Lieutenant governor position overlooked, yet important

Brad Koplinski, a Harrisburg city councilman and candidate for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, has his own answers to the questions Pennsylvania voters are asking about what he hopes to accomplish.

But the one question that seems universal is a simple one: What exactly does the lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania do?

When asked, senior chemical engineering major Brian Moeller said he knew who the governor was when he was in high school but now knows the name of neither the governor nor the lieutenant governor. Moeller said he does not know what the lieutenant governor does for Pennsylvania but said he knows the governor is involved in gathering votes.

Dejah-Millena Stewart, a sophomore political science major, said the lieutenant governor should be involved in local issues and interact with the people within a state but was unaware that Pennsylvania had a lieutenant governor.

Akshara Kumar, a freshman molecular biology major, said she knew Pennsylvania’s governor is Tom Corbett, but did not know who the lieutenant governor is or much about the lieutenant governor’s role in the state government.

“I would want to know what he does for the people of Pennsylvania,” she said.

In his campaigning efforts, Koplinski is making a statewide tour to clear up some of the confusion. Koplinski, 44, is part of a pool of six declared candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.

The primary election, slated for May 20, will determine the gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates. Once elected, both candidates will campaign together until the Nov. 4 general elections.

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor has six primary responsibilities. The lieutenant governor heads the state senate and acts as governor, if need be, according to Koplinski. Additionally, the lieutenant governor works closely with the governor on other projects based on priority level.

Koplinski said the lieutenant governor heads Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons and Emergency Management Agency, as well as the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, which works to address issues regarding the production of American natural gas. 

Those who work alongside the lieutenant governor say their role is crucial in state policymaking. 

Billy Pitman, press secretary of Gov. Tom Corbett’s re-election campaign, said Pennsylvania’s current lieutenant governor, Jim Cawley, works very closely with the governor.

“[Corbett] looked for someone who would be a partner and do exactly what they promised to do in the campaign,” he said.

They’re also tasked with maintaining ties between the state and local governments.

Jeff Varner, special assistant to incumbent Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, said the lieutenant governor heads the governor’s Local Government Advisory Committee, where local government representatives from across the state come together to find ways in which the state can help meet the needs of its municipalities.

Varner said Cawley’s experience with local government is very beneficial in his role as conduit between the state government and local government. Prior to his position in the state government, Cawley was the chairman of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

Koplinski says  he can excel at this portion of the job  because of his experience as a Harrisburg city councilman.

When he visited Pittsburgh on Feb. 18 as part of a move to gain endorsements and meet with various local political-activist groups, Koplinski said bridging gaps between Pennsylvania’s municipalities is one of his primary goals.

“Unless you’re Philadelphia and to some extent, Pittsburgh, [Harrisburg] is not listening,” Koplinski said.

But before he can implement any changes, Koplinski has to win the ballot.

According to Koplinski’s campaign director, Matthew Pianka, candidates running for lieutenant governor can declare that they intend to campaign but must collect at least 1,000 petition signatures with 100 of the signatures spread over five different counties to be considered an official nominee.

Pianka said it’s too soon to tell how many signatures Koplinski has received so far, but he expects Koplinski will have more than 2,500 signatures by the end of next week.

To make Pennsylvanians aware of his mission, Koplinski has visited all 67 counties in the state to “get a handle on what people are thinking.” He said gubernatorial candidates have the money for television advertisements, which reach a large audience, to garner votes. Lacking these resources, Koplinski is relying on personal relationships to become a contender.

“We have to make sure we build the base statewide,” Koplinski said. “Right now, I talk to mayors everywhere and find out their needs and concerns.”

Koplinski said he is looking forward to working with any of the Democratic Party’s nominated gubernatorial candidates and to helping them achieve their goals.

“I’m very pleased that we’ve got an extremely strong group of people running for governor,” he said. “We see a real opportunity here.”