Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner is the former Democratic Pennsylvania Auditor General and a former member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Wagner ran for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2010,[1] but finished second in the Democratic primary. Wagner did not run for re-election as state auditor in 2012. He was succeeded by Eugene DePasquale (D), who won election on November 6, 2012.
In 2013, Wagner ran for the office of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.[2][3] He lost in the Democratic primary election on May 21, 2013 to Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto.[4]
Wagner ran for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2014 elections but withdrew before the primary.[5][6][7]
Biography
Jack Wagner is a former United States Marine and is a recipient of the Purple Heart. Wagner served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968, and was granted a medical discharge for combat wounds received in 1967. Wagner is active in the veteran community, and has received the Veteran of the Year Award from the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program and the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars, among others.
After working as a Safety Consultant for several years, Wagner was elected to his first political post in 1984 when he became a Pittsburgh City Councilman. After ten years on the city council, Wagner was elected to his first statewide office when he became a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He served in this post for another ten years.
Education
B.S., Safety Management, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1974.
Political career
Pennsylvania Auditor (2005-2013)
Wagner was elected Pennsylvania Auditor in 2004. He was re-elected by a large margin in 2008 over Republican businessman Chet Beiler, earning more votes than any other candidate on the ballot in Pennsylvania (3.26 million), including Barack Obama.[8]
State Senate (1994-2005)
After working as a Safety Consultant for several years, Wagner was elected to his first political post in 1984 when he became a Pittsburgh City Councilman. After ten years on the Pittsburgh City Council, Wagner was elected to his first statewide office when he became a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He served in this post for another ten years.
Issues
Transparency
Wagner voiced his opinion over 2011's House Bill 633, which would allow local governments to publish public notices online instead of in print newspapers. Local governments are limited to printing legal notices, such as bid offers, job openings and public meeting announcements, in local newspapers.
Wagner sent a letter to the chairs of the state House Local Government Committee. In the letter, he argued: “While there may be some validity to the argument that posting these notices on the Internet would save money, … (most) worrisome to me would be the reduction in government transparency and the inevitable loss in public confidence that it would engender.”
Wagner joins AARP and the Pennsylvania Bar Association in opposing H.B. 633.
Newspaper groups at a May 2011 committee hearing argued the legislation could cost 1,000 reporter jobs and add $1 million monthly to the state’s unemployment compensation fund, while at the same time arguing local governments would not save significantly with H.B. 633.[9]
Liquor store privatization
In November 2011, Wagner came out against a Republican proposal to privatize liquor and wine sales in the state, saying it would lead to higher prices for consumers and less tax revenue for the state.[10]
Changes for Penn State
On July 26, 2012, in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, Wagner called for major changes to make Penn State more open and accountable. In a letter to leaders of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, Wager made several recommendations, each of which would require laws to be changed.[11] First, Wagner called for the President to be removed as a voting member of the Board of Trustees. Second, the university, along with three other schools, should be subject to right-to-know laws which would require them to make information such as salaries and contracts available to the public. Third, the board's by-laws, he said, should be changed to require more members be present in order to establish a quorum.[11]
On November 14, 2012, Wagner released a special report in which he added another recommendation to the list of reforms he put forth in July. The new proposal calls for the Governor of Pennsylvania, along with the University President, to be removed as a voting member of the Board of Trustees. “The governor simply cannot faithfully serve two masters,” Wagner said in his report, referring to the dueling agendas the governor has to contend with serving both the best interests of taxpayer and the board.[12] Corbett's press secretary responded that Gov. Corbett was open to discussing several of Wagner's ideas for reforming the leadership structure at Penn State, but did not comment specifically on the recommendation to take away the governor's voting privileges.
Elections
2014
Wagner ran for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2014 elections and filed for the primary as one of five candidates. He dropped out before the primary election due to fundraising troubles.[5][7]
2013
Months after stepping down as state auditor, Wagner entered the race for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[13] Candidates had until March 12 to collect the 250 signatures necessary to make the ballot. Wagner faced four Democratic challengers in the party's primary election on May 21, and lost to Councilman Bill Peduto.[4][14]
2012
Wagner did not seek re-election in 2012. He was succeeded by Eugene DePasquale, who won election on November 6, 2012.
