Libertarian nominee John C. Thomas is running for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor on a platform of school choice, criminal justice reform and limits on military deployments. The Kittanning educator faces Austin Davis (Democratic), Jason Richey (Republican) and Craig Joseph Bolton (Green).
Thomas's running mate on the Libertarian ticket is gubernatorial candidate Ken Krawchuk of Montgomery County, according to the Butler Eagle. Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate and chairs the Board of Pardons, a role Thomas has highlighted in outlining his priorities.
Candidate information
- Name: John C. Thomas
- Party: Libertarian
- Race: Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, general election, Nov. 3
- Birthplace: Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
- Residence: Kittanning, Armstrong County (about 10 years)
- Education: Bachelor's degree, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2000)
- Religion: Thomas identifies as a Christian
Experience and public service
Thomas has worked as a teacher of economics, history, geography and government, according to his Ballotpedia profile. He said he also served as a teacher professional development coordinator at Agora Cyber Charter School.
He has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Armstrong County and as a jail ministry volunteer at Harvest Church of Kittanning, the Butler Eagle reported.
Thomas ran for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania in 2024 as a Libertarian. He received 89,653 votes, or 1.3% of the total, according to Ballotpedia.
On the issues
Thomas's policy positions, drawn from a PCNTV interview, reflect the libertarian non-aggression principle. He said it is always wrong to initiate an act of aggression against another person and extended that philosophy to government.
Education: Thomas said he supports school choice and privatization of education. He said he would eliminate property taxes that fund public schools and redirect per-pupil funding to families to send students to private schools. He argued that private schools educate students for less than half the cost of government schools, citing figures of roughly $11,000 versus roughly $24,000 per student per year.
Criminal justice and the Board of Pardons: Thomas said that as chair of the Board of Pardons he would recommend pardoning every person imprisoned for what he called victimless crimes. He defined those as offenses that did not involve an act of aggression against another person, such as drug use or unauthorized gambling.
Military and National Guard: Thomas said he supports "Defend the Guard" legislation. The measure would prohibit Pennsylvania National Guard members from being deployed in combat unless Congress has formally declared war.
Editor's note: Thomas has not returned the West Chester-Goshen Courier's candidate questionnaire. The positions above are drawn from public statements and interviews. No official campaign website was identified; Thomas maintains a Facebook page for his campaign.
