We’ve only detailed the stances of candidates in contested races where voters will have a choice. Candidates with an asterisk (*) next to their name are the incumbent in that race. A list of candidates who are running unopposed for Pa. legislative seats that represent Allegheny County can be found here.
Candidate party affiliations are noted as follows:
| (D) = Democratic | (R) = Republican | (G) = Green | (L) = Libertarian |
Questions Asked to Candidates
We asked all the federal and state candidates running in contested races questions about their stance on key policy issues that cause hunger in Allegheny County. Their summarized stance on each issue in this guide is based on their responses, or, if they did not respond, their public statements and recent votes, if available. Full candidate responses can be found in the online version of this guide at www.justharvest.org/just-vote.
FEDERAL
Reduce SNAP (Food Stamps) Funding: Do you support reducing funds for SNAP, a program that helps feed over 40 million people in the United States?
Blocking Access to SNAP and Medicaid by Expanding Work Requirements: Do you support work requirements as a condition to access public benefit programs, even though they would block otherwise eligible people from getting healthcare or food assistance?
Tax Cuts for the Wealthy: Do/did you support the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? This legislation will cost the federal government around $1.5 trillion over ten years, with over 80% of its tax cuts expected to go to corporations and wealthy families.
STATE
Protect Access to SNAP and Medicaid by Opposing Work Requirements: Do you support work requirements as a condition to access public benefit programs, even though it would prevent people from accessing healthcare or food assistance?
Raise the State Minimum Wage: The Pennsylvania minimum wage is $7.25/hr, the lowest allowed by law and lower than the minimum wage in PA’s six bordering states. What should the state minimum wage be?
Pass Local Laws to Protect Workers: Do you support state laws that preempt laws on local taxes, local public health regulations, or local labor protections? In particular, do you support HB 861? This bill would override Philadelphia’s law requiring employers to provide paid sick days and would prevent Pittsburgh from establishing a similar law.
Raise Taxes on the Wealthy and on Natural Gas Production: PA has for years faced a lack of funds for government services due to an unfair tax system in which the overall tax burden on low-income people is effectively three times that of wealthier citizens. Do you support the Fair Share Tax Plan? It would increase taxes on unearned income (wealth from capital gains, dividends and rents) while reducing taxes on wages. In addition, PA is the only major gas-producing state that taxes gas drillers on the number of wells they drill (“impact fee”) rather than the amount of gas the wells produce (severance tax). Do you support the Marcellus Shale severance tax, as proposed in Gov. Wolf’s budget, as a way to provide sustained revenue for Pennsylvania?
