Election day is here once again.
Tuesday, November 6 is primary election day across Pennsylvania.
All polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE
NO identification is needed to vote. The exception is if you are a first-time voter or this will be your first election in a new ward.
If you are looking to write-in a candidate, poll site staff can show you how to add a person’s name.
Problems at the Polls? Contact the Bucks County Board of Elections at 215-348-6154.
Click here to see a sample ballot for Bucks County.
The below candidate information has been provided through an extensive guide compiled by the League of Women Voters of Bucks County.
Candidates
Senator (6-year term)
Bob Casey Jr., Democrat
Education: Holy Cross B.A. 1982 Catholic University Law Degree 1988
Qualifications: Auditor General of Pennsylvania 1997-2005, Treasurer of Pennsylvania 2005-2007, United States Senator 2007-Present
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: The top three issues I am focused on are increasing access to affordable health care, protecting the programs Pennsylvanians depend on, and helping working families get ahead. That means stopping the Trump administration’s sabotage of our health care system, defeating Republican attacks on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and fighting to raise wages, protect the rights of organized labor, and eliminate the obstacles holding working families back.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: The right to vote has been called our most precious right, and the “primary right by which all other rights are protected.” I supported The Voting Rights Reconstruction Act of 2015, legislation which would restore the Voting Rights Act, and I oppose efforts to suppress voter turnout, and support measures to make voting easier for people. I oppose voter ID laws, and favor restoring voting rights to people after they have served their sentences. During the Kavanaugh confirmation fight, I have been working to make clear that I expect our next Supreme Court Justice to protect voting rights, and not dismantle the tools by which they are protected. No one should be stop eligible voters from casting their ballot. Earlier this year, I helped to secure $13 million from the Election Assistance Commission to help secure Pennsylvania’s election systems, and I am working in the Senate to
appropriate more funds for election security.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: I will fight to ensure that the census is fully funded and I oppose Trump Administration efforts to undercount people in marginalized communities. It is vital that the census is accurate so that Americans are fairly represented in Congress.
Lou Barletta, Republican
Education: Attended Bloomsburg State College (Bloomsburg University) where I majored in elementary education.
Qualifications: As a former small business owner, mayor of Hazleton, and member of Congress, I have a strong record of standing up and fighting for people in my community.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: My top three priorities are keeping Pennsylvania’s families safe, protecting Pennsylvania jobs, and standing up for the men and women who serve our communities. More than anything, people want someone willing to fight for them, when no one else will. That’s what I have always done, and that’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of our democracy and ensure that our elections are both free and fair. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to make sure our voting systems are secure. I recently voted for increased funding for states to improve their election security, as well as increased funding to counter Russian cyber attacks. I also spoke out against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out Pennsylvania’s bipartisan, constitutionally-drawn congressional map in the middle of the election,creating chaos and confusion among voters.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: The Census is important to provide legislators with accurate information to make informed policy decisions that are in the best interest of our country. I continue to support efforts to fund the Census and ensure that it accurately reflects our nation’s demographics.
Neal Taylor Gale, Green
Education: Drexel University – Architecture
Qualifications: For the past forty years I have worked in the energy conservation and efficiency fields, currently managing a comprehensive, low-income energy affordability program in conjunction with the six investor owned
utilities, in New Jersey.Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: 1. Remove Corporate, PAC, lobbyist and other special interests’ money from the political process, to end the influence of those groups on specific legislation and the buying of political favors. 2. Generate the political will at the federal level of government to implement a transition from our existing fossil fuel economy to a 100% renewable energy economy, acknowledging the existential threat that climate change represents. 3. Reform our economic model to favor all of our citizens, not just the wealthiest 1%. This will include the re-regulation of the financial industries and the recognition that the economy should support a baseline standard of living, below which no one may be allowed to fall.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: I will fight for legislation to make voter registration as accessible as possible for all citizens, reversing unwarranted restrictions on voters. I would like to see election day become a national holiday and I would support federal funding to provide election day transportation for those citizens who would otherwise be unable to reach their polling place. I will support fair districting practices throughout the country, beginning with Pennsylvania. I will also champion the cause of providing resources to bring the latest voting technology into our polling places, replacing the existing, digital screen machines with those that incorporate paper balloting. I will support legislation to demand intelligence resources be assigned to recognize and thwart any attempts to alter our electoral system, by any means, digital or otherwise.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: I will review the proposed process to be used for the 2020 census, and introduce legislation that will ensure an accurate, unbiased count throughout the country. This will require a large number of well-trained census workers, canvassing urban areas, and rural districts, where citizens are less available to be counted, or are not comfortable responding to census forms. The entire process will need to be overseen by a competent supervisory team, knowledgeable in the significance and importance of accurate census data, eager to maintain accurate counts and records. I will also include in the legislation, a spending request so that all necessary resources will be adequately funded.
