This past Sunday (Sept. 11) I welcomed 130 Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to my home for a fundraiser for Josh Shapiro, the Democrat candidate to serve as Pennsylvania’s next governor.
Among my fellow Republicans were former Congressman Charlie Dent, former State Senator Joe Conti, former State Senator, Common Please Judge and District Attorney, David Heckler, former State Representatives Dave Steil and Marguerite Quinn, former Pennsylvania State Senate President pro tempore and Lieutenant Governor, Robert Jubelirer and former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and EPA Regional Administrator, Jim Seif and people who have been reliable Republican contributors.
Why would so many lifelong Republicans support and contribute to the Democrat candidate for Governor?
First, because Josh Shapiro is an intelligent, honest, able, and centrist public servant who has served with great distinction as a State Representative, Montgomery County Commissioner and currently as our Attorney General.
He believes in zero-based budgets, wants to reduce the corporate income tax rate and to eliminate the state’s 11% tax on cell phone service.
He supports a woman’s right to choice, supports “red flag” laws to prevent form owning firearms those who have demonstrated that they are at risk of violent behavior.
He wants to make voting convenient and elections to be administered with integrity. He supports LGBT rights. He wants to create innovation hubs to grow jobs.
Equally important we believe that the Republican candidate, Doug Mastriano is an extremist who is unequipped to serve as our governor.
He is one of the country’s leading purveyors of the “big lie” that Donald Trump won the election, including in Pennsylvania without providing a shred of evidence.
He used campaign funds to take bus loads of Pennsylvanians to Washington on January 6th last year and personally and illegally crossed police barricades.
He wants to repeal mail-in voting rights. He wants the Commonwealth to be a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” allowing individuals to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
He would ban all abortions without exceptions. He says climate change is “fake science.” He would ban the right for gay people to marry.
If these extreme positions were not bad enough, among the most dangerous outcomes were Mastriano to be elected is the likelihood that as governor he would take it upon himself to nullify the results of free and fair elections in Pennsylvania based upon unfounded conspiracy theories.
It is truly regrettable that the GOP candidate is not really a Republican, but an extremist who holds none of the beliefs that has made the party proud of governors like Richard Thornburgh and Tom Ridge.
I encourage all Pennsylvanian Republicans, Democrats and Independents to vote for Josh Shapiro, who is pledged to work for bipartisan, enlightened, and honest governance.
Former Congressman Jim Greenwood, New Hope
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