Still hard to stand out in Pa. governor’s race, even with smaller field
Pictured during a forum in Philadelphia are three of the four remaining gubernatorial candidates left in the race: U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (center) Former Pennsylvania environmental protection secretary Katie McGinty (left) and York businessman Tom Wolf. Not pictured is PA State Treasurer, Rob McCord. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)
The race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Pennsylvania is now a four-way contest.
The size of the field doesn’t matter, says Wes Leckrone, a political science professor at Widener University.
“People just aren’t paying attention to this election,” said Leckrone. “We are, but the general populace isn’t paying very much attention to this election until we get closer to that and how the undecided break is really important.”
Two recent drop-outs of Jack Wagner and John Hanger mean the remaining slate is rather indistinct: Rob McCord, Katie McGinty, Allyson Schwartz, and Tom Wolf.
They’re all from the south central or southeastern part of Pennsylvania.
They don’t boast any drastic policy differences.
Leckrone says he’s watching for polls that show how undecided voters are being picked off by the candidates.
A Franklin and Marshall College poll in February found 48 percent of registered Democrats surveyed were undecided about the gubernatorial primary.
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