Dale R. Kerns, Libertarian
Education: Widener University – Professional Studies, Project Management Sociology Master Electrician by trade
Qualifications: Founder and President of the Little Angels Foundation. Cabot Creamery Community Celebrity winner for volunteerism. Over 7 years in the non-profit sector in a volunteer capacity. Recently appointed to the James A Masterson Foundation advisory board.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: 1) We must address the opioid epidemic and end the War on Drugs. When I get to the US Senate, I will sponsor legislation that will fundamentally change how we view drug problems and move our system to one similar to Portugal or Switzerland, where drug addiction is treated as a medical issue. 2) Education is one of the most important issues our nation and Commonwealth face. As a father to two daughters, I am not pleased with the options or lack thereof) that most parents have. I will vote to abolish the federal Department of Education and return decisions to parents, students, and local communities. 3) Our immigration system is broken. It can take decades for individuals to immigrate to this country legally. We should welcome those who come to the United States to make a better life for their families. Our communities have been built on the hard work of immigrants. I will vote to abolish ICE and to reform our immigration system by making it easier for good people to legally immigrate.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: I would work in the Senate to ensure that those who wish to vote can do so without any unnecessary hurdles. This would include rigid enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and support of early voting and same-day voter registration, as well as opposition to any new voter ID laws. States maintain the right to conduct their elections as they please, but they must also abide by the aforementioned constitutional requirements, which were designed to protect the sanctity of the voting booth.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: Like any other government agency, the census should be held to high standards and tight budget restraints. As a U.S. Senator, I will insist that all possible options are explored, and that only the best companies and individuals are selected to partake in the census. This would include a rigorous vetting and screening process. Competition and accountability will vastly improve the results which we receive.
Governor (4-year term)
Tom Wolf, Democrat
Education: Dartmouth College (BA), the University of London (MA), and M.I.T. (PhD)
Qualifications: Business Owner, Secretary of Governor, Governor
Questions:
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: Investing in our Kids and Schools: I have made clear my strong commitment to education in Pennsylvania by fully restoring education funding cuts made in the previous administration, providing unprecedented support to high-quality pre-k programs, and ensuring students are college and career ready by expanding opportunities for career and technical education. Grow Jobs and Support Workers: I have eliminated burdensome taxes on businesses like the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and I am working to grow the economy by moving forward on large projects. I have and will continue to invest in manufacturing, apprenticeships, and workforce development initiatives. Protect Our Seniors and Access to Health Care: I took immediate action to provide health insurance to more than 720,000 Pennsylvanians by expanding Medicaid, and under my administration the commonwealth’s uninsured rate is the lowest it has ever been. I have also increased opportunities for seniors to age in their homes.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: I have long supported a independent citizen’s redistricting commission. We must eliminate partisan politics from the legislative redistricting process by enacting legislation to end gerrymandering by establishing an independent, bi-partisan commission to create future electoral maps. I also stood up to the House State Government Committee Republican majority’s last-minute move to gut and replace House Bill 722, which was intended to create an independent redistricting commission, with a redistricting process that is more politically driven. To rebuild trust in Harrisburg, we must have fair and accessible elections for all citizens from our rural communities to our big cities.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: Yes, I have long advocated for voting modernization. Upon coming into office, I launched online voter registration and now more than a million Pennsylvanians have used it. I also launched a voter information texting initiative and a program to get high school seniors to register to vote. I also directed the Pennsylvania Department of State to require new voting machines to have a voter verifiable paper ballot or paper record of votes cast. I recently launched a 21st century voting reform plan that includes same day voter registration, automatic voter registration, modernization of absentee ballots, campaign finance reform, and gerrymandering reform.
