Lou Barletta launches PAC while considering a run for governor

Apr. 20—Former Hazleton mayor and congressman Lou Barletta launched a political action committee as he considers a run for governor.

Barletta, who topped a recent Susquehanna Polling & Research poll of possible Republican gubernatorial candidates for 2022, said Monday that he launched Change PA(C) to offer his views on key issues such as the economy, public safety, election integrity and infrastructure.

"People are unhappy with the direction that Pennsylvania is going," Barletta said. "I've been encouraged by people across the commonwealth to get involved. This PAC allows me to bring these issues into the conversation and have a platform for them."

Barletta hasn't decided whether he'll run for governor, but said Monday that the PAC gives him the opportunity to work on issues as he considers that possibility.

"I'm still in the decision-making process and hope to come to that decision in a few weeks," he said. "It's a big decision and I hope to be making it soon."

Barletta was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 and lost to Democratic incumbent Bob Casey by 13 percentage points.

He has since kept a political presence on social media, but said the governor's race is the first serious consideration he's given to getting back into office.

Barletta's announcement drew a response from Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Brendan Welch, who slammed the former congressman's views on immigration, election security and call for refusing to certify President Joe Biden's election victory on Jan. 6.

"Pennsylvanians already had a chance to weigh in on Lou Barletta's extremism and did not like what they saw," Welch said in a news release. "The Republican primary is set to be a race to the bottom of conspiracy theories, divisive culture wars, and candidates who care more about Donald Trump's ego than Pennsylvania families."

Before his run for Senate, Barletta served in Congress from 2011 to 2019 and as mayor of Hazleton from 2000 to 2010. He also served on city council for two years.

While serving as mayor, Barletta championed controversial ordinances that were intended to crack down on illegal immigration. Those ordinances were never enforced and prompted a legal battle that continued for years.

He's a steadfast Trump supporter and was a fixture at rallies and campaign stops organized by the then-president and his team.

In October 2020, Barletta was on hand when Mark and Patricia McCloskey rallied voters as part of the "Team Trump Bus Tour" at Republican offices in Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

Attendees at the Hazleton event publicly encouraged him run for governor.

The recent Susquehanna poll showed Barletta leading head to head and in total name identification in critical markets in Pennsylvania among possible GOP gubernatorial candidates that include former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, former U.S. Attorney William McSwain and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, Dallas.

Contact the writer: sgalski@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3586