HARRISBURG — State Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery, promised to focus on education and the economy when she announced Wednesday that she will run for lieutenant governor.
"I see the opportunity in it — an opportunity for me to expand my public service and an opportunity to do good work on a broader scale," she said.
Ms. Dean joined the House in 2012 after working as an attorney and a teacher. If elected, she said she would work to increase funding for the state's public schools and to increase the minimum wage throughout the state.
"Nobody should be working full time, 40 hours a week, and still need substantial support," she said.
Her announcement was not a surprise. Ms. Dean said earlier this month that she was considering a run and said Wednesday that encouragement from colleagues, family and others helped cement her decision.
Ms. Dean is the third woman to announce a run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Also running are Aryanna Berringer, a party activist from Murrysville and a former congressional candidate, and Kathi Cozzone, a Chester County commissioner.
Ms. Berringer, an Army veteran, previously ran as the Democratic nominee in the conservative 16th U.S. House District, losing to former Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican. She previously told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she hoped electing fresh leaders would help cure a sense of disconnectedness and entitlement in the political class.
Ms. Cozzone announced her run in August, when she promised that, if elected, she would have a better working relationship with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf than he has with the current lieutenant governor, Mike Stack. She is currently serving her third term as commissioner.
Also running for the nomination are Mr. Stack, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman.
On the Republican side, Jeff Bartos, a Montgomery County businessman, recently announced his intention to run for lieutenant governor alongside Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York, who is running in the Republican primary for governor.
Inquirer Reporters Thomas Fitzgerald and Angela Couloumbis contributed to this report.
First Published: November 30, 2017, 12:46 a.m.
