Following strong performances in their respective debates this weekend, Koplinski and Hanger left the Progressive Summit with straw poll wins.
During the Governor’s candidate debate on Friday night and the Lieutenant Governor’s candidate debate on Saturday, Summit volunteers circulated straw poll forms for attendees to select their choice for each office.
Hanger is clearly the most progressive candidate running for governor and explained this well during the forum; after the votes were tallied, he took 31.5%, State Treasurer Rob McCord came in second with 24%, former Revenue Secretary Tom Wolf in third with 22.8%, former DEP Secretary Katie McGinty with 10.9%, Rep. Allyson Schwartz with 9.4% and former Auditor General Jack Wagner and Lebanon County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz both took less than 1%.
Wagner was not in attendance this weekend.
In more scientific polls from last weekend, the results were quite different. In the latest F&M poll, Wolf took 36%, Schwartz took 9%, McCord took 3%, and McGinty and Hanger tied at 1%.
The Lieutenant Governor straw poll showed an even more resounding victory for Harrisburg City Councilman Brad Koplinski who won with 59.7%, followed by State Senator Mike Stack with 22.7%, City of Harrisburg adviser Brenda Alton 10.4%, former Congressman Mark Critz with 4.5%, Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith at 1.3% and Jay Paterno, the newest entrant to the race, brought up the rear with .6%.
State Rep. Brandon Neuman did not attend the Summit.
Again, the more scientific polling from last week out of Harper Polling showed different results. Paterno led the wide field with 17%, Critz came in a close second with 16%, followed by Neuman at 7%, Stack at 6%, Koplinski at 4% and Smith at 2%. Alton was not polled, which she mentioned in the forum on Saturday.
The results of these straw polls reflects the furthest left wing of the Democratic party, and their selections are not surprising. Koplinski and Hanger embraced a single-payer option; Hanger wrote the public land moratorium on drilling and Koplinski favored a no-new-drilling policy. Hanger gave a strong pitch for his progressive marijuana policies and Koplinski promoted his experience writing buffer laws for women’s health clinics in Harrisburg.
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12 Responses
Truth, you have to have your head in the sand to think Hanger doesn’t stand a chance. People want marijuana reform and he’s the only candidate willing to do that. He’s also the only candidate for campaign finance reform and making it easier for 3rd parties to get on the ballot. ALL of those points bring out active voters like myself. I even switched parties just to vote for John and volunteer for his campaign. John Hanger has the largest grassroots support and is running a TRUE peoples campaign.
Paterno’s biggest selling points are the Paterno name and the the fact that he was on Penn State’s coaching staff with his father. Is also his weakness: He was on Penn State’s coaching staff when some of the stuff with Sandusky went down. I personally am certain that he is a good guy, and that he had nothing to do with any of it. However, if you think for one second, the GOP isn’t going to try to spin it as he was right in the middle of it, you’re nuts. He needs to get out of the race for the good of the party before it becomes a side show, unless his goal was to elect Corbett all along.
Stack will most likely win since he will have the most $ to get a message out. (I’m not supporting anyone in this race, think its a weak field) That’s all that will matter in the Lt. Gov. race. We should get rid of primaries for this seat and just have the Gov. nominee pick their running mate after the primary.
Mark critz is the front runner and has the name recognition he will win lt governor rather easily
idratherbefishingwithric-
Paterno Jr may well have been a good Obama supporter and maybe he didn’t attend those GOP fundraisers… but that’s not the point.
The entire premise of his campaign is based upon trading in on his famous last name. Therefore, he deserves the non-Dem infamy that goes with the name as well.
@john
Let’s start off by saying I’m voting for Mark Smith.
HOWEVER you are leveling a heavy accusation against Paterno without having a shred of evidence… just a hunch.
Koplinski also got the most votes at State Committee, a majority though short of the two-thirds needed for endorsement. He will win because he is smart, likable, and the hardest working candidate in the bunch.
Good Point. I wonder why he is not running for Congress against Thompson.
Meaningless polls..Hangar has no chance, Brad maybe.
@John..Jay Paterno was the coordinator of Barak Obama’s campaign for the State College area in 2008. His Dem credentials shouldn’t be questioned. I do think though he should be running for Congress against Thompson in PA-5 rather than LT Gov.
JoePa gave a ton of money to Republicans and did fundraiser for them. His Brother ran for Congress as a Republican and lost.
Do you think for one minute Jay was not at those fundraisers as well….
Remember truth, it is a straw poll and no an endorsement by Keystone Progress.
The guy who should be really worried is Jay Paterno. You have the most recognizable name in the state. Literally, the most famous father in Pennsylvania (for better or worse). In saying that you only have 17% support with all those factors going your way.
Jay, do the party a favor. Run against a Republican for State Senate.
All these endorsements mean nothing hanger and koplinski dont have a prayer on winning.