HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman announced Monday that he will not seek re-election for his seat in the state senate, choosing instead to focus on his campaign for governor.
Corman announced his candidacy for governor last month "with an agenda of protecting personal freedoms, expanding education and job opportunities, and improving public safety," his office said in a press release.
First elected to the state Senate in 1998, Corman became president pro tempore in 2020.
“Pennsylvania is a beautiful place, filled with wonderful communities and hardworking families,” Corman said. “As I prepare to conclude my final term in the Senate, I want to thank the great people of the 34th senatorial district for all of their support and encouragement. I will always be honored by the trust and faith you placed in me. I also want to thank all those who worked on my staff through the years for their hard work and dedication to make Pennsylvania a better place.”
During Corman’s tenure as Senate president, he helped pass legislation that gave the final say on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit the length of future emergency disaster declarations by the governor.
The effort came as the result of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s "unilateral actions during the pandemic that hurt small businesses and working Pennsylvanians," Corman said.
As Senate majority leader and later as president pro tempore, Corman said he fought and defeated "countless attempts by Wolf to raise taxes on working families and job creators."
Corman said he also worked with his colleagues in the Legislature to create the Local Resource Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which led to a $6-billion investment into a manufacturing facility in Luzerne County, requiring 4,000 construction jobs and creating 450 permanent jobs.
In 2017, Corman sponsored legislation to overhaul and modernize Pennsylvania’s pension system, a move he claims "limited future financial risk to taxpayers."
The legislation has been hailed as a national model, Corman said.
Corman said he defeated the NCAA in 2013, reversing sanctions against Penn State, including the payment of a $60-million penalty. The funding was then directed to help Pennsylvania children and adult survivors of child sexual abuse, according to Corman.
“None of this would’ve been possible without my colleagues in the Senate,” Corman said. “I want to thank them for their willingness to work together in service to the people of Pennsylvania.”
