HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Republican field for Governor is about to get its biggest name yet. Senate President Jake Corman will officially announce he’s in the race on Tuesday.
“I want to be governor because I want to put people first,” Corman said. Which, according to him, Governor Wolf hasn’t done during COVID with shutdowns and mandates. But isn’t he Monday morning quarterbacking a pandemic for political gain?
“I believe the governor made all his decisions based on what he thought was best for the people of Pennsylvania, but I just never believed that we should infringe upon people’s individual freedoms,” Corman said.
Corman faces a crowded field of Republicans but says he’s the most qualified. “Who’s gonna have the ability to get things done? Because we can be for whatever but if you can’t get it accomplished, what good are you? I think I am in the best position and reason to put myself in this race because I think I can get things done,” Corman said.
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Whispers in Harrisburg suggested Corman would step down as President Pro Temp to run for governor. Is it true? “No. Has the attorney general said he’s gonna stay attorney general? I think it’s easy for me to stay as pro temp at the same time,” Corman said.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the lone Democrat in the race. He wouldn’t comment on Corman’s entry into the race but statewide Democrats did. Pa. Democratic Party Spokeswoman Marisa Nahem issued the following statement:
Jake Corman has sold out to the far-right of the Republican Party, and is desperately competing amongst a sea of MAGA hopefuls for Trump’s support,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Marisa Nahem. “Corman vainly thought he could clear this messy field, but he’s getting quite the wakeup call joining a dozen other candidates. While the rest of the field has spent months embracing election conspiracies and MAGA litmus tests, Corman was maneuvering behind the scenes to take over the sham fraudit in Harrisburg. Pennsylvanians don’t want Corman to have their private, personal information -– and they don’t want him anywhere near the Governor’s office either.
Pa. Democratic Party Spokeswoman Marisa Nahem
Corman said the race will be expensive but money won’t be an issue. “We’ll raise the resources we have to be competitive,” Corman said. He’s also raised frustration among Donald Trump supporters by not embracing a robust forensic audit of the 2020 election and then kicked off Trump detractors by moving forward with an investigation. “The left thinks I did too much and the right thinks I didn’t do enough, I think I did the right thing.”
Governor Wolf is trying to put Pa. in an environmental alliance to reduce greenhouse gasses. “If the governor is successful in putting us in the regional gas alliance, I will take us out day one,” Corman said. And then there’s abortion. GOP lawmakers want further restrictions. Democratic Governors would veto. Would Corman? “I’m pro-life. I’ve never made any secret about that, I will be a pro-life governor.”
Some may be tempted to call Corman a favorite, but it’s worth noting the last sitting lawmaker elected governor in Pennsylvania was York’s George Leader back in 1954.