Businessman wants others to find success
Dave White seeks GOP nomination for governor
It was an instant connection.
Dave White, a Republican candidate seeking to be the next governor of Pennsylvania, found his way to a transportation logistics business in Birdsboro Monday afternoon. It was a campaign stop, meant to give him a chance to chat about the challenges facing business owners.
That’s something White, a former steamfitter who went on to make millions of dollars as the owner of a mechanical construction contracting company, knows a bit about.
As he chatted with Translogistics’ owner Scott McDevitt, it was clear the pair had a lot in common. They quickly bonded as they shared tales of what it took to start their own company. For both, it was a big risk. White spoke about how he and his wife mortgaged their home and emptied their savings to put everything on the line back in 2005. McDevitt understood all too well, saying he also took a bet on himself to make his dream of becoming his own boss a reality.
The gamble worked out for both. And, White said, if he gets a chance to serve as governor of the commonwealth, he will work to make sure others who follow in their footprints get the support they need to find success.
“We grew our business off of our kitchen table,” the 60-year-old said. “I like to say that I’m living the American dream through hard work and getting things done. And I want to try to give that same opportunity to the people of Pennsylvania.”
The former Delaware County councilman, however, is facing a lot of competition for the post.
He is sitting in a crowded primary field of former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, state Sen. Jake Corman, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, conservative strategist Charlie Gerow, former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain and retired surgeon Nche Zama.
But he said the number of competitors in the primary doesn’t faze him.
“I’m one of 14 kids so I’m used to being in a crowd,” he said with a chuckle.
White said he stands out in the field by having many of the same qualities that Pennsylvanians have. They know that a college degree does not determine how successful a person is, they understand the value of hard work and they believe their elected officials can do much more to help them than they are now.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that people think they’re working for Pennsylvania instead of Pennsylvania working for them,” he said. “They just want the opportunity to make a living, raise their families and then have a better future for their children.”
White said he feels that was jeopardized by statewide business shutdowns during the COVID pandemic, something he called government overreach. And that’s what motivated him to run for governor.
“I just got frustrated,” he said. “I believe Harrisburg is broken and needs a business leader as governor. We need to run Harrisburg more like a business. We need to be able to bring business and commerce back to Pennsylvania, and only a businessman knows how to do that.”
White said that if voters send him to Harrisburg he will advocate for rolling back regulations and cutting the bureaucracy that keep companies from expanding their footprint or deter businesses looking to relocate to Pennsylvania. He said he also recognizes investing in infrastructure and broadband will be crucial in making the state a destination spot for business.
He said the natural gas industry is one area where he thinks Pennsylvania can be a real leader.
“I’m going to have pipelines so that we can transport those resources to other countries,” he said. “We should be the energy capital of the United States. I don’t want to be like Texas, I want to beat Texas.”
White said he would be a big supporter of workforce and vocational training to ensure there is a deep pool of skilled candidates for companies to choose from.
“College is great for some people, it’s not great for everyone,” he said. “We need to treat a pipe wrench and a college degree the same. There are different paths to success in life. And I want to make sure those paths are available to our young people.”