Democratic candidate John Hanger differentiates himself from the typical politician — his policies and progressive agenda will overthrow the big money spenders of the election, he said.

“I’m running a different kind of campaign,” said Hanger. “It’s a campaign that is dedicated according policy first and politics second.”

Hanger spoke to a group of Penn State College Democrats about his campaign, “The People’s Campaign”, and why he considers himself the best candidate to replace Gov. Tom Corbett in 2014.

“I’m determined to try to make sure we actually elect a governor who understands policies,” he said.

Hanger is one of eight declared Democratic candidates for governor. He stated that his policies and reasons for office will make him a better governor than Corbett, who he believes lacks communication, management skills and knowledge of policies.

Leadership, management and communication are three skills a governor should acquire, he said. “But the core of governorship, I think, and the success of a governor is whether or not he or she really understands policies.”

His “progressive agenda” included policies that will improve the school system, address jobs and energy challenges, and promote new birth freedom in Pennsylvania, he stated.

“The heart of the problem today in Pennsylvania is education,” said Hanger.

The current spending on charter schools has caused major cuts in the public school system, including Penn State.

“Seventy percent of charter schools have lousy reading exam scores,” he said, “but they keep getting the money.”

Cyber charter schools chew up $366 million, offer nothing but terrible records, and result in Penn State budget cuts and an increase in local school taxes and teacher layoffs, he said.

“How many of you have a hard time paying tuition?” he asks to the College Democrats — almost half of the room raised their hands.

Hanger’s college affordability plan would allow Pennsylvanians to attend at least two years of community college, which is the equivalent of one year at a state university. The student would sign a contract that states they will pay back the fund in a 15 year time-frame, contributing 1.2 percent of their income to pay their tuition, he said.

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is about the nation’s average, according to Hanger. His eight-point jobs plan intends to create about 382,000 jobs, which is the important reason why he is running for governor, he said.

Improving the school system, creating better jobs and legalizing marijuana for positive purposes are just a few of Hanger’s policies of reconstructing Pennsylvania’s government and economy.

“I’m going to start challenging Democrats,” he said. “Don’t let big money buy another governor.”