Former state Rep. Jeff Coleman running for lieutenant governor

Former state Rep. Jeff Coleman is running for lieutenant governor, campaigning on promises of bipartisanship and civility at a time when politics are harshly divided.

The Republican formerly lived in Apollo and represented Western Pennsylvania in the state House for two terms. He now lives in Lemoyne, a Harrisburg suburb.

“I’ve been thinking about the issues around our political dialogue, our political discourse, the deterioration of civility and the kinds of things that allowed political debate to happen — and wondering what I could do about it,” Coleman said.

“If we win (the election) with civility and decency and kindness, I think we have the potential of being the example for races from school board all the way up,” he added.

Coleman said he would support the governor’s public policy agenda and focus on building a coalition in the General Assembly to support the governor’s policies.

His own priorities include reforming education, bolstering the workforce and rebuilding small towns.

He said the covid-19 pandemic exacerbated inequities in the state’s education system. He said he would work to ensure parents had a “viable alternative” from underperforming school districts.

“At the root of this is a civil rights issue, a parental rights issue and a widening chasm of inequity,” he said.

Coleman said he would like to address Pennsylvania’s worker shortage by collaborating with the Department of Corrections to ensure incarcerated people have access to mentorship opportunities and job skill training so they can rejoin the workforce after they’re released.

He said he wants to focus on bipartisanship and building trust with constituents.

“I know there is a generation of people who are exhausted by politics, who don’t believe political leaders and who have been let down,” Coleman said. “I’d love to give them a reason to reconsider politics and public service again.”

Coleman is joining a crowded field of GOP candidates — including state Rep. Russ Diamond of Lebanon County and Rick Saccone, a former state lawmaker from Elizabeth who drew attention for posting videos from outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection — vying for lieutenant governor.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the presumed Democratic candidate for governor, has endorsed Pittsburgh-area lawmaker Austin Davis as his running mate.