Kennedy Prepares for Lt. Governor Run
by News Article
Former Cumberland County State Representative John Kennedy appears ready to jump into the crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor next year.
Kennedy, who made a name for himself as a legislative reformer during his terms in office, has launched a Facebook page touting his candidacy.
Kennedy's likely entrance into the race gives Central Pennsylvania a strong candidate in the Lieutenant Governor contest.
Businessman Steve Johnson of York County has been winning a lot of friends around the state because of his conservative credentials. Having never run for office though he faces a sharp learning curve.
And then there is Dauphin County Commissioner Nick DiFrancesco who took off on county time this past summer to ride his motorcycle to all 67 counties.
DiFrancesco is best known for voting for a massive, unnecessary tax increase shortly after taking office. His inept handling of the county's nursing home and penchant for shoveling county money out the door to lobbyists also works against him.
We'll have much more on that in the weeks ahead.
But Kennedy has the unique combination of attributes that could allow him to prevail in a crowded race. Kennedy can raise money. He is a retired successful businessman. He has solid reform credentials. And his is sincere in his fiscal conservatism.
The DiFrancesco folks spun the story over the summer that he could win the nomination by being the only central Pennsylvania candidate while multiple candidates lined up in the southeast. The strong candidacies of Kennedy and Johnson (sounds like a 1960s Presidential line-up) blew that strategy out the window.
In any event, look forward to Kennedy's official announcement and the beginning of a real campaign for Lieutenant Governor!