Onorato is in the Race

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato officially threw his hat into the ring and declared his candidacy for governor. Onorato made his first announcement in Philadelphia and then traveled to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. He will spend the next two days making additional appearances. Onorato says, “in these challenging times Harrisburg needs to be focused on issues important to [Pennsylvanians].” He says the fight over the budget shows the system is broken and needs “radical changes.” When asked how he would have better managed the budget debate Onorato only pointed to his record of on time budgets and spending cuts. When asked abut the state’s abortion laws Onorato said he would not allow the current laws to be changed, "Let me make my position very clear—I am a practicing Catholic, and I am personally opposed to abortion. But as governor, I would not change the Pennsylvania law." While speaking in Philadelphia Onorato told a small crowd that he has overseen the economic turn around of Allegheny county through spending cuts, lower taxes and business development and he says it all came to a head when Pittsburgh was chosen for the G20 because “the president said we can be a model of how this is done.” Onorato says he is not only willing to take on the status quo of Harrisburg but he is excited to do it. The new candidate tried to head off any shots that could come his way on Allegheny County's poured drink tax imposed to raise funds for the Port Authority. He says his preference was to use a one-percent sales tax, "Harrisburg said no to me on that request. They wouldn’t let me do it. They gave me an option of a drink tax and a car rental tax, since Philadelphia has them. That was not my first choice. But I will tell you if it’s between a drink tax and raising property taxes, it’s a no-brainer. I’m not raising property taxes."
Onorato is the fourth Democrat to officially enter the race. He joins Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty and Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel.