Sen. Jake Corman kicks off campaign for PA governor in his Centre County hometown
State Senator Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, officially kicked off his campaign for Pennsylvania governor Tuesday evening at Axemann Brewery, surrounded by family, friends and notable supporters.
Corman, who is from Bellefonte and grew up with two parents in politics, has spent many years in Pennsylvania politics himself. He’s been in the state senate for 22 years and was named Senate President Pro Tempore in January. He confirmed his run for governor in late November.
Corman’s father, the late Doyle Corman, previously held the state senate seat Corman holds today and before that was a Centre County commissioner. His mother, Rebecca Corman, also worked in politics. During Corman’s rally on Tuesday, he called his mom the “political brains” of the family and said, “One more campaign, mom. Maybe two more campaigns, but that’s it, I promise.”
Tuesday’s event, which marked the start of Corman’s “Restoring Freedom” listening tour drew a room full of supporters, including Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem, Sue Paterno and Corman’s daughter, Bella, who all spoke about why they thought he should be the next governor.
“Senator Corman, Jake, has made such an impact on our area, and if that can be extrapolated out across this commonwealth, we’re going to be in a very great place as a state,” Dershem said, listing some of the things championed, including local highways, Axemann Brewery, the Centre County Public Training Center and the Bellefonte Waterfront.
If Corman is successful in his bid, he would be the first Centre County resident to become governor since Daniel Hastings in 1894. But running for governor wasn’t always in Corman’s plans, he told the Centre Daily Times.
“It’s not something that I ever thought I would do, but I’m excited to be doing it. I think I’ve been inspired over the last few years of how I’ve seen this current governor operate in a way that I don’t think is best interest of Pennsylvania, best interest of central Pennsylvania. Whether it’s infringing upon our freedoms, whether it’s not embracing good job market issues, not providing safe streets for our communities,” Corman said
During the rally, he said kicking it off in his hometown of Bellefonte was important to him.
“It was so important to me to make this beginning of this adventure in my hometown, where I grew up, where my parents instilled values in my sisters and brother and I, my values of family, the fate of hard work, American values, Pennsylvania values,” Corman said.
He touched on different topics, including protecting freedom, creating opportunities for people to be successful from jobs in Pennsylvania to choice in education, and safe streets.
“I believe we can have good energy jobs, embrace the energy economy and still protect our environment. I believe we can have a first class education and still empower parents to make things happen. I believe we can take on a pandemic and still not infringe upon your freedoms,” Corman said.
Corman didn’t address the election review that has drawn criticism, some coming from his own district, with at least two municipalities adopting resolutions to oppose the audit.
If he’s successful in his bid after a crowded primary election, Corman would be the eighth governor from Centre County.
“Bellefonte rose to its political and financial wealth due in part from the charcoal iron industry that started here in 1791 with Centre Furnace,” Mary Sorensen, executive director of the Centre County Historical Society wrote in an email.
Of the governors from Centre County, only five were governors of Pennsylvania. Three were living in Centre County when they were elected and the other four spent “formative years” in Centre County, according to a 1797 article in the Historical Society’s Centre County Heritage Journal.
Lee Stout, an emeritus board member of the Centre County Historical Society, said the significance of having so many governors connected to one community the way it is to Bellefonte and to Centre County is “remarkable.”
The seven governors were John Bigler (governor of California, 1852 to 1856), William Bigler (Pennsylvania governor, 1852-1855), William Packer (Pennsylvania governor, 1858-1861), Andrew Gregg Curtin (Pennsylvania governor, 1861-1867), James Beaver (Pennsylvania governor, 1887-1891), Daniel Hastings (Pennsylvania governor, 1895-1899) and Robert Walker (appointed governor of the Territory of Kansas in 1857).
Corman is entering a crowded GOP field that includes business leaders, a former congressman and more, and Josh Shapiro is the only Democrat to announce his campaign for governor so far.
Corman will continue his “Restoring Freedom” listening tour this week in Bucks, Luzerne, Erie, Dauphin and Allegheny counties.
This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 2:45 PM.