Scott Wagner, Republican
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: Overhauling governmental impositions is a top priority. On day one, I will employ zero-based budgeting, introducing a transparent budget process that will make sense for taxpayers and investing in what works to end wasteful and ineffective spending. With over 153,000 regulations and a regulatory authority out of control, meaningful regulation reform must be implemented, such as my current proposal to count, cap, and reduce. Second, I have been all over Pennsylvania and I have heard my mission loud and clear, I will eliminate property taxes as Governor. Many of our children are receiving an outstanding education, but the reality is that too many students are graduating from high school without the necessary skills to be successful in college or the workforce. We must retool and redesign our education system to ensure today’s students are adequately prepared to be tomorrow’s
adults. Without a major overhaul, we will continue to do a great disservice to our children and their educators.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to overstep its bounds and override the legislature by drawing its own maps did a great disservice to the citizens of Pennsylvania. In light of this travesty, I would support an independent citizens redistricting commission to ensure that Pennsylvanians will have access to fair and equal elections when it comes time to work on maps after the 2020 census.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: Pennsylvania is among only 13 states that do not use paper ballots or have paper backup systems for electronic voting machines. I support the decision of the Department of State to require counties to replace their voting machines with systems that have paper trails. Pennsylvania has received $13.5 million in federal funding and the state is also required to provide a 5% match to this money. Thus, Pennsylvania has $14.15 million to help counties fund the purchase of these new voting machines. It is critical that state government make sure that counties have adequate funds available to ensure that they can meet their responsibility as it relates to voting systems.
Paul Glover, Green
Education: Degrees in Marketing and in City Management
Qualifications: Taught Urban Studies at Temple University. Taught Ecological Economics at Philadelphia University. Founder of more than a dozen organizations for ecology and justice. Author of six books on community
economic development.Questions:
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: 1. Shift the State budget toward ecology and justice. Aggressively fund energy efficiencies and expand tax credits for solar/wind/ cogeneration, to reduce demand for fossil fuels and end fracking. Move money from prisons to jobs and schools, and from roadbuilding to transit. 2. Fully employ all Pennsylvanians to rebuild cities, suburbs and farms toward balance with nature, partly with regional credits and regional stock exchanges, as described in my book Green Jobs Philly. I will establish the Green Labor Administration (GLAD) to employ 500,000 Pennsylvanians without raising taxes. The larger purpose is to begin the transition from the Middle Class to what i call the Mutual Class. 3. Permit formation of community-based medical cooperatives, to provide a genuinely nonprofit base for statewide universal health coverage that is affordable, democratic, and humane. This is how Canada’s
single payer system began.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Support independent drafting of legislative boundaries. Computer-generated drafts should inform the Commission. Meetings should be transparent, with public welcome.
Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: Favor returning to paper ballots, permitting no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day registration. The Green Party has long advocated Instant Runoff Voting, also known as Ranked Choice Voting, to end the “spoiler” argument against minor parties
Ken V Krawchuk, Libertarian
Education: B.S. Physics St. Joseph’s University, Abington Citizens Police Academy
Qualifications: Business Owner, Student of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Distinguished Toastmaster, Inventor with 3 U.S. Patents, Author, Husband, Father, Grandfather, and a good sense of humor.
Questions:
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: The theme of the Krawchuk campaign is Death and Taxes. My goal is to reduce both dramatically. Under the two old parties, the cost of government has been rising on average at over 3 times the inflation rate for over 50 years. To end that trend, I promise to veto every tax increase, aggressively use the line item veto, eliminate property taxes and reduce the corporate tax. To reduce deaths, it’s time to end the Opioid Crisis. Four out of five opioid deaths can be prevented by following Portugal’s example and ending the insane War on Drugs. Addiction should be treated as a medical issue, not a criminal one. To help save lives, the right to keep and bear arms should be strongly supported because gun control kills. John Lott, a researcher at the University of Chicago, found that if a woman resists an attacker, she’s twice as likely to be seriously injured. But if she resists with a handgun,
she’s half as likely to be seriously injured. In other words, handguns are a girl’s best friend.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: I strongly support reforming our redistricting process. Look at any map of political districts and you can plainly see that the legislature has failed horribly in its constitutionally-mandated task to create “election districts of compact and contiguous territory”. An independent redistricting commission would certainly be a step in the right direction, but there is a better, broader solution, not only to redistricting, but also to midnight pay raises, unfair ballot access, illegal gun grabs, and more. That solution would be to re-establish the “Council of Censors” created by Benjamin Franklin. The Council was composed of two citizens from each city and county whose role was to “censure” the legislators by vetoing legislation that was not in keeping with the constitution, calling constitutional conventions, even ordering impeachments. The Council was eliminated a few short months after Franklin’s death; it would honor Pennsylvania’s most famous citizen if it were re-established.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: There are two ways to subvert an election: Stop honest citizens from voting, and stop worthy candidates from running. To make certain voting is honest, I strongly support voter-verifiable ballots. The way they work, when you vote you get two printouts of your vote. One copy is yours to keep as a record, and the other is signed by the voter and kept by the state as the official record and to be used for recounts. The chances for hacking an election vanish. To encourage worthy candidates to run, ballot access for independents and third parties should be made equal to that of the two old parties, as mandated by the Pennsylvania Constitution, not two and a half to thirty-three times higher. For example, this year I needed 5,000 signatures to get my name on the ballot for governor. The statewide candidates from the two old parties only needed 1,000 or 2,000. Is that equal? Is that fair?