2010
On July 10, 2009, Jack Wagner announced his candidacy for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2010.[15]. He lost in the primary to Dan Onorato, coming in second with 24.2%.
| 2010 Race for Governor - Democrat Primary[16] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Joseph M. Hoeffel (D) | 12.7% | |||
 Dan Onorato (D)
|
45.1% | |||
| Jack Wagner (D) | 24.2% | |||
| Anthony Hardy Williams (D) | 18.1% | |||
| Total votes | 1,018,496 | |||
2008
- General
On November 4, 2008, Wagner defeated Republican Chet Beiler and Libertarian Betsy Summers to win re-election as Pennsylvania Auditor General.[17]
| Pennsylvania Auditor General, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jack Wagner Incumbent |
59% | 3,336,219 | |
| Republican | Chet Beiler | 37.7% | 2,134,543 | |
| Libertarian | Betsy Summers | 3.3% | 184,029 | |
| Total Votes | 5,654,791 | |||
| Election results via Pennsylvania Department of State | ||||
- Primary
On April 22, 2008, Wagner was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[18]
| Pennsylvania Auditor General Democratic Primary, 2008 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jack Wagner Incumbent |
100% | 1,661,549 |
| Total Votes | 1,661,549 | |
2004
- General
On November 2, 2004, Wagner won election as Pennsylvania Auditor. He defeated Joe Peters (R), Ben G. Price (Green), Berlie R. Etzel (Libertarian), and Leonard E. Ritchey (Constitution) in the general election.[19]
| Pennsylvania Auditor General, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jack Wagner |
52.1% | 2,786,909 | |
| Republican | Joe Peters | 45.4% | 2,430,648 | |
| Green | Ben G. Price | 1% | 53,716 | |
| Libertarian | Berlie R. Etzel | 1% | 52,869 | |
| Constitution | Leonard E. Ritchey | 0.5% | 28,776 | |
| Total Votes | 5,352,918 | |||
| Election results via Pennsylvania Department of State | ||||
Campaign finance summary
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Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Jack + Wagner + Pennsylvania + Governor"
See also
- Governor of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2014
- Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2010
External links
- Campaign website
- Former office official state website
- Jack Wagner at Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010 (Auditor), 2010 (Governor), 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002 (Senate), 2002 (Lieutenant Governor), 2000, 1998
Footnotes
- ↑ Auditor General Jack Wagner To Run For Governor
- ↑ PoliticsPA, "Wagner, Harris Circulating Petitions for PGH Mayor," March 4, 2013
- ↑ Jack Wagner for Mayor, "Elections," accessed April 18, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Pittsburgh Tribune, "Peduto secures Democratic nomination for Pittsburgh mayor," May 21, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Trib-Live, Wagner mulls gubernatorial race, August 17, 2013
- ↑ PennLive, "Ex-Pa. Auditor General Jack Wagner says he'll decide by year's end whether to run for governor," November 11, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 philly.com, "Jack Wagner drops out of Pa. governor's race," March 27, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ Wagner wins second term as auditor general
- ↑ "PA auditor general opposes bill to publish legal notices online," By Darwyyn Deyo, PA Independent, May 23, 2011
- ↑ Penn Live, "Liquor store privatization would cost Pa. money, auditor general says," November 30, 2011
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Philly.com, "Auditor General Wagner seeks right-to-know laws, other changes at Penn State," July 27, 2012
- ↑ The Patriot News, "Pennsylvania AG's recommendations for Penn State include removing governor, school president as trustees," November 14, 2012
- ↑ PoliticsPA, "Wagner, Harris Circulating Petitions for PGH Mayor," March 4, 2013
- ↑ Jack Wagner for Mayor, "Elections," accessed April 18, 2013
- ↑ Auditor General Jack Wagner To Run For Governor
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, 2010 General Primary - Official Returns, accessed July 20, 2010
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2008 General Election - Auditor General," accessed February 14, 2012
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department Of State, "2008 General Primary - Auditor General," accessed February 14, 2012
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2004 General Election - Auditor General," accessed May 15, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bob Casey (D) |
Pennsylvania Auditor 2005 - 2013 |
Succeeded by Eugene DePasquale (D) |
| ||||||||||||||
