senators’ terms are six years, and there are no limits on how many terms a person can serve. Senators’ powers include creating and amending legislation, overseeing the federal government’s budget and vetting presidential committee appointees.

Robert P. Casey Jr. – Democratic Party

• Support nationwide abortion access.
• Expand healthcare access for veterans.
• Reinstate Pennsylvania’s Child Tax Credit.

Dave McCormick – Republican Party

• Control government spending and stop tax increases.
• Secure the U.S. border.
• Reestablish military power by increasing defense spending.

John C. Thomas – Libertarian Party

• Reducing spending on international aid.
• Reduce inflation.
• Decrease government size.

Leila Hazou – Green Party

• Support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
• Protect women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights, and end systemic racism.
• Implement a right to healthcare and Medicare For All.

Marty Selker – Constitution Party

• Strengthen national defense and implement tougher penalties on human trafficking.  
• Oppose government measures that restrict parental involvement.
• Defend constitutionally protected rights.

Attorney General

The attorney general is the highest authority for law enforcement in Pennsylvania. The attorney general serves a four-year term and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. The attorney general is served by a staff of hundreds of attorneys across Pennsylvania, dealing with civil and criminal law cases, including organized crime and corruption.

Eugene DePasquale – Democratic Party

• Defend access to abortion services, IVF and contraceptives.
• Combat corruption and financial waste by elected officials, government agencies and businesses.
• End price gouging for consumers and protect workers from wage theft.

Dave Sunday – Republican Party

• Increase public safety and implement tough-on-crime policies.
• Lead fight against the epidemics of opioids, fentanyl and heroin.
• Protect senior citizens from scams.

Robert Cowburn – Libertarian Party

• Establish an anti-corruption unit and increase whistleblower protections.
• Promote charter schools and parent involvement in schools.
• Decrease economic regulations and create tax breaks and grants for businesses.

Richard Weiss – Green Party

• Pursue owners of uncapped fracking wells.
• Pay prison laborers market rates for their work.
• Pursue corrupt politicians who accept gifts.

Justin L. Magill – Constitution Party

• Represent the Constitution Party on the ballot.
• Reduce the role of government (Constitution Party of Pennsylvania).
• Remove government taxes, fees and regulations (Constitution Party of Pennsylvania).

Eric L. Settle – Forward Party

• Transition Pennsylvania to open primaries, so voters registered as one political party can vote in another party’s primary elections, and implement ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference.
• Reduce the number of illegal weapons and assault weapons.
• Ensure healthcare and jobs are protected when nonprofit healthcare services are acquired by for-profit companies.

Auditor General

Malcolm Kenyatta – Democratic Party

• Rebuild the Bureau of School Audits to demand accountability from all schools.
• Create a Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections to monitor wage theft, employee misclassification, union busting and pension funds.
• Get financial transparency from large nonprofit hospitals and long-term care providers.

Tim DeFoor – Republican Party

• Cut government spending and create a stronger economy so businesses can create jobs.
• Prioritize transparency in how the government spends taxpayers’ money.
• Continue to transform the Department of Auditor General through initiatives such as new audits that allow the department auditors to find Commonwealth vulnerabilities and reduce auditing time.

Reece Smith – Libertarian Party

• Effectively audit specifically the state government and politicians, such as those in the governor’s office.
• Oppose bipartisan corruption, waste and abuse of state funds.
• Publicize the results of audits through press conferences.

Eric Anton – American Solidarity Party

• Oppose abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty.
• Address systemic and historical injustices, including racial injustices.
• Support lower level community groups and structures rather than higher government levels.

Bob Goodrich – Constitution Party

• Everything not delegated to the federal government and not prohibited for states is delegated to the states and the people. (Constitution Party)
• Education should be entirely a state power, not federal, including funding. (Constitution Party)
• Support the right to keep and bear arms, and oppose gun and ammunition registration.” (Constitution Party)

State Treasurer

The Pennsylvania state treasurer serves a four-year term and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. The Treasury oversees the state’s finances, including over $150 billion in Commonwealth funds and all withdrawals and deposits from state agencies. The treasurer is also responsible for programs that financially assist Pennsylvania families, nonprofits and local governments.

Erin McClelland – Democratic Party

• Establish labor and environmental standards while preventing human rights violations.
• Correct the Pennsylvania legislature’s failure to adjust to federal supply chain reforms.
• End pension privatization.

Stacy Garrity – Republican Party

• Increase  transparency so taxpayers can see how their money is being spent.
• Return money and unclaimed property to its owners.
• Eliminate waste and hidden fees in the two largest taxpayer-funded pension systems.

Nickolas Ciesielski – Libertarian Party

• Privatize government-run services, reduce state control and promote private sector efficiency.
• Unlock natural resources and find new energy production methods, like nuclear energy.
• Promote the use of gold and bitcoin as alternative assets for financial transactions.

Troy Bowman – Constitution Party

• Everything not delegated to the federal government and not prohibited for states is delegated to the states and the people.
• Education should be entirely a state power, including funding; no laws or funding from the federal government.
• Support the right to keep and bear arms, and oppose “all laws which would require the registration of guns or ammunition.”

Chris Foster – Forward Party

• Provide transparency and efficiency in the accounting of state finances.
• Maximize returns on investments, streamline processes, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used appropriately.
• Enhance financial literacy among Pennsylvanians.

Candidate stances were sourced from campaign websites and public statements of goals. The following candidates did not have websites, so the stances listed are sourced from their party’s website: Bob Goodrich, Troy Bowman, Justin L. Magill and Eric Anton.

This is an updated version of a story from The Hawk’s Oct. 30, 2024 issue.