Lt. Governor (4-year term)
John Fetterman, Democrat
Education: Albright College 1991 Harvard University Masters in Public Policy 1999
Qualifications: Mayor of Braddock for 13 yrs -drastically reduced food and clothing insecurity – eliminated heat insecurity this year – successfully implemented community policing model Founder of Braddock Redux Director for Out-Of-School Youth Program
Questions:
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: I will be a progressive backstop for the Governor, advocate for economic justice and our forgotten communities in Pennsylvania, and utilize and transform the office of the Lt Governor to its fullest potential.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: Congressional and legislative districts should be drawn to ensure that candidates and elected officials are held accountable by voters. Boundaries should protect the interests of all voters and protect voting rights, and should not show preference to one political affiliation. We recently had a huge win with redistricting in Pennsylvania. I would certainly support formalized citizen input for a more fair and unbiased redistricting process.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: I support any reform that gets more people to turn out to vote, and makes voting easier. In addition to the above measures I think we should make Election Day a holiday and get more working people to the polls.
Jeff Bartos, Republican
Candidate did not provide information.
Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick, Green
Education: B.A. degree in biology from Temple University
Qualifications: I will excel as a Lt. Gov. because my scientific background and life experiences have prepared me to be a critical thinker, a leader and adept at conducting comprehensive research and reading and intelligently analyzing large amounts of data.
Questions:
Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office?
A: 1. Reduce the future environmental damage and human suffering from climate change and the current ruination of people’s health, safety and property values by banning gas and oil fracking and the building of pipelines that carry gas or natural gas liquids. We must improve energy efficiency, use less energy, and eliminate dirty energy systems of which fossil fuels are the biggest component by becoming 100% reliant by 2050 on clean & renewable energy sources. By adopting laws such as HB2132/SB1140 that reinforce the goal of becoming solely reliant on 100% clean energy we will improve our health, save lives, and create thousands of green jobs. 2.End poverty that forces people to live in unhealthy homes, be homeless, and fear that they or their family members will have to go hungry or do without vital medical/mental health services. 3. Protect the economic, social & political rights of women, racial minorities, believers of any faith & those of any gender identity or sexual orientation.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: Yes. Citizens not holding political office should decide because voting is supposed to help maintain a just and orderly society and they should help decide how things should work politically because the quality of their lives will be improved or destroyed based on how these districts are organized.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: There must be online & same-day registration, early voting and an election day as a holiday. The Electoral College should be eliminated but as long as we have it legislation must be passed that forces the votes of these delegates in PA to reflect the popular vote in PA. Our elections throughout PA should be decided by STAR voting and proportional representation. New voting machines must be used throughout PA that have verifiable paper ballots and are not connected to the internet.
Kathleen S. Smith, Libertarian
Candidate did not provide information.
First Congressional District (2-year term)
Scott Wallace, Democrat
Education: Haverford College, B.A. Villanova Law School, J.D.
