In bid for Pa. governor, Mango casts himself as conservative outsider
Paul Mango still hasn't granted any media interviews. But speeches at his official campaign announcement events have shed a little light on the man who, at this stage, is a political unknown.(Mango campaign photo)
The health care consultant running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Pennsylvania has, so far, kept an extremely low profile.
Paul Mango still hasn’t granted any media interviews. But speeches at his official campaign announcement events have shed a little light on the man who, at this stage, is a political unknown.
One thing Mango has made clear? He’s not a politician.
“We need Harrisburg to start doing its job and stop doing ours,” he said at his speech in Pittsburgh. “Harrisburg and its politicians are relics.”
It’s a line that’s proved effective for many campaigners recently — most notably for President Donald Trump.
Mango, who most recently consulted for McKinsey and Co., is branding himself as a pro-private sector, small government conservative.
He’s against abortion, as well as state funding for Planned Parenthood. An Army veteran, he emphasized his support for the military — and used the position to juxtapose himself with Wolf.
“When our current governor delivered his inaugural address, never once did he use the word veteran,” Mango said.
He also he took swings at the governor’s moves to deal with the Pennsylvania’s billions of dollars in debt.
“Combining a couple of departments and using a few catchy slogans is not my idea of reform,” he said. “We need to fundamentally redefine the role Harrisburg plays in our lives, and the current leadership is incapable of achieving this.”
The only other contender currently seeking the GOP nomination is York County State Sen. Scott Wagner, who’s also billing himself as a political outsider.
House Speaker Mike Turzai — a more establishment conservative — is also expected to enter the race in the next few months.
The gubernatorial election is set for November 2018.
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