GOP hopefuls criticize governor

Candidates debate, field audience queries

WILLOW STREET, Pa. — With just under three weeks left until the primary, the Republican candidates for governor slipped into their Wednesday night debate with criticisms not only of one another but also of the Democratic governor they all hope to challenge in November.

State Sen. Scott Wagner, RYork, criticized donations that Gov. Tom Wolf receives from various unions and said, if elected, he would reverse the governor’s moratorium on the death penalty.

Former health care consultant Paul Mango of Allegheny County questioned the governor’s handling of Medicaid. And Pittsburgh attorney Laura Ellsworth said she fears Mr. Wolf’s proposed severance tax on gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale would turn away the industry.

Their remarks came during an hour-and-a-half appearance at the Cultural Center at Willow Valley Communities, a senior living complex in rural Lancaster County.

It was their second-to-last debate before the May 15 primary and had, perhaps, one of their largest TV audiences yet. The first hour of the debate aired on stations across the state and in Youngstown, Ohio. The last half hour, during which residents asked the majority of the questions, appeared online.

The candidates fielded questions about how to help struggling dairy farmers, whether to eliminate property taxes, and whether they felt nursing homes had appropriate regulations.

State Democrats late Wednesday questioned all three candidates’ responses, particularly on questions about education and health care. All three lack

“the courage to put Pennsylvanians first,” party spokeswoman Beth Melena said in a statement.

For a brief period, the debate also focused on negative ads that have run in recent months.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party earlier this month called on Mr. Mango to stop running a negative ad criticizing Mr. Wagner, who received the party’s endorsement. Mr. Wagner has also run at least one ad that was critical of Mr. Mango.

Asked Wednesday night whether they would make a promise not to run negative ads attacking their GOP opponents for the remainder of the primary, Mr. Mango said he was “not attacking anyone’s character. What I’m doing is revealing my opponent’s character.”

He added later: “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to stop.”

Mr. Wagner asked Mr. Mango whether they would agree for the remainder of the primary not to run ads that mention each other. Mr. Mango responded: “I’ll run my campaign, Senator. You can run your campaign.”

Ms. Ellsworth, who has said she does not believe in negative ads, said that if her opponents continue with the personal attacks “they will have armed Gov. Wolf with a war chest [of negative material] on either of them that he does not deserve to have.”