Westmoreland Co Dems endorse Wagner

By JACK WAGNER FOR GOVERNOR

GREENSBURG (Mar. 20, 2010) – The Westmoreland County Democratic Committee has announced its endorsement of Auditor General Jack Wagner for Governor.

“The Auditor General spoke, and the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee members were greatly impressed with his presentation and message,” said Dante Bertani, Chair of the Committee. “He spoke with passion, conviction, and expertise, and his insistence that government needs serious reform is fundamental to Democrats winning in November.”

“Jack is a proven leader with a statewide record of terrific accomplishments,” said Cindy Blissman, Vice Chair of the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee. “He is a man of the highest integrity. We, in Westmoreland County, are neighbors to both Mr. Wagner and Mr. Onorato, and Jack’s victory with 72 percent of the vote speaks for itself.”

Wagner visited Westmoreland County, the second largest county in western Pennsylvania, this morning for the county party’s endorsement meeting. “I look forward to working with these and other local leaders on the important issues facing Pennsylvania in the months and years ahead,” Wagner said. “It is an honor to have the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee’s endorsement for the May primary election.”

As Governor, Auditor General Wagner’s top priorities for Pennsylvania will include: providing a HOPE Scholarship Program to help families afford the cost of higher education, maintaining vital government services without raising taxes, reforming state government, maximizing the state’s new Marcellus Shale energy resources to create jobs and reduce the cost of natural gas in an environmentally responsible way, and creating high quality jobs to grow our economy.

Wagner, twice elected with bipartisan support as the state’s independent fiscal watchdog, received record-breaking vote totals in his re-election in 2008. As a gubernatorial candidate, he has earned endorsements and support across the state. In February, he was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, which represents more than 7,000 Pennsylvania restaurants and foodservice establishments. Pennsylvania’s restaurant industry plays an integral role in the state’s economy, employing more than 470,000 people and generating $16.2 billion in annual sales.

He has also been endorsed by the affiliated political action committee of the Pennsylvania Business Council and Henry Nicholas, President of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, and President of District 1199c of the national union.

Wagner was the top vote-getter at the Democratic State Committee’s endorsement meeting in February, earning more than 50 percent of the vote and twice the total of his nearest opponent. He earned the majority of votes in 43 county caucuses. Since that meeting, Wagner has been endorsed by Democratic county committees in Warren, Lackawanna, Schuylkill, Cambria, Montour, Beaver, and Westmoreland Counties.

Wagner is a decorated Vietnam War combat veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, former member and president of the Pittsburgh City Council, and former state senator representing Allegheny County. Between the time of his military service and his service as an elected public official, Wagner worked his way through college on the GI Bill and as a paramedic, followed by six years working as a Certified Safety Professional helping to ensure that businesses provide safe work environments for their employees.

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