Although we are still a few months away from elections for Governor in Pennsylvania, the race for the Democratic nomination is gathering steam as it seems a new candidate enters the race every week! This gives us a real opportunity to put animals on the radar screen of a whole new group of politicians. In a race filled with this many candidates, several hundred votes could make a difference in whether they win or lose. The experienced candidates know this and will be much more receptive to questions and eager to win support from strong constituencies, such as the animal vote. It is a good time to put animals on their radar screen as an issue that Pennsylvania voters care about. You can help make the animal vote relevant to the gubernatorial candidates by inquiring about their positions on humane legislation and how strong their commitment is to oppose animal cruelty. You can also ask for their position on specific pending legislation – the list is on our website under Current Legislation. You can do it through e-mail, Facebook Posts, or by calling. Below is a list of present Democratic candidates with their Facebook pages hyper-linked and their websites listed. Their websites will have additional contact information. Four candidates, Rob McCord, John Hanger, Tom Wolf and Allyson Schwartz have already issued statements. At this time there is no list of declared Republican candidates for Governor, although Tom Corbett is seeking re-election, so please also include him in your queries.
- John Hanger: Protect Animals from Abuse www.hangerforgovernor.com,
- Jo Ellen Litz: http://www.joellenlitz.com/
- Rob McCord: http://www.robmccord.com/ Statement of Rob McCord on Protecting Our Pets
- Katie McGinty: www.katiemcginty.com
- Max Myers: www.myersforgovernor.com
- Ed Pawlowski: http://pawlowskiforpa.com/
- Allyson Schwartz: www.allysonschwartz.com Schwartz on animals.
- Tom Wolf: Promoting the Humane Treatment of Animals in Pennsylvania www.wolfforpa.com
- Tom Corbett: http://www.tomcorbettforgovernor.com/
Here is a sample request: “I am a Pennsylvania voter who cares about animals and I evaluate my choices of whom I will vote for based on their commitment to fighting animal cruelty in our state. Attached is a list of current legislation that I am concerned about. I would like to know what your position is and I also suggest adding a section to your website about your policies that will affect animals. Thank you so much” Also, a great quote you can add to underscore that ending animal abuse is a critical step toward ending abuse of humans is: “As Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, “Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.” There is no doubt in my mind that if we wish to end abuse of humans it is critical that we end abuse of animals. For years, case studies have shown a direct link between the abuse of animal life and later abuse of human life, including children and the elderly.” Please give us your feedback and remember that every commitment we get from a candidate for the primary election is a commitment we have for the November election! Thanks everyone for your help in giving animals a voice in Harrisburg!
Humane PA 