Midterm Election Candidates and Their Stances

Election Day is on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, and it is an important year to vote. With the ads all over social media, it may seem overwhelming or confusing who to vote for, or what is even being voted for. The upcoming major elections are for Pennsylvania senator, and governor. 

There are currently five candidates for Senator: John Fetterman, Erik Gerhardt, Mehmet Oz, Daniel Wassmer, and Richard L. Weiss. 

There are also five candidates for Governor: Christina Digiulio, Matt Hackenburg, Doug Mastriano, Josh Shapiro, and Joe P. Soloski.

Many of these names are unfamiliar, beyond ads from the opposing parties explaining the flaws of the other side. It is important to understand who is running for before casting a ballot.

Senator Candidates on the Issues:

John Fetterman – Democrat

• Immigration
  • Fetterman plans to support investments to keep borders strong against drugs being brought into the country. He also plans to modernize the immigration system in America, providing a safe, logical system for immigrants and refugees. He supports common sense immigration.
• Women’s Reproductive Freedom
  • Fetterman believes that a woman has the right to make her own decisions. He plans on voting in favor of the Woman’s Health Protection Act, ensuring their right to abortion services.
• Healthcare
  • Fetterman believes that healthcare is a basic human right and is too expensive in America. He plans to support any legislation that will bring the U.S. closer to universal health care.
• Fighting Inflation
  • Fetterman plans to fight for fair tax codes ensuring corporations won’t be able to scam the system. He also plans to fight for more American made products to lower product costs.

Erik Gerhardt – Libertarian

• Jobs and Economy
  • Gerhardt wants to decrease taxes and simplify the tax code to a flat tax. He wants to drop property taxes and reduce taxes for those who own multiple properties. 
• Social Injustice and Police Reform
  • Gerhardt believes police reform is necessary, but that defunding the police is not the way to go. He proposes to start reform with recruits and work from the start up. 
• War on Drugs
  • Gerhardt wants to end the war on drugs through decriminalization, starting with marijuana. He believes legalizing all drugs will make the need for them decrease, therefore eliminating the need for smugglers.
• Abortion
  • Gerhardt believes that the issue of abortion should be between a woman and her doctor.  

Mehmet Oz – Republican

• Economy
  • Oz believes that to fix current inflation, the government needs to focus on problems specifically in America.
• Immigration
  • Oz believes that there needs to be a secure border, and that one of the core responsibilities of the government is to protect its people.
• Fix Health Care
  • Oz believes in fighting against high prices for prescription medications and will fight for people’s access to private sector health plans.
• Abortion
  • Oz is 100% pro-life.

Daniel Wassmer – Keystone

• Abortion
  • Wassmer is pro-choice and believes abortion is a choice to be made between a woman and her doctor. 
• Immigration
  • Wassmer is pro-immigration. 
• Economy
  • Wassmer is for revising unfair tax systems, and for the unions. He is pro-business and work. He also is against the racial disparity in economic settings.

Richard L. Weiss – Green

• Health Care
  • Weiss supports Medicare for All.
• Abortion
  • He is for reproductive rights.
• Economy
  • Weiss supports a rapid transition to renewable energy which will be cheaper and supply more jobs.
• Weiss, as most green party members do, has a more environmentally forward campaign plan.

Governor Candidates on the Issues

Josh Shapiro – Democrat

• Abortion
  • Shapiro believes that abortion is healthcare. He plans to defend a woman’s right to choose and promises to veto any bill that would restrict abortion rights.
• Healthcare
  • Shapiro plans to fight for more funding towards more funding towards healthcare, and to try and fight against companies trying to take advantage of low-income people.
• Creating Good Jobs
  • Shapiro plans to create well-paying union jobs through investing in infrastructure, modernizing homes, investing in sewer and stormwater projects as well as repairing roads and bridges.

Matt Hackenburg – Libertarian

• Freedom of Lifestyle
  • Hackenburg believes that the state has too many unnecessary laws. He believes that if you’re not harming anyone, you should have the right to choose.
• Healthcare
  • Hackenburg believes in medical autonomy, and that people should have the right to choose their own health decisions.
• Economy
  • Hackenburg also believes the people know best how to handle their money. He wants to end taxation and restore prosperity.

Doug Mastriano – Republican

• Abortion
  • Mastriano plans to pass the Heartbeat Bill into law, and to end funding to Planned Parenthood.
• Economy
  • Mastriano believes property tax is unfair and hopes to lower or eliminate it entirely. He also hopes to lower the gas tax.
• Healthcare
  • Mastriano plans to end the mask and vaccine mandates.

Joe P. Soloski – Keystone

• Healthcare
  • Soloski believes free-market healthcare is the best solution to the country’s health problem.
• Abortion
  • Soloski believes that the government should have no say in how a woman chooses to handle her pregnancy. With that said, he also believes there needs to be a push towards alternative options to abortions.
• Economy
  • Soloski believes that across Pennsylvania there are many unfair ways taxes are handled. He believes in reducing Corporate Net Tax, eliminating State Inheritance Tax, and property tax. 

Christina Digiulio – Green

Digiulio takes a primary focus on energy in Pennsylvania and going green. She believes that while this is a country wide issue that needs tackled, and that it is best to start locally. 

As Pennsylvanians this is an important decision. Voting is the key to change, so it is important to know what each candidate stands for. Make sure to read up, and vote.