Second Banana
It’s time to look at how we elect our lieutenant governors
With the Presidential election now history, Pennsylvania’s political class has turned its attention to the 2006 race for Governor. Republicans must nominate a challenger to Governor Ed Rendell, so speculation on the GOP side of the aisle has focused on the top slot.
Over on the Democrat side, it’s the job of lieutenant governor that is the topic of discussion. Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll’s performance in office has been so erratic, that replacing her via election isn’t the only option on the table. One state Senator is actually proposing to change the mechanics of electing lieutenant governors.
Pennsylvania has a unique system of electing its second banana. Each party nominates its candidate for lieutenant governor in a competitive election separate from the selection of the gubernatorial nominee. Then, the pair runs together as a team in the general election. This prevents the election of a governor from one party and a lieutenant governor of another party.
In 2002, Governor Rendell faced a tough primary campaign and did not intervene in the race for lieutenant governor. Knoll competed in a crowded field in which she was the only candidate with statewide name identification. That won her a plurality of primary votes, which allowed her to prevail over her lesser-known competitors. Paired with Rendell, she was elected to office that November.
Knoll’s fitness for office has since come under suspicion. She frequently refers to Rendell as “Governor Edward G. Robinson,” confusing him with the actor who played gangsters back in the 1940s. Her uneven performance as President of the Senate has exasperated Senate Democrat leaders to the point Minority Leader Bob Mellow berated her in public.
There have been news reports that Rendell would like to dump Knoll, which (astute politician that he is) he likely would. Knoll is even better known now than she was in 2002, so such a move against her would be risky business for Rendell – especially if she wins.
Two of the last three lieutenant governors – Mark Single and Mark Schweiker – had to step into the top spot. Single was acting governor when the late Robert P. Casey, Sr. underwent a multiple organ transplant, and Schweiker fully assumed the governorship when Tom Ridge resigned to become President Bush’s homeland security advisor. So, there is ample reason to be anxious about who occupies the position and their ability to function effectively should the need again arise to move into the governorship.
Senator Jake Corman, a Republican from Centre County has proposed legislation that would change the way we elect lieutenant governors. He wants to remove the position from the primary election ballot and allow each party’s gubernatorial nominee to appoint their running mate. That would be similar to the practice we have at the national level where Presidential nominees pick their Vice Presidential running mates.
Corman’s cure is, however, worse than the disease. Excepting the current lieutenant governor, Pennsylvania ‘s primary voters have done a pretty good job in selecting qualified candidates. After succeeding Ridge, Schweiker attained the status of national hero for his calm, poised handling of the Que Creek mining disaster in Somerset County . Single is widely credited for providing a steady hand on the helm during Casey’s health crisis. Before them, then-Lieutenant Governor William Scranton won kudos for his role in dealing with the Three Mile Island nuclear crisis.
A more effective change would be to put faith in the voters throughout the process. Uncouple the lieutenant governor’s race from the governor’s race in the General Election and let voters select the best qualified candidate from either party. In 2002, that means we would have had a choice between Knoll, and state Senator Jane Earll of Erie County. Partisan differences aside, Pennsylvanians would have been well served by a Governor Rendell and Lt. Governor Earll. The problem wasn’t that voters didn’t have a good choice; it was that the system did not allow them to make a choice.
Since changing the way we elect lieutenant governors will require an amendment to the state constitution, it can’t take effect in time for the 2006 election. But now is a good time to start the ball rolling so the problem is fixed by 2010. Senator Corman deserves kudos for putting the issue on the legislative radar screen.