Qualifications: Attorney, US Senate counsel for Judiciary and Veterans Affairs Committees, legislative advocate for nonprofits working on criminal justice reform, 15 years running charitable foundation investing in democracy, womens’ empowerment and climate change.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: Green jobs: Climate change is both a crisis and an opportunity. We must reverse Trump’s cancellation of our domestic and international obligations, and pivot to the huge promise of a clean energy future – with millions of green jobs, carbon-free, in solar, wind, geothermal, and building retrofits for energy efficiency. It’s time for Medicare for All. With less profits for huge insurance and pharmaceutical companies, total costs will plummet, with quality undiminished. I know personally: my wife and I just went on Medicare, and nothing went down but the cost. Money in politics corrupts everything, whether NRA money and guns, Wall Street money and consumer protections, polluters’ money and pollution, or corporate money and a trillion dollars in tax breaks to corporations and billionaires. I won’t take a dime of corporate PAC money. Unlike our current congressional Representative, nobody will ever have to wonder who the heck I’m working for.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: To guarantee voting rights for all Americans, I would work for automatic voter registration – every American is automatically registered to vote when they pay taxes or get a driver’s license. Extend opportunities for early voting. Restore the Voting Rights Act, to prevent discriminatory voter suppression laws. Make it easier to vote, not harder. Ensure a paper trail for all ballots, to allow verifiable recounts, and reliable democracy. Fully document Russian interference in our 2016 elections, and work to make sure it never happens again.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: Block Trump’s plan to question people’s citizenship status. Millions of people will be afraid to answer, and the results will be disastrous, including misallocation of federal funding and congressional representation. The census bureau must be led by qualified professionals, fully staffed, and appropriately funded. An accurate census guides everything the government does, and every dollar it spends, for the next ten years. Skewed results will taint every governmental decision, and imbalance the fairness of our democracy.
Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican
Education: La Salle University (BS) Pennsylvania State University (MBA) Pennsylvania State University Law (JD)
Qualifications: A dedicated public servant, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is not done with his fight to fix a broken Washington and make a difference for our communities.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: My top three priorities in office are: -Fighting back against the opioid crisis, by expanding access to treatment and providing additional resources (like in my INTERDICT Act that was signed into law) for our law enforcement to stop the illicit flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl into our communities. -Fixing a broken Washington and breaking through the partisan gridlock with a government reform plan that challenges career politicians: term limits for members of Congress, pass a budget or don’t get paid, and balance the budget. -Expanding economic opportunity and creating a regulatory environment where our small businesses can invest, grow, and hire.Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
A: I have supported bipartisan legislation, the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2017, which would fully modernize the original Voting Rights Act to ensure that the sacred right to vote is protected. To ensure that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats, I have supported $380 million in election security funding as part of the Bipartisan Budget Deal earlier this year to replace aging voting machines, implement post-election audits, and provide cybersecurity training. The bill also provided $300 million to the FBI to counter Russian cyberattacks. Furthermore, I have cosponsored H.R.4884 – Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act to make clear to Russia and other countries that there will be severe repercussions for any future interference in our democratic process. We must protect the integrity of our elections.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: I will support continued funding for the Census Bureau and take into account any budgetary request that the agency may have in fulfilling its important role in conducting the upcoming census. I will oppose efforts that would undermine the agency’s mission and operational abilities to conduct an accurate count.
Sixth State Senatorial District (6-year term)
Tina Davis, Democrat
Education: BA, LaSalle University
Qualifications: I am currently a State Representative (D-141) and have served in this position since 2011. Previously, I served as a township councilperson from 2006 to 2010. I was a real estate salesperson for many years and have a BA from LaSalle University.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: We need better funding for our schools, higher wages for middle-class families, and real protections for women’s rights across Pennsylvania. >Funding for our schools: It is imperative that we find a way to adequately and permanently fund our schools. Pennsylvania cannot continue to strip schools of funding forcing local school districts to raise property taxes on already beleaguered property taxpayers.I believe we need to raise fees on oil and gas companies that drill in Pennsylvania and use these funds to help finance our schools. >Protecting our middle class: I will fight for better wages for our middle and working class families to break from their years of stagnant income growth. > Protecting women’s rights: women’s healthcare is under attack in Pennsylvania and I will ensure that women in Bucks and across the Commonwealth have access to the healthcare services they need.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: I am a strong advocate for electoral and redistricting reform Voters should choose their representatives — representatives should not be choosing their voters. We need a fair and reasonable process where the potential for partisan abuse is minimized. Across America, voters have been dismayed by hyper-partisan legislatures implementing unfair redistricting plans. I believe these kinds of political games compromise the integrity of our political system. I support an independent citizen’s redistricting commission to fairly and honestly redraw Pennsylvania’s legislative districts. We need an open and transparent redistricting commission that reflects the will of the people, not the self interests of legislators.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: I support any reform that will widen voter participation while still protecting our voting system from being compromised by foreign governments or other bad actors. We need to invest in technology upgrades to ensure that our electoral system is secure from the problems that we faced in 2016. At the same time, we need to remove barriers to voting that plague many Americans. Every American should enjoy the right to vote. These reforms should include same-day registration, no-excuse.
