We are back with week three of 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 answers are shared on our website every Wednesday through Sunday.

Earlier this week, we featured responses from our nominees for Governor and U.S. Senator. Today, our nominees for Lieutenant Governor weigh in with our third question. Join us later in the week for the remainder of our responses from candidates across Pennsylvania!

This week’s question: For at least the last century, Pennsylvania has been slowly losing population. Recently, while Southern and Western America offered examples of increased population during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania experienced a population decline. What do you believe is causing this outward migration and how would you stop it?

Austin Davis (D), Running with Josh Shapiro

Growing up in the Mon Valley in Western Pennsylvania, in a former steel town outside Pittsburgh, and as the son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser, I’ve seen the struggles of working families firsthand.

Right now, those struggles are playing out across our Commonwealth, as prices continue to rise and our Legislature fails to act. As a State Representative, I’ve seen how Republicans in Harrisburg are more focused on serving special interests and fighting political culture wars than actually trying to reach across the aisle to address the issues facing Pennsylvania families. 

If we ever hope to halt this outward migration, we must make life better for the people in our Commonwealth, and that starts with helping our working families and ensuring that Pennsylvania remains a place where our fundamental freedoms are respected. That’s why Josh Shapiro and I have detailed plans to improve our education system, create ladders of opportunity for working families, boost our economy, and make our communities safer, all while protecting the fundamental freedoms of every Pennsylvanian. 

Josh and I will be a governing team who will focus on the real challenges facing Pennsylvanians and will work hard each day to create opportunities for our children and improve the lives of every person in our Commonwealth.

Carrie Lewis DelRosso (R), Running with Doug Mastriano

High taxes, burdensome regulations, draconian lockdowns and mandates have all contributed to the ongoing stream of people leaving Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth needs a new leader who will revive the economy, restore our freedoms, and make our state an attractive destination for working families — and that leader is Doug Mastriano.

Broad + Liberty is a nonprofit media endeavor dedicated to sharing voices and stories that are shut out of other media outlets. @BroadAndLiberty