This year Republican candidate Tom Corbett seeks to maintain his position as governor of Pennsylvania for a second term.

Corbett was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from Lebanon Valley College. Later, he went on to St. Mary’s University School of Law in Texas where he received his law degree.

In 1971 – 1984 Corbett served in the United Sates in Pennsylvania’s National Guard 28th Infantry Division, where he successfully rose from a private to a captain during his 13 years of service.

Before Corbett’s induction as governor, he was appointed to fill the temporary role as Pennsylvania’s attorney general from 1995 to 1997. Later in 2004, Corbett was officially elected as attorney general and then reelected with more than 3 million votes, a record-breaking amount for any Pennsylvanian republican candidate. As attorney general, he and others in his office successfully returned and saved Pennsylvanians over half a billion dollars in tax payments.

As Governor, for the first time in 40 years of Pennsylvania history, Corbett successfully cut down government spending as well as balancing state budgets. He claims to be a man that seeks to fight for the people of Pennsylvania and their rights.

He has also suffered several controversies during his period in office. The opposition has accused Corbett of “dragging his feet” during the infamous Sandusky trial to avoid angering his supporters that were Penn State alumni in the election year. Worse yet it has recently been brought to light that several of the employees that served under Corbett when he was attorney general and eventually became members of his cabinet after being elected as governor were exchanging pornographic emails during work-time. Corbet claims he was not involved in this scandal and had no knowledge of it, but this has only served to make him appear incompetent in the eyes of many voters.

Corbett and his wife Susan have two children, Tom and Kathrine. Tom is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University and Kathrine is a prosecutor in the office of Philadelphia District Attorneys.

Where Corbett stands on state issues:

•Corbett refuses to raise taxes on PA working class families. This has been achieved by passing 4 budgets that are helping put Pennsylvanians back to work and maintaining more controlled government spending

•He supports legislation to increase sales or income taxes to offset reductions to school property taxes.

•Corbett opposes abortion rights.

•While in office Corbett won approval for his “Healthy PA” plan. He seeks federal approval to pull back on the benefits for healthier adults in the regular Medicaid program

•Corbett does not promise or seek to add more funding to public schools.

•Corbett believes increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is not needed and would prefer for the federal government to set

•Corbett opposes a taxpayer-backed bond to pay down pension debt.

•Corbett opposes the Environmental Protection Agency standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. He does however support the idea of helping coal fired power plants learn ways to reduce their pollution levels, and practice pollution control.

•Corbett opposes the leasing of any more state parks and forests for oil drilling.

•Corbett opposes the recognition of same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania however he allowed for it to become law, after a fight in the federal courts.

•Corbett supports any legislation to ban discrimination that is based off of the sexual orientation or gender identity when it comes to matters of employment, public accommodations, as well as housing.

•While in office Corbett signed legislation to expand rights of someone with a gun to protect their self with deadly force.

•Corbett opposes legislation that seeks to expand background checks to more gun purchases, ban assault weapons, require that gun owners report lost or stolen guns, and grant municipalities the ability to enact control ordinances.

•Corbett supports terminating the state’s wholesale and retail control of wine and liquor sales, he is in favor of a system of private licensing.

•Corbett proposed a limited medical marijuana plan. He opposes decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and opposes legalizing the sale of it for recreational use.

•Corbett supports the death penalty and has not called for a moratorium.