Robert Tommy Tomlinson, Republican
Education: Bachelors of Science, West Chester University, 1970; Mortuary Science, Miami Dade University, 1971
Qualifications: PA State Representative,18th District 1990-1994 PA State Senator, 6th District, 1994-Present
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: As Senator of the 6th district, I have always focused on creating jobs and spurring economic growth. I authored legislation that has created over 22,000 jobs across the Commonwealth, including over 2,500 local jobs in Lower Bucks County. As the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, I voted to support the Transportation Bill, which created thousands of jobs, while improving our infrastructure. My second priority is the pension liability. This debt will continue to haunt future generations of Pennsylvanians. I voted for SB 1, which will help protect taxpayers while saving over $15 billion. In addition, I sponsored a Severance Tax on Natural Gas and will use that money to lessen burden on taxpayers. Finally, I’m committed to providing a safe environment for a good public education for our children.I have supported record funding to Basic Education, while
voting for $60 million to help fund Safe School grants in order to protect our children.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: Absolutely. I have been a co-sponsor of SB22 since 2017. I believe when you look at what has occurred in Bucks County, that is a perfect example as to why we need a change in the current law. Between the changes in the 141st Legislative District, which removed a portion of Middletown to pick up the Boroughs of Hulmeville and Penndel; and, the changes in the 31st Legislative District, where a Republican majority of Upper Makefield was removed for a more Democratic municipality of Morrisville, which had serious effects on the election in 2016. I am proud to represent a Senate District that is 13 WHOLE and CONTIGUOUS municipalities. In addition, there is an overwhelming Democrat voter registration advantage. I believe when you represent the people, instead of a party or
ideology, the voter registration doesn’t matter.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: I believe that Voting is our most precious right and it must be protected at all costs. I think the Commonwealth has done a fantastic job with the Voter Registration online system, that has enabled masses of citizens the ability to register. I am always open for conversation regrading some other modernization reforms; however, I do believe that some of these reforms could have unintended consequences. After several talks with members of the League, I am open to support increased funding to ensure our elections are secure; I believe we must look for a proper way to fund this initiative, and I look forward to working with the League on this issue.
10th State Senatorial District (6-year term)
Steve Santarsiero, Democrat
Education: B.A., Tufts University J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School M.Ed., Holy Family University
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: My top three priorities are rebuilding our economy, strengthening our communities, and protecting our democracy. The key to more jobs, better jobs and higher wages is education. It starts in early childhood, continues through the primary and secondary levels and runs through college and job training. Great communities don’t just happen; they require hard work. We need to support our state and local police who are on the frontlines of protecting us every day and make sure that the resources are there that support law enforcement, such as treatment for mental health and addiction and, once and for all, a system of universal background checks on all firearm purchases to help prevent gun violence. For our democracy to work, its institutions have to function. We need to end gerrymandering and create a non-partisan commission to decide congressional and state lines; we need campaign finance reform; and we need to make it easier for people to vote.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: We need to stop the practice whereby elected officials pick their voters. It’s supposed to be the other way around. I support the creation of a non-partisan commission to decide congressional and state legislative lines.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: Let’s make it easier for people to vote, not harder. I support early voting and voting by mail. Both have worked in other states; they can work here too. I also support no-excuse absentee voting, same day voter registration, and additional investments into upgrading out voting technology and security.
Marguerite Quinn, Republican
Education: St. Joseph’s University, B.A. International Relations; Archbishop Wood High School
Qualifications: As a State Representative, I have a proven record of putting aside partisan politics and working with everyone to achieve real results and pass legislation to make a positive difference for the people I serve, our local community, and Pennsylvania.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: 1. I have always made education my top priority and delivered more funding for basic education than ever before. We must continue to adequately fund schools, move away from reliance on standardized testing, and support proven, innovational tools to prepare children for success. 2. As Representative, I have brought fiscal discipline to state government by focusing on priorities and spending wisely instead of simply spending more to protect taxpayers while still meeting the goals of the state. I have also supported measures like a fair natural gas severance tax, public pension reform and more to help us reach a strong financial foundation for state operations. 3. Protecting our quality of life by addressing the myriad of issues our communities face. From supporting measures that deal with gun violence, to combating the opioid epidemic, to addressing environmental concerns, to
improving our healthcare system,and more. I have a proven record of results, and a smart plan for the future.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: I do support this reform, and I am a co-sponsor of legislation, supported by Fair Districts PA, to create an independent redistricting commission to help remove politics from this process.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: My first goal with any possible voting reforms is to ensure the sanctity of the ballot and security of our voting systems. Because of this, I will carefully examine any proposal to avoid any unintended consequences that could result in fraud or ballot insecurity. I do agree with recent changes allowing voter registration on-line; I also would vote to allow 17 year olds who will be 18 by Election Day to pre-register to vote, and would support absentee ballot changes that make it easier for people to vote by mail. I also believe we must allow counties to add paper trails to electronic machines to ensure that we have tangible items that can be referenced in cases of recounts or disputes.
31st State Legislative District (2-year term)
Perry Warren, Democrat
Education: Colgate University, B.A., with Honors; Univ. of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., with Honors
Qualifications: State Representative, 2017- present; Newtown Borough Council, 2009- 2017; Attorney, Business Owner and Father of five children
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: Ensuring: – High quality, safe and affordable education at every level. “High quality” includes quality, well-educated teachers, adequate building and curriculum materials and programs that educate students of diverse talents and backgrounds. “Safe” includes safety from gun violence, bullying and discrimination. “Affordable…at every level” includes pre-K, K-12 and college. – Functional, effective, ethical and cost-efficient government. Reducing the gridlock and working together to accomplish objectives. Providing effective constituent services to our residents. Maintaining high ethical standards. – Environmental protection, including clean water and air and maintaining regulatory oversight of industries that impact the environment, and enacting a fair severance tax on drilling. – Fair districting and fair voting reform would be in the top three; however, those topics are covered in the next two questions.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: Yes. I am a cosponsor of the House Bill that would create an independent redistricting commission and would represent a significant step toward reducing partisan gerrymandering. Voters should choose their representatives, rather than politicians choose their voters. Congressional and state representative and senate districts should be drawn in a logical geographic and community-based manner, reflective of the communities, and should not be designed to maximizing the representation of a political party.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: I support no-excuse absentee voting, early voting and funding for voting technology upgrades and to ensure the security of our voting technology. I support same-day voter registration, so long as it
can be safeguarded (e.g., to prevent a voter from voting in Precinct A and then going and registering and voting again in Precinct B). In the internet age, Pennsylvania’s absentee voting system is archaic.
it requires a voter first to complete and mail an application, then to wait for a ballot to in the mail, complete it and mail it in again, to arrive the Friday before the election. This system disenfranchises people who have to travel on short notice, who become ill, or who don’t think to start the voting process weeks before election day. Voting technology security is essential. In addition, I oppose voter suppression legislation. It is our government’s constitutional duty to ensure that citizens can vote and that the candidate who receives the most votes from voters is elected.
Ryan W Gallagher, Republican
Education: Juris Doctorate
Qualifications: Former Township Supervisor, local business owner, community volunteer, and life long resident, with many years of experience, and a record of commitment to our
community,Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: My priorities will be the priorities of the people I serve in our community. In having met with thousands of them, they want a government that serves them by: 1. Protecting our tax dollars through smart fiscal management that looks first to control spending and increase efficiency before turning to tax increases. Items like pension reform and mandate relief are key, along with policies that spark economic and job growth. 2. Ensuring that education continues to be the state’s top priority through not only fair and adequate funding, but also through increased used of technology and improved accountability. We must also listen to the concerns of those on the front lines: teachers, parents and administrators, to ensure we are providing the best education for our children. 3. Providing for the safety and success of our community through everything from measures that combat opioids and address school safety, to economic development initiatives, and programs to protect our environment.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: While there are certainly reforms that can be made to the redistricting process to ensure a more transparent process and better outcome, we must be wary of making changes for the wrong reasons. Far too often, those complaining about redistricting are special interests (from both sides) who did not get what they want. Providing additional independent oversight, expanded citizen input, and more can achieve many of the goals we all share without turning away from a process simply to answer the complaints of special interests.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: My goal – and the goal of every citizen – with any voting reforms would be to ensure that our system, and every person’s ballot, remains secure. Doing so requires that any change considered is carefully examined to avoid unintentional negative results. I agree with reforms, such as recent approval of on-line voter registration, as well as increased absentee ballot changes that will make it easier for people to vote by mail, allowing 17 year olds who will be 18 by Election Day to pre-register, and providing for paper trails for all electronic voting machines.
