Gov. Tom Wolf beats Wagner for second term
HARRISBURG — Tom Wolf won a second term as Pennsylvania governor on Tuesday, beating brash Republican challenger Scott Wagner and sending the Democrat back for another four years to share power with a GOP-controlled legislature.
Wolf has said he will continue advancing his first-term priorities, including trying to fix funding inequities in public schools and seeking to impose a severance tax on the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry. But he will be up against Republican lawmakers who fought two extended budget battles with him, blocked many of his top priorities and forced him to lower his expectations.
Even so, Wolf's re-election will give Democrats a seat at the table for the first time in 30 years when Pennsylvania draws a new map of congressional districts after the 2020 Census.
In Butler County Wolf won 26,680 votes, while Wagner won 37,161 votes, according to unofficial totals posted online by county elections officials. As of press time, 81 of the county's 89 voting precincts were reporting results.
Joining Wolf as lieutenant governor will be John Fetterman, the Braddock mayor whose efforts to improve the impoverished town over the past 13 years drew national attention and made him a media darling. Fetterman beat sitting Lt. Gov. Mike Stack in a five-way Democratic primary in May.
Wolf, speaking to supporters in York on Tuesday night, said Pennsylvanians voted for a state “that has a really bright future” and “for a public service that actually has integrity, that you can trust.”
In brief remarks, Wolf said people had voted for better lives, better schools, a strong economy, access to quality and affordable health care and a fairer Pennsylvania for everyone, regardless of race, gender or religion.
“I'm proud of what we've already done together,” Wolf said. “But four years ago I stood before you and said, 'You know, we have a lot of work to do, so let's get started.' Tonight, I have basically the same message: We still have a lot of work to do. So let's back to work, all right?”
The incumbent ran what analysts called a conservative campaign designed to limit mistakes and take advantage of Wagner's liabilities.
