Keystone Today

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has announced his candidacy for governor of the state, prompting former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Hazleton) to predict that Shapiro would be a "disaster" as governor.

Barletta served as a U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District between 2011 and 2019. Pennsylvania's current governor, Tom Wolf (D), will not be running in 2022 as he has already reached his term limit. Wolf has been governor of Pennsylvania since 2015.

"Josh Shapiro is beholden to the same radical, leftist groups that have a grip on Democrats in Washington D.C. and would be a disaster as governor  of Pennsylvania,” Barletta said in a statement he posted on Twitter Oct. 13.

Former Rep. Lou Barletta | stock photo

He attacked Shapiro and other state leaders for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Pennsylvanians have suffered tremendously under Governor Wolf 's and Josh Shapiro's tyrannical rule," Barletta said. "Businesses were crushed by draconian lockdowns, children had a year of  their education stolen from them, criminals have been given free rein, Philadelphia has become the murder capital of America, Kensington in North Philadelphia is facing an unmitigated opioid and public health crisis, our energy industry and blue-collar jobs are under assault and woke radicals are seeking to cancel every aspect of our national  history."

Shapiro's record should disqualify him from being governor, Barletta said.

"He is motivated by power and authority -- even trying to tell Catholic nuns they must pay for birth control in their health insurance policies," Barletta said. "He has zero real-world experience and would lead Pennsylvania even further in the wrong direction than Wolf has."

Barletta said if elected governor, he would unite Pennsylvanians.

“Pennsylvanians are desperate for change," he said. "I look forward to sharing my positive vision with  voters -- Republican, Democrat and independent -- and how we can unite  together to restore common sense to the Commonwealth.”

A new poll shows Barletta with an early lead among Republicans in the 2022 race, but almost 60% of Republicans are undecided on how they will vote in the primary, City & State reported.