HERSHEY, Pa — House Speaker Mike Turzai has withdrawn from the Governor’s race.
Turzai made his announcement at the GOP Winter Meeting, where Scott Wagner and Jeff Bartos nabbed the GOP Party endorsement.
Turzai has been in the house since 2001 and was elected to serve as Speaker in January 2015.
He serves the 28th district – Allegheny County.
This leaves three candidates still in the running for governor, Senator Scott Wagner, Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth.
Mike Turzai’s office released this statement
“I’m writing you from Hershey, PA where the Republican State Committee meeting is taking place. It has been less than three months since Mike Turzai got in the race for governor and the #PaFightsBack movement got underway.
Mike’s been to 67 counties and talked to thousands and thousands of Republican voters. The movement has had building momentum and we are unspeakably grateful for the support you have all shown. It is why, with a heavy heart but an optimistic outlook, that I write to tell you that Mike suspended his gubernatorial campaign today in a speech to the Republican State Committee members. Mike made it very clear in his remarks that while he is suspending his campaign; this movement is just commencing.
The Republican brand is not a brand about politics. It is a brand that is based on policy and ideas – ideas that matter to each individual and working family in our party. It is about life. It is about constitutional rights. It is about limited government. It is about individual dignity and personal responsibility. It is about lower taxes, family-sustaining jobs, and more money in working Pennsylvanians’ paychecks. And it is about embracing the opportunities our energy sector presents to this generation and future generations.
Mike Turzai is the leader for all these policies and ideas. He will keep fighting for them. Just like he has beat back Tom Wolf’s liberal agenda for the last three years, he is prepared to do it again and again with his House Republican team – a team that holds a historic majority and which he will ensure remains on behalf of the hard-working taxpayers of Pennsylvania.
We will leave Hershey, PA with only one request of you. Stay in touch. Stay involved. Keep fighting back with us – and we will see you again very soon.”
