Republican voters will decide today who will face Democratic Governor Tom Wolf in November.
Scott Wagner and Paul Mango spent much of their primary campaigns slamming each other in TV and radio spots, while Laura Ellsworth just tried to gain traction in debates.
Political analyst and pollster Dr. Terry Madonna says the bitter ad war between Mango and Wagner may leave the GOP with a battered nominee.
“It’s unbelievable how negative they are and what that tends to do is to drive up what we call ‘the negatives’ of a candidate,” Madonna said. “Two of them will start out with the voters of the state having a very unfavorable view, and Gov. Tom Wolf didn’t have to do a thing.”
Madonna said this has been the most negative ad war he’s ever seen in Pennsylvania.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango explains how he would approach the budget process.
“When any company or organization faces difficult times, a good leader brings his or her folks together…and that hasn’t happened,” Mango. “I would convene the county commissioners, both democrats and republicans, and say ‘let’s roll up our sleeves’ and let’s establish a smaller budget based on the priorities of the people in your counties, not based on the special interest of those in Harrisburg.”
Candidate Laura Ellsworth believes too many budget negotiations happen behind closed doors and there are ways to make the process easier.
“I would cut the ‘back-office, funny business’ that goes on financially,” she said. “That’s the first thing I would do.”
In a speech to the Pennsylvania Press Club in February, State Senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner launched a series of attacks on Governor Tom Wolf.
“Tom Wolf, over the last three years, has attempted to tax everyone and everything under the sun,” Wagner said. “He wants more money for big government programs that really only help his donors.”
Polls are open statewide until 8 p.m.
