Luzerne County GOP endorses Barletta for governor

WILKES-BARRE — The Luzerne County Republican Committee has endorsed former Hazleton mayor and Congressman Lou Barletta for governor of Pennsylvania.

With that endorsement, Luzerne County becomes the first county party committee in Pennsylvania to endorse a candidate in the Republican primary.

The committee said it chose Barletta from the crowded primary field because of his record and his vision for the future of the commonwealth.

Luzerne County has been identified by NBC News as one of the top bellwether counties in the nation headed into the 2022 mid-term elections.

Incoming Luzerne County Republican Committee Chairman P. J. Pribula issued the following statement on behalf of the Luzerne County Republican Committee:

“To us this was an easy choice. Not only do we know Lou Barletta so well because of his leadership for Hazleton and all of Northeastern Pennsylvania, we know that what he plans to do as governor will benefit all of the citizens of Pennsylvania.

“As a former small business owner, Lou knows exactly what problems people face in their daily lives. As a former mayor, he knows how to get things done to improve the lives of people in their communities.

“And as a former member of Congress, he knows how to navigate the government to achieve positive results.

“As governor, he will unleash the economic potential of our commonwealth, clear away barriers to success, include parents in the education of their children, and restore the principle of freedom that has been lost in recent years.

“And importantly, he will crack down on violent criminals who threaten our citizens and he will continue to fight illegal immigration. We are proud to stand with Lou Barletta and enthusiastically endorse his candidacy to be the next governor of Pennsylvania.”

Barletta also issued a statement when the endorsement was announced:

“It means a lot to me to have the endorsement of the Luzerne County Republican committee because I think they understand the idea that you can tell what someone will do in the future based on what they’ve done in the past.

“As a small business owner, mayor and congressman, I learned that government is often the biggest impediment to people’s success and their ability to care for themselves and their families.

“As governor, I will put those lessons to work for the commonwealth by opening up our energy industries again, keeping taxes and regulations low, clearing bureaucracy, and improving education. We will restore the concept of liberty again, both by opposing vaccine and mask mandates, but also by including parents in the education of their children. We will eliminate sanctuary cities, which encourage people to break our immigration laws, and we will support police officers and law-abiding citizens. We must turn back the wave of violent crime that is plaguing too many of our communities.

“The likely Democrat in the race, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has ideas that run counter to all of these goals. He is beholden to the liberal special interests, most notably environmental activists, who will require him to kill our energy industries and destroy thousands of jobs. As the chief law enforcement official in Pennsylvania, he has failed in his responsibility to keep our citizens safe and has allowed lawlessness to run rampant in our streets. He can’t be allowed anywhere near the governor’s office in Harrisburg.

“I am grateful for the support of the Luzerne County Republican Committee, and I believe this is only the beginning. To have such strong backing in a county that will help tell the story of the 2022 election as a key battleground is huge. We are running the largest grassroots campaign in Pennsylvania history, and it will take us to victory next November.”

The Pennsylvania Primary is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17.