And we’re back with Broad + Liberty’s Candidate Spotlight Series! Each week, we reach out to candidates all across the Commonwealth up for election to public office — an equal number of Democrats and Republicans; incumbents and challengers. We ask one question per week about public policy pressing to you. Those who choose to respond will have their answers shared on our website every Wednesday through Sunday.
Yesterday, we featured responses from our nominees for U.S. Senator. Today, Pennsylvania’s nominees for Governor discuss crime and policing.
If you are a candidate for public office in Pennsylvania and would like to participate, please reach out to lsattler@broadandliberty.com.
This week’s question: Recent years have seen a surge in violent crime not only in Philadelphia, but in smaller cities like Allentown and York. What is your plan to support good and effective policing and prosecutions? Do you support the actions of prosecutors who decline to enforce state law?
Josh Shapiro (D)
As Attorney General, I’ve arrested over 8,000 drug dealers, seized 3.2 million doses of heroin and 5.7 million doses of fentanyl, broken up interstate gun trafficking rings, and led the fight to close the ghost gun loophole. I’ve also deployed my Strategic Response Teams to hot spots across the Commonwealth, including Philadelphia and McKeesport, where our agents worked with local law enforcement. In West Philly, our partnership led to a 46% decrease in shootings in the 18th district and an 18% decrease in the 19th district.
However, there is still so much more that needs to be done and there needs to be real accountability for criminals. As Governor, I’ll invest more resources in public safety, hire over 2,000 more police officers across the Commonwealth, and work with federal, state, and local officials to make our communities safer.
Come back tomorrow to read the response from Shapiro’s running mate, Austin Davis.
Doug Mastriano (R)
The Mastriano campaign chose not to respond.
Come back tomorrow to read the response from Mastriano’s running mate, Carrie Lewis DelRosso.
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Shame on Mastriano for not responding – Kudos to Shapiro for running on his record. I would have wanted to read a bit more about a general plan to address the shootings and car jackings in Philadelphia, but at least Shapiro responded with some facts. Mastriano is being left in the dust on this issue.