Posted on 11/10/2016 7:28:17 PM PST by lightman
State Sen. Scott Wagner, R-Spring Garden Township, intends to run for governor of Pennsylvania, he said Thursday.
He intends to write "a significant seven figure check" to his campaign, from $1 million to just shy of $10 million. He said he has not yet decided whether that money will be a loan to a committee that could be paid back to him or a direct gift. He said that contribution will not require him to sell part of Penn Waste, a waste and recycling company he owns.
Wagner, who has been publicly considering a run for months, plans to make a formal announcement in January.
Charlie Gerow, a Republican political consultant, said Wagner "will be at the front of the pack" in a Republican primary.
"He will be viewed as the logical heir to the Trump constituency," Gerow said. "And like Tom Wolf did ... he will have a lot of his own money to jump start his campaign."
Wolf, a Democrat from York County, is up for re-election in 2018. When Wolf ran for governor, he contributed about $10 million to his own campaign, launched a statewide TV ad campaign earlier than his opponents and soared to an early lead in the polls that he never lost. Wolf has said he intends to seek re-election.
Wagner, a 61-year-old wealthy York County businessman, was a prominent supporter of Republican Donald Trump during the presidential campaign, and he hosted a rally for Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, in September. Journalists and fellow Republicans have compared Wagner to Trump, because of his blunt style and business background.
"I think a lot of the voters that voted for Trump will vote for me," Wagner said. "The reason that Donald Trump won is people are fed up."
Wagner thinks that frustration paved the way for his own path to the state Senate.
In 2014, Wagner challenged leaders of his own party. He accused them of orchestrating a state senator's resignation and setting up a costly special election as a way of making it harder for him to get elected. So he ran a write-in campaign.
I realize this is a large hill to climb and its never been accomplished before, but Im confident people are tired of career politicians rigging the system to benefit themselves," Wagner said in a mass email in February 2014.
He won the special election as a write-in candidate, receiving more than 10,000 votes, and he was elected to a full-term later that year. In office, he spearheaded a successful effort to replace the Senate majority leader. He has emerged as a frequent critic of government spending, public-sector unions and Wolf.
And this election cycle, he had a leadership position with the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, and helped the GOP flip three seats from Democrat to Republican. The state Senate will have 34 Republicans in the 50-member chamber, which will be the largest Republican majority since the 1949-50 legislative session, according to Republican leaders.
Wagners role with those Senate wins are one reason he had "a great night" on Tuesday, Gerow said.
"Hes proven a couple of things. One, he knows how to run a campaign, and thats important to any potential statewide candidacy," Gerow said. "And hes picked up some very important friends along the way. That doesnt hurt either."
Those relationships with Republicans across the state could be useful in a primary.
Pennsylvania's Trump!
Governor Tommie "the Commie" Wolf should be very afraid.
And on another bright note.
The PA House and Senate have more Republicans than anytime in the last 70 years...
http://billlawrenceonline.com/pennsylvania-legislature-taxpayer-friendly/
I wish I knew the names of more PA FReepers, but you three are top of mind.
Of course my husband and I, and everyone we know here in The People's Republik of Connecticut voted for Trump, but -- as always -- the 'RATs outnumber us here.
This is the sweetest victory I can remember in a long, long time! :-)
THANK YOU, PENNSYLVANIA!!!
Sounds like he might be the best that PA could expect in 2018
Yes, thank the PA patriots and their keen surprise for all of us
Pinging to some others:
P.O.E.;nextrush ;daveinyork; redinbluepa; Tribune 7
Is he pro-life?
About the same degree as DJT.
Wagner vs. Wolf will be like Trump vs. Bernie Sanders.
Ultimate showdown!
You’re welcome! First time in my life my PA presidential vote mattered!! It felt amazing. I was praying the rosary all night. I kept reading all the depressing Freeper comments and sorta yelled at God...can’t you hear us Lord?? Please part the red sea now Lord! A minute later things pivoted! Ohio went, Florida went....beautiful! So nany people were on their knees in prayer that night. We owe it all to God. I love all of you people.
I’m in Pennsylvania, nutmeg.
Live in Somerset County, where we are known for 09/11/2001 and Flight #93 that crashed into the Earth and will remain for Eternity. and that site today is very beautiful, well cared for and visited by millions every year...
and our County voted TRUMP~PENCE 74.6%..I felt it would go for Trump/Pence from the beginning, just seeing the support locally...and will really be anxious to get rid of the Gov. Wolff. who like Hillary, tells ‘fairy tales’
Wolf was a one term wiener the day he got elected... got voted in by folks angry at Corbett and the Teachers Union backed him, not because anyone cared for him. As long as R’s put up someone with personality and ability, they should easily take back the Governorship next election.
Great news for us in PA. Wagner is a straight-shooter, and despite the fact that he owns a waste company, he’s big into cutting down on government waste.
Is he pro-life?
Although it will be nice if he were, I am more interested that the Supreme Court take care of the murder of babies.
He can take out the Harrisburg trash into his landfill, and hopefully do something to reduce or eliminate property taxes which are killing some parts of this state.
Hi Nutmeg,
I’m a PA Freeper. Took a day off teaching to poll watch in Montgomery County where I’m on the GOP committee. Took some barbs from the judge of elections and watched a lot of smug D’s in our majority D precinct coming in to vote. There were quite a few people who wanted to vote but were turned away for lack of proper registration in our precinct. Perhaps they would have been in any case, and then again maybe not. Long day but well rewarded in the end!
I am STILL in shock that Trump won Pennsylvania. There is not enough being made about how YUGE that is! George H.W. Bush was the last Republican to win it. And he was running against an IDIOT. Amazing.
Should add
It was a long night for this 80 year old body
Finally went to bed at 1:30 when it was evident that a late vote fraud from Philly wouldn’t be able to turn the tide
Still paying for the lack of sleep
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