Governor
The United States Governor is the chief ceremonial and political head of each state. Governors also retain sovereign police authority and do not have to report to federal authority except for laws contained in the enumerated clause in the Constitution. The governor is the head of each state’s executive branch and has a large amount of holding over government budgeting, a large role in legislation, and can appoint many officials such as the Governor’s cabinet as well as the Secretary of Education. The Governor also has the power to pardon or commute a criminal sentence as well. Governors also have the power to veto a state bill as well as issue a line-item veto, which is vetoing certain portions of a proposed bill. In Pennsylvania, governors may serve up to 8 years (2 four-year terms) until they are ineligible for reelection. This year, Governor Ed Rendel met his term limit and thus two new candidates are running for his position:Democrat DaOnerato and Republican Tom Corbett.
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant governor is second in command after the governor. The lieutenant governor is responsible for stepping in for the governor, whether they are temporarily incapacitated or absent from the state. The lieutenant governor is also the presiding officer over the upper house of the state government. In many states, including Pennsylvania, the lieutenant governor runs on the same ticket as the governor. This year Democrat Scott Conklin will be running with Dan Onerato and Republican Jim Cawley will be running with Tom Corbett.
Senator
In the United States there are 100 senators (2 senators per state). The Senate is the upper house of the US legislature and its purpose is to pass laws. Bills can be introduced in the Senate, with the exception of tax bills which must be introduced in the House. The Senate then meets to discuss and debate these bills before finally voting. In order to make a bill into a law, the bill must pass through the Senate with 2/3 of the vote, as well as pass through the House. The Senate also approves certain presidential appointments, including the Supreme Court Justices. In Pennsylvania, the senators are Bob Casey (Democrat) and Arlen Specter (Democrat). Arlen Specter’s seat is up for re-election however he lost in the primary to a Joe Sestak. The Senatorial Race will thus be primarily between Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey.
Federal House Representative
The United States has two legislative bodies; one of which is the Senate and the other is the House of Representatives. This year, many representatives are up for election. The number of representatives per state varies according to population, with Pennsylvania at 19 congressional representatives. The role of the House of Representatives is to essentially pass law; all bills must be voted on by both the Senate and the House. Some roles that are restricted to just the House are that all bills pertaining to spending must originate in the House, and the House has the power to impeach officials. Also, the House chooses the President in cases when the Electoral College is deadlocked. The House is an extremely powerful determinant in what laws get passed, and it largely depends on which party is in power. So take a close look at your Congressional District and who is running in that district, because these individuals will be representing you when they pass or reject certain bills.
State House Representative
In the Untied States, each state has their own House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has 203 members, each of which represent different areasof Pennsylvania in matters of state law and policy. Find out which district you are in, in order to learn more about who will be running for election in your area! In order to ensure that the issues you find important in your district are being represented in state policy, you need to see what representative candidate best reflects your interests!
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