And then there were two.
Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith Thursday announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor.
He joins Harrisburg City Councilman Brad Koplinski as the second declared candidate for the office; State Rep. Brandon Neuman (D-Washington) is also floating his name.
“I will take Pennsylvania and the office of Lt. Governor in a new direction. The next Lt. Governor must be more than a just place holder. I will give a voice to those people and communities who are all too often left behind by the bureaucracy in Harrisburg,” Smith said in his announcement press release.
“Pennsylvania needs a Lt. Governor who will seek solutions to our most pressing issues such as education, jobs, transportation, and natural gas industry.”In his announcement, Smith boasted of the County’s strong job growth – driven primarily by a surge in natural gas development. He took issue with Tom Corbett’s handling of Marcellus shale in his announcement, specifically accusing the Department of Environmental Protection of failing “to properly engage with county and local leaders on the oversight and regulation of the natural gas industry.”
He also said he supports a tax on natural gas.
Smith, 34, was the youngest Commissioner in Bradford Co. history when he was elected in 2007. Though he was re-elected in 2011, Democrats lost county wide and fell into the minority on the board.
An industrial design engineer by profession, he is engaged to be married to his fiance Jane Clements in June.
In Pa., the LG casts tie-breaking votes in the state Senate and is first in the line of succession. Beyond that, the office has few constitutional duties.
LG candidates run independently from the top of the ticket gubernatorial hopefuls.
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11 Responses
Mark Smith is in bed with frackers. He is what is wrong with politics. Be honest to the public and don’t hide it.
As a native of Bradford County, I’ve recently come to know and admire Mark. Skepticism is understandable, but Mark is a guy to watch and his is a serious candidacy. Get to know him.
If Schwartz gets called to DC as governor or becomes incapacitated, this kid will be eaten alive by HBG… think nerd in the football locker room. He handles a $58mm budget. And we have enough gas money around here. Corbett is bought already.
@NebbyYinz… John Saidel?
Yes Democrats can do a lot worse, like Larry Maggi or Bill Deweese but not much worse.
I’ve known Mark for years and he is an intelligent commissioner that butts heads with two tea bagger republicans constantly. The party could do a lot worse…and typically they do. Perhaps some warm body can defeat Corbett??
concerned citizen, i can see why you are concerned…Fiance with access to Gas Money = Owned Lt. Gov. from Bradford County. We have an owned Lt. Gov. already!
His fiance Jane Clements is a spokeswoman in Bradford County for Chesapeake Energy.
First, Bradford County, great political base.
Second, this guy looks about seven.
Lastly, a design engineer? Sounds like the technical name to give a person who went to Devry and plays too much Dance Dance Revolution.
I would like to say he is an idiot, but what do you really run on with such few constitutional roles…
He does look like he is 16 though. Next to Schwartz, the age and experience contrast would seem embarrassing.
None of the candidates who would be an asset to the ticket in a statewide contest have surfaced yet.
Lot of gas money out of that county