Local News

Lt. Gov. candidate aims to reverse ‘decline’

PITTSFIELD -- Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Jason Richey used his visit to the Warren County Fair on Thursday to promote his campaign’s economic agenda and highlight concerns he said he has heard from local residents and farmers.

Richey, who is running alongside Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity, said Pennsylvania’s economic performance and population decline are among his primary concerns. Garrity and Richey are the Republican ticket for governor and lieutenant governor in the November election.

“We cannot afford four more years of decline,” Richey said, arguing that increasing voter turnout in Warren County will be important to the Republican ticket’s chances in November.

Richey said he believes the Republican campaign has recently gained ground against incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro and attributed the change to both increased campaigning and voters becoming more familiar with the candidates’ policy proposals. He also sharply criticized Shapiro’s record as governor, accusing him of taking credit for programs that were established before he took office.

The Garrity-Richey campaign focuses heavily on energy development. Richey said he and Garrity would seek to expand Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry, including construction of natural gas-fired power plants and pipelines.

Richey said increased energy production could lower utility costs, attract manufacturing and create jobs while generating additional state revenue. He also said that it would help to reduce what he described as burdensome taxes and regulations.

Agriculture was another focus of Richey’s visit. He said Pennsylvania farmers face excessive regulations and cited the state’s inheritance tax as a particular concern for family farms that are passed from one generation to the next.

“Farming is generational,” Richey said, arguing that the tax can make it more difficult for families to transfer farms to their children.

He also pointed to population decline and low kindergarten enrollment in some Warren County schools as a concern, saying the trend reflects broader population and economic challenges facing the region.

Richey said visiting events such as the Warren County Fair gives candidates an opportunity not only to campaign but also to hear directly from residents.

“When you’re governor or lieutenant governor, you represent all Pennsylvanians,” he said. “You have a responsibility to make sure that towns like Warren succeed.”

Richey also addressed data centers, an issue he said has become a more prominent concern since his previous visits to the area.

He criticized the Shapiro administration’s approach to data-center development and called for a temporary pause on new projects while local governments establish rules around their construction.

Richey proposed three conditions for future developments: data centers should not receive special tax incentives, should be located on brownfields rather than near people or animals and should provide their own energy generation.

Richey argued that such a policy would prevent Pennsylvania residents from effectively subsidizing large technology companies through higher electricity costs.

He acknowledged that data centers could provide jobs and serve national-security interests but said their development should come with greater safeguards.

Richey said his broader campaign agenda remains centered on expanding energy production, reducing regulations and supporting school-choice initiatives.

The visit marked another campaign stop in Warren County for Richey. He said he plans to continue returning to the area as the November election approaches.

“I'm happy to be back in Warren County,” Richey said. “We’ll keep coming back.”