In the Pennsylvania primary that will be held Tuesday April 24 voters will choose candidates for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. Representatives as well as several statewide races including Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor General, state senate and state representative.

Locally, state support for vouchers for private school has emerged as a controversial topic in the primary race with several candidates expressing backing state support of vouchers for private schools. These same candidates have received funding from an organization called Student First which is pushing state legislation to supports vouchers.

While the Tribune supports increasing school options for parents we believe that expanding charter schools is a better way to increase school choice rather than using tax money to support private school tuitions. Unfortunately some candidates have not been forthright about where they stand on the voucher issue while receiving campaign donations from pro-voucher groups.  

The following is the Tribune’s list of endorsed candidates:

For President:

Democrat

Barack Obama – The president is running unopposed but doesn’t mean he shouldn’t receive your vote for the job he has done rescuing the economy from financial disaster, saving the U.S. auto industry, passing a landmark healthcare reform law and withdrawing troops from Iraq all in the first term.

U.S. Senate

Bob Casey – Casey has been an effective senator who deserves re-election.

U.S. Representative

In the First District: Robert Brady

In the Second District: Chaka Fattah

In the Sixth District: Jim Gerlach

In the Seventh District: Pat Meehan

In the Eighth District: Allyson Schwartz

Special Election

Primary Election:

Attorney General –

Democrats – Kathleen Kane: This is a tough one. Both Kathleen Kane, prosecutor for Lackawanna County and Patrick Murphy former U.S. representative for Bucks County are competent and capable. In the end, Kane’s considerably greater experience in Pennsylvania law wins out.

Treasurer:

Democrat Rob McCord for re-election

Auditor General: Eugene DePasquale

State Senate:

District 1: Larry Farnese

District 3: Shirley Kitchen

District 5: Mike Stack

District 7: Vincent Hughes

District 9: Dominic Pileggi

State Representative

District 181: W. Curtis Thomas

District 186: Jordan Harris – a former educator and executive director of the City of Philadelphia’s Youth Commission, Harris has been on forefront on issues dealing with youth and education.

District 188: James Roebuck – Roebuck has been a strong advocate and leading voice for the city’s public school system and for higher education in the state.

District 190: Vanessa Brown Lowery

District 191: Ronald Waters

District 192 Louise Bishop

District 197: Jewel Williams

District 198: Rosita Youngblood

District 200: Cherelle Parker

District 202: Mark Cohen

District 203: Dwight Evans