178th State Legislative District (2-year term)
Helen Tai, Democratic
Education: M.A. Statistics – Penn State University B.S. Statistics – University of Michigan
Qualifications: Current State Representative for the 178th legislative district. Member of Solebury Township Board of Supervisors for 4.5 years. Small business owner and process improvement consultant
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: I want to ensure ALL Pennsylvanians have an equal opportunity to succeed. My top priorities are all related to this goal. 1. Reform Harrisburg – our legislators are protecting the special interests instead of focusing on the very real problems that need fixing. As a small business owner, every day I help organizations and people work together more effectively to find common sense solutions to problems. That’s why I have taken a pledge not to accept corporate PAC money and I will introduce a bill that requires the legislature to pass a balanced budget on time or they won’t get paid. 2. Ensuring funding for public education – a good education is the basic foundation for everyone to have an equal opportunity to succeed. We must find a fair funding formula to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access to good quality public education. 3. Ensuring quality, affordable healthcare – Everyone deserves access to health care, and no one should lose their homes because they get sick.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: Gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts is detrimental to our democracy by allowing politicians to choose their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. It pushes politicians to be more and more extreme and reduces bi-partisan cooperation. I strongly support redistricting reform with an independent citizen’s commission. As a Solebury Township Supervisor, I drove the passage of a resolution urging state lawmakers to pass SB22 and HB722, which calls for the creation of a truly independent citizens redistricting commission devoid of political motivation or partisanship. I also met with my state senator to urge him to cosponsor SB22. This is the only way to ensure a fair and accurate legislative and congressional redistricting process that respects political subdivisions and communities of interest and prohibits districts from being drawn to favor or discriminate against a political party or candidate.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure
that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: Voting integrity is critically important. In 2016, we saw the consequences of Russian hacking. This not only undermines our democracy but causes voters to be distrustful of the voting process, which may cause them to become disengaged from voting. We must implement technology upgrades with a paper trail. We also need to do everything we can to make voting more accessible and efficient – we should make Election Day a holiday, provide for early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and same day voter registration.
Wendy Thomas, Republican
Education: Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate Gettysburg College, BA
Qualifications: Work for 9 years on Council Rock School Board; over that time served as President, Vice President, Finance Chair, Academic Standard Chair. Successful business professional building a team and business that helps people navigate healthcare.
Questions:
Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
A: 1. Making education the top priority in the budget process by supporting more funding for school and fostering innovation in education to deliver the best outcomes for students. 2. Control spending and protect property taxpayers as I did while on Council Rock School Board, where we cut costs by millions of dollars and kept property taxes the third lowest in Bucks County. In Harrisburg, I will focus the budget on priorities, cut out waste, and push for reforms that help school districts and local government control property taxes. 3. Keep our families safe by supporting a comprehensive approach to preventing gun violence, and working with law enforcement, drug addiction experts, and residents to address the opioid epidemic.Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not?
A: I believe the recent fight over redistricting illustrates the need for change and, as Representative, I would support an independent redistricting commission that takes partisanship out of the process; we must ensure that how we establish this prevents special interests and partisan interests from influencing or corrupting the commission or process.Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
A: I believe the League of Women Voters and all citizens share my view that when examining any election reforms, our top priority must be ensuring the sanctity of the ballot and the election system. Reforms must be carefully examined to prevent unintended consequences, ballot insecurity, or fraud; for example, recent reports in the Inquirer prove how the Motor Voter Law has inadvertently allowed those who are not allowed to vote to register to do so. As a legislator, I will support numerous proposals to improve voter access, voter participation, and ballot security. These include things such as allowing 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to pre-register; early voting; ensuring paper trails for all electronic voting systems; increased ability to vote by absentee ballot and more.
