HARRISBURG — Three Republican candidates for governor squared off Thursday night in a wide-ranging debate that covered such key topics as gun control, sexual assault policies, and how closely they would align themselves with President Donald Trump.
Laura Ellsworth, an attorney from the Pittsburgh area, Allegheny County health care consultant Paul Mango, and State Sen. Scott Wagner of York faced off at the Harrisburg Area Community College in their first public match-up since House Speaker Mike Turzai of Allegheny County dropped out of the race last month.
All three received loud, supportive cheers at various points during the debate, and unless someone drops out, all three will face each other in the May 15 Republican primary.
Here are a few takeaways from the debate:
Asked about gun control and background checks in light of the high school shootings in Parkland, Fla., Mr. Wagner said he wants to know whether current background check requirements are being properly enforced and that he wants “an armed, highly trained officer in every school.” Ms. Ellsworth said she would like to have students use swipe cards and pass through metal detectors to get into every school. Mr. Mango said he wants better resources for screening and diagnosing mental illness, and that he would like such a diagnosis to prevent individuals from getting firearms.
Asked later whether they would accept donations from the National Rifle Association, Mr. Wagner and Mr. Mango said yes, and Ms. Ellsworth said no.
Asked whether a legislator should resign immediately upon allegations of sexual or physical assault and what they would do to ensure a safe environment, all three said they would have a zero-tolerance policy. None of them used the word resign. Mr. Wagner and Mr. Mango both said taxpayer money shouldn’t be used to settle claims or lawsuits alleging sexual assault.
Asked about how closely they would be aligned with Mr. Trump or his administration, Mr. Wagner said, “I supported Donald Trump from Day 1” and that he expects the president will campaign for him since he won the state Republican Party’s endorsement. Mr. Mango said he voted for Mr. Trump and would welcome the chance to campaign with him. Ms. Ellsworth said she appreciated the president’s work on deregulation, veterans’ issues and the tax bill.
Asked about ways to change the state’s process for drawing congressional maps, Ms. Ellsworth called for the Legislature to create a bipartisan commission of citizens to set district boundaries. Mr. Mango disagreed, saying the Legislature should draw the map, and Mr. Wagner repeated prior statements that he believes the state Supreme Court overstepped its bounds when it ruled that the map drafted in 2011 was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.
On some issues, all three candidates agreed. All of them said they oppose legalizing marijuana for recreational use. All three said they are “pro-life,” with Ms. Ellsworth and Mr. Wagner specifically stating they supported a state Senate bill that would have made it illegal to have an abortion starting in the 20th week of pregnancy, four weeks earlier than the current cut-off. That bill passed the Republican-controlled Legislature and was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. Mr. Mango did not mention the bill during the debate but said afterward he would support such a measure.
First Published: March 2, 2018, 2:48 